Uploaded February 2011 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
This is one of my favorite Hawaiian songs to play on the steel guitar. It sounds awesome on pedal steel. I start out by playing my E9th as a C6th, by simply keeping the E strings (4 and 8) lowered all the time. I then switch to E9th and use the pedals for a nice surprise to the listener. Although not traditional, Hawaiian music on pedal steel blows the listener away with a beautiful country sound. I love playing Beautiful Kahana on E9th pedal steel.
I love the E9th pedal steel because you've got the C6th right in front of you, on the 1st fret with strings 4 and 8 lowered a half tone. The only thing you need to avoid is string 9, which would be equivalent to having a D# note on your C6th lap steel. The 10th string is your low C. You have all 6 notes of the lap steel.
You'll see me doing bar slants in this song. All I'm doing is playing my E9th pedal steel as if it were a lap steel. I avoid the pedals when playing it like a lap steel.
I do some diminished chords with bar slants, For example: I'll slant the bar at fret 6, playing strings 5,6 and 7. The tip of the bar is on fret 7 (between strings 5 and 6), and the rear of the bar is on fret 6 (on string 7). This gives me a nice diminished chord, which repeats every 3 frets as I slide up the neck. I always play this in Beyond the Reef on lap steel.
This is one of my favorite Hawaiian songs to play on the steel guitar. It sounds awesome on pedal steel. I start out by playing my E9th as a C6th, by simply keeping the E strings (4 and 8) lowered all the time. I then switch to E9th and use the pedals for a nice surprise to the listener. Although not traditional, Hawaiian music on pedal steel blows the listener away with a beautiful country sound. I love playing Beautiful Kahana on E9th pedal steel.
I love the E9th pedal steel because you've got the C6th right in front of you, on the 1st fret with strings 4 and 8 lowered a half tone. The only thing you need to avoid is string 9, which would be equivalent to having a D# note on your C6th lap steel. The 10th string is your low C. You have all 6 notes of the lap steel.
You'll see me doing bar slants in this song. All I'm doing is playing my E9th pedal steel as if it were a lap steel. I avoid the pedals when playing it like a lap steel.
I do some diminished chords with bar slants, For example: I'll slant the bar at fret 6, playing strings 5,6 and 7. The tip of the bar is on fret 7 (between strings 5 and 6), and the rear of the bar is on fret 6 (on string 7). This gives me a nice diminished chord, which repeats every 3 frets as I slide up the neck. I always play this in Beyond the Reef on lap steel.
