Uploaded June 2011 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
I played this song using the standard C6th lap steel tuning (treble to bass: E - C - A - G - E - C). I start by picking strings 2 and 3 on fret 5 and then slide up one octave to fret 17. Make it a nice long slide, with the reverb turned up, and you'll take everyone to the islands (or remind them that they're already on an island...lol). Hawaiian music is bigger-than-life, lifting people's souls and comforting them. Hawaiian steel guitar is a beautiful gift from God to the world.
Steel guitar is not difficult to play, it just requires determination to keep working at it. Consistency is most important. Becoming familar with the finger picks, learning the melody of the songs, and learning chord picking groups and coordination are the toughest parts I think.
If you really want to learn, then it won't be so hard because you'll have the desire to continue. Talent means nothing without desire. Whereas you can just strum a ukulele, you have to wear metal finger picks and a plastic thumb pick to play steel guitar, and it takes some time to become proficient at doing it.
But to start, anybody can rake across a C6th tuning with their thumb pick and then slide up the bar 12 frets (an octave). That's the first thing I'd teach you to do... slide up 12 frets after picking all 6 notes on the C6th lap steel (and use plenty of vibrato before and after the slide).
When I started playing my first Hawaiian song, I had NO tabs in front of me. I just figured out the molody to "Lovely Hula Hands" by ear on my C6th tuning, and I kept working at it. Over time I've learned new techniques that enhance my playing.
Sadly, because of my constant neck pain that afflicts me round-the-clock, I cannot spend anywhere near the amount of time I wish I could working on my steel guitar playing. I am far from where I could have been if it were not for my damaged spinal cord in my neck since 2004, but I thank God anyhow for the remaining health that I still have. On most days I just don't feel like playing, and on the days I do, I have to make myself play.
You can't see it in the video, but my arms and legs feel weak from my neck all the way down to my fingers and toes. My arm and leg nerves feel like they're tingling and burning, and no medications have helped. I take strong pain meds which help alleviate some of the pain, but nothing else. It is a heavy burden for me to suffer with, and the 7 neurosurgeons which I have seen haven't been able to help me in the least. In fact, my 2nd surgery made me worse. Say a prayer for me my friend. I don't mention this stuff in every video, hardly at all in fact; but I figured I should mention it somewhere because I am living in much pain and affliction daily.
Learn a little here, and a little there. Nothing is difficult once you learn it. I remember when I first tried to ride a bicycle and thought I'd never get it right, but I did, and then scuffed my body up jumping small ramps, doing pop-a-wheelys, and all that other dangerous stuff. I got skinned up pretty good learning to ride a bike. Steel guitar is kind of like that... there's a bunch of stunts (like bar bouncing and palm muting) and cool stuff that you can do once you learn to play the basics (but you don't have to get skinned for learning it...lol).
I am playing this particular song on a Jerry Byrd aluminum frypan, 24 1/2" long scale. The stand is a blessing as the guitar gets quite heavy after a while. As seen in the video, I'm using a battery-powered VOX amp with a 5" speaker. I prefer the Micrcube though for a better reverb I think. I don't like the tap control on the VOX for using the effects. I like simply turning some knobs like the Microcube has. Plus the Microcube has a built-in tuner, which comes in handy. The VOX however has more power (using 6 C-sized batteries), which is nice if you really need a little extra volume. The Microcube used 6 A-sized batteries). The VOX speaker is one inch bigger in size than the Microcube, which does enhance the tone a bit. For pedal steel guitar I'd use the VOX. So each amp has its pros and cons.
The SONY boom box plays my rhythm tracks. This Hawaiian song is one of my favorites, as are many of them. I'll always like the slow and pretty songs the best, but they sound even better if you played them after a moderately uptempo song. Enjoy and God bless!
I played this song using the standard C6th lap steel tuning (treble to bass: E - C - A - G - E - C). I start by picking strings 2 and 3 on fret 5 and then slide up one octave to fret 17. Make it a nice long slide, with the reverb turned up, and you'll take everyone to the islands (or remind them that they're already on an island...lol). Hawaiian music is bigger-than-life, lifting people's souls and comforting them. Hawaiian steel guitar is a beautiful gift from God to the world.
Steel guitar is not difficult to play, it just requires determination to keep working at it. Consistency is most important. Becoming familar with the finger picks, learning the melody of the songs, and learning chord picking groups and coordination are the toughest parts I think.
If you really want to learn, then it won't be so hard because you'll have the desire to continue. Talent means nothing without desire. Whereas you can just strum a ukulele, you have to wear metal finger picks and a plastic thumb pick to play steel guitar, and it takes some time to become proficient at doing it.
But to start, anybody can rake across a C6th tuning with their thumb pick and then slide up the bar 12 frets (an octave). That's the first thing I'd teach you to do... slide up 12 frets after picking all 6 notes on the C6th lap steel (and use plenty of vibrato before and after the slide).
When I started playing my first Hawaiian song, I had NO tabs in front of me. I just figured out the molody to "Lovely Hula Hands" by ear on my C6th tuning, and I kept working at it. Over time I've learned new techniques that enhance my playing.
Sadly, because of my constant neck pain that afflicts me round-the-clock, I cannot spend anywhere near the amount of time I wish I could working on my steel guitar playing. I am far from where I could have been if it were not for my damaged spinal cord in my neck since 2004, but I thank God anyhow for the remaining health that I still have. On most days I just don't feel like playing, and on the days I do, I have to make myself play.
You can't see it in the video, but my arms and legs feel weak from my neck all the way down to my fingers and toes. My arm and leg nerves feel like they're tingling and burning, and no medications have helped. I take strong pain meds which help alleviate some of the pain, but nothing else. It is a heavy burden for me to suffer with, and the 7 neurosurgeons which I have seen haven't been able to help me in the least. In fact, my 2nd surgery made me worse. Say a prayer for me my friend. I don't mention this stuff in every video, hardly at all in fact; but I figured I should mention it somewhere because I am living in much pain and affliction daily.
Learn a little here, and a little there. Nothing is difficult once you learn it. I remember when I first tried to ride a bicycle and thought I'd never get it right, but I did, and then scuffed my body up jumping small ramps, doing pop-a-wheelys, and all that other dangerous stuff. I got skinned up pretty good learning to ride a bike. Steel guitar is kind of like that... there's a bunch of stunts (like bar bouncing and palm muting) and cool stuff that you can do once you learn to play the basics (but you don't have to get skinned for learning it...lol).
I am playing this particular song on a Jerry Byrd aluminum frypan, 24 1/2" long scale. The stand is a blessing as the guitar gets quite heavy after a while. As seen in the video, I'm using a battery-powered VOX amp with a 5" speaker. I prefer the Micrcube though for a better reverb I think. I don't like the tap control on the VOX for using the effects. I like simply turning some knobs like the Microcube has. Plus the Microcube has a built-in tuner, which comes in handy. The VOX however has more power (using 6 C-sized batteries), which is nice if you really need a little extra volume. The Microcube used 6 A-sized batteries). The VOX speaker is one inch bigger in size than the Microcube, which does enhance the tone a bit. For pedal steel guitar I'd use the VOX. So each amp has its pros and cons.
The SONY boom box plays my rhythm tracks. This Hawaiian song is one of my favorites, as are many of them. I'll always like the slow and pretty songs the best, but they sound even better if you played them after a moderately uptempo song. Enjoy and God bless!
