Uploaded November 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Hello friends! I recorded this hour-long plus video last night, to share with others. I wasn't trying to record a video to impress anyone; but rather, just to play along with the music from my heart, enjoying the music. So here it is, mistakes and all. I hope you enjoy it as much I did making it.
I am performing on an 8-string, short-scale, Jerry Byrd fuzzy fry-pan made in Japan. I am using the C6th tuning, with a high G. For the bottom 8th string, I used a Bb on some songs, and a B on others like Moon of Manakoora. I am playing through a Roland MobileCube battery-powered amplifier, which is really a nice little amp. I'm using a little reverb, only, for effects. I'm playing the backing tracks through a Fender G-Dec 15 watt amp, which Roland doesn't make anymore to my understanding, but used one's are available. Roland makes some great portable amps. I am using semi-flat strings on this guitar, and haven't changed them for a couple years.
The backing tracks are actual songs that I found on YouTube, and I'm just playing along for fun. Many of the songs are "The Bobby Ingano Trio." I used some of their awesome 2014 concert. I have known Bobby for many years, and I love the guy. Bobby is da man on steel guitar! The great steel guitar you'll hear in the video is Bobby, I am just making some noise in the background, trying to learn from Bobby's expertise. Keep in mind that I didn't rehearse any of these songs, I just played along and did the best I can for fun. My favorite thing is playing harmonics, which Jerry Byrd taught is a steel artist's way of saying, "I have a secret." I like that. To me, steel guitar is the most beautiful music this side of Heaven.
For a couple tracks, I used recordings by Les Paul, which are great because they contain no steel guitar. Moon of Manakoora is by The Venturas. Harbor Lights is by Mary Duff and Daniel O Donnell. All the songs can be found on YouTube, if you'd like to play along on your steel guitar too. Since I couldn't find many quality backing tracks for Hawaiian steel guitar, I realized one day that I can just play along with original recordings. That has worked well. There's tons of cool stuff on YouTube. Some songs move me, others don't. If the song doesn't move me musically, then I don't use it, because my heart won't be in my playing. If the song by itself moves me, then my playing will be from my heart and vibe with the song. I think that is important. This is why I played along with some songs in the video a couple times, enjoying the song and performing along with it.
I am still truly amazed after all these years of playing, how a block of cast aluminum and some metal strings, with a stainless steel bar, can produce such magnificent sounds. Our God is wonderful!!!
I owe a thanks to Rick Aiello, who was kind many years ago to replace the original pickup with one of his homemade MRI pickups, which is wired just like the Rickenbacher horseshoe pickup, where the horseshoe is actually part of the pickup and not just cosmetic. You hear the sound. You judge. I do think that the original pickups from fuzzy are superb, but I wanted to give Rick credit if you like the tone of my guitar. Thanks Rick!
I am recording by my front door. I am renting one of the old military housing units on Guam. So you can hear some noisy cicadas in the background at the beginning, and a couple chickens cackling. Okay, I hope you enjoy my music, it is from my heart to yours.
The C6th is such a beautiful and versatile tuning. My tuning, from low to high is: B, C, E, G, A, C ,E, G). The low B is dreamy, which I like. But for Bobby's music, I use a Bb because that is what he uses. I am learning from watching Bobby's videos how to use the Bb. Pardon the few times where I pause, to tune or figure out a lick I just heard from Bobby. I just wanted to have a good time and record it to share with others. I thought it was worth sharing, if nothing else to encourage other steel players. All I need is a full moon! It was a new moon tonight.
One last important point for steel players. This tuning with the high G is a wonderful hybrid between the C6th and B11th tuning. As you can hear, I perform "Moon of Manakoora" without returning to the popular B11th in which it is usually played. I don't know if you've ever noticed, but the first 3 strings on C6th are the SAME as strings 2, 3 and 4 on the B11th. I think that's pretty cool. So on my guitar with the high G, I have the first 4 strings of the B11th. I do a forward bar slant when I need that F# on the 5th string. Many Hawaiian players use a double neck 8 string, tuned to C6th and B11th. But using the high G gives you a hybrid tuning, so you don't need both necks, unless you really want a pure B11th (which is nice at times). Good stuff! Thank you for reading all this. God bless!
Hello friends! I recorded this hour-long plus video last night, to share with others. I wasn't trying to record a video to impress anyone; but rather, just to play along with the music from my heart, enjoying the music. So here it is, mistakes and all. I hope you enjoy it as much I did making it.
I am performing on an 8-string, short-scale, Jerry Byrd fuzzy fry-pan made in Japan. I am using the C6th tuning, with a high G. For the bottom 8th string, I used a Bb on some songs, and a B on others like Moon of Manakoora. I am playing through a Roland MobileCube battery-powered amplifier, which is really a nice little amp. I'm using a little reverb, only, for effects. I'm playing the backing tracks through a Fender G-Dec 15 watt amp, which Roland doesn't make anymore to my understanding, but used one's are available. Roland makes some great portable amps. I am using semi-flat strings on this guitar, and haven't changed them for a couple years.
The backing tracks are actual songs that I found on YouTube, and I'm just playing along for fun. Many of the songs are "The Bobby Ingano Trio." I used some of their awesome 2014 concert. I have known Bobby for many years, and I love the guy. Bobby is da man on steel guitar! The great steel guitar you'll hear in the video is Bobby, I am just making some noise in the background, trying to learn from Bobby's expertise. Keep in mind that I didn't rehearse any of these songs, I just played along and did the best I can for fun. My favorite thing is playing harmonics, which Jerry Byrd taught is a steel artist's way of saying, "I have a secret." I like that. To me, steel guitar is the most beautiful music this side of Heaven.
For a couple tracks, I used recordings by Les Paul, which are great because they contain no steel guitar. Moon of Manakoora is by The Venturas. Harbor Lights is by Mary Duff and Daniel O Donnell. All the songs can be found on YouTube, if you'd like to play along on your steel guitar too. Since I couldn't find many quality backing tracks for Hawaiian steel guitar, I realized one day that I can just play along with original recordings. That has worked well. There's tons of cool stuff on YouTube. Some songs move me, others don't. If the song doesn't move me musically, then I don't use it, because my heart won't be in my playing. If the song by itself moves me, then my playing will be from my heart and vibe with the song. I think that is important. This is why I played along with some songs in the video a couple times, enjoying the song and performing along with it.
I am still truly amazed after all these years of playing, how a block of cast aluminum and some metal strings, with a stainless steel bar, can produce such magnificent sounds. Our God is wonderful!!!
I owe a thanks to Rick Aiello, who was kind many years ago to replace the original pickup with one of his homemade MRI pickups, which is wired just like the Rickenbacher horseshoe pickup, where the horseshoe is actually part of the pickup and not just cosmetic. You hear the sound. You judge. I do think that the original pickups from fuzzy are superb, but I wanted to give Rick credit if you like the tone of my guitar. Thanks Rick!
I am recording by my front door. I am renting one of the old military housing units on Guam. So you can hear some noisy cicadas in the background at the beginning, and a couple chickens cackling. Okay, I hope you enjoy my music, it is from my heart to yours.
The C6th is such a beautiful and versatile tuning. My tuning, from low to high is: B, C, E, G, A, C ,E, G). The low B is dreamy, which I like. But for Bobby's music, I use a Bb because that is what he uses. I am learning from watching Bobby's videos how to use the Bb. Pardon the few times where I pause, to tune or figure out a lick I just heard from Bobby. I just wanted to have a good time and record it to share with others. I thought it was worth sharing, if nothing else to encourage other steel players. All I need is a full moon! It was a new moon tonight.
One last important point for steel players. This tuning with the high G is a wonderful hybrid between the C6th and B11th tuning. As you can hear, I perform "Moon of Manakoora" without returning to the popular B11th in which it is usually played. I don't know if you've ever noticed, but the first 3 strings on C6th are the SAME as strings 2, 3 and 4 on the B11th. I think that's pretty cool. So on my guitar with the high G, I have the first 4 strings of the B11th. I do a forward bar slant when I need that F# on the 5th string. Many Hawaiian players use a double neck 8 string, tuned to C6th and B11th. But using the high G gives you a hybrid tuning, so you don't need both necks, unless you really want a pure B11th (which is nice at times). Good stuff! Thank you for reading all this. God bless!
