C6 Instructional Materials for Sale

I have reluctantly had to increase my shipping charges $1.00 due to increased costs for postage, packaging and mileage. However, I now ship all products USPS First Class, so you will receive your order MUCH faster. Thanks, Herb

NEW: C6 Texas Style Vol. 2

After too long an absence from course creation, I've assembled another selection of tunes for the C6 tuning that are accepted by most players here in The Lone Star State as being standards for the repertoire of country and swing dance bands.The new course is entitled C6 Texas Style, Vol.2 and is complementary to my other C6 courses in that it follows the same design; concentration on chord melody using the essential 3-string grips, and with an approach of basic chord substitution.

This course utilizes only the 3 basic pedals (5, 6, and 7) and the knee lever, both singly and in combination.

Chord substitution on the C6, which centers predominantly on using minor chords to sub for related major chords, and minor seventh and diminished chords to sub for dominant (b7 based) chords, is essential for understanding the C6 tuning. The same principles apply for the E9, in fact, and many of these same substitutions are already familiar to E9 players. Only the grips and the pedal changes are, at first glance, different.

Fear not, oh y'all of little faith! The course is, like my C6 Texas Style Vol.1 very accessible and is designed for the experienced beginner through intermediate level playing. Even those amongst us who are advanced on the E9 tuning may benefit from the material in these courses.

As with my previous works, the course includes a CD and a book of tablature. On the CD I play a solo to a BIAB backing track, and the backing track follows without steel so that you can play the solo yourselves. The tablature is my solo, note-for-note, clearly printed.

The songs are (click links for MP3 song samples):

1. Bubbles In My Beer (D), entire song and tag

2. Your Cheating Heart (C), intro, entire song, and tag

3. Blue Spanish Eyes (G), intro, entire song, and tag

4. My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You (Eb), intro, entire song, and tag

5. I Love You Because (C), entire song (similar to Chalker's version)

6. Walking After Midnight (Bb) intro, entire song, and tag

7. Panhandle Rag (E) intro, entire song, improv solo, and tag

Out of Stock

C6 Texas Style Vol. 1

In response to many requests I've completed the first in a series of courses on my approach to the C6 tuning. This new offering includes basic, yet moderately involved, arrangements to western swing standards. The course includes a CD of my playing the solos, along with the rhythm tracks I used, and a book with the tablature of every note I played.

Again, I've geared the course for the experienced beginner to intermediate player who understands tab and is past the single-note "Mary Had A Little Lamb" stage of playing.

The course is written for the basic C6 tuning with D note on the first string and the standard 5 pedal/1 knee lever setup, so you don't need a guitar with 4 levers on that neck. If you have a G note on string 1, you can simply tune it down to a D.

The main 3 pedals used are 5, 6, and 7, and occasionally the knee lever. On only a couple instances are pedals 4 and 8 utilized. Rather than give a lengthy written explanation of chord theory, I try to teach by practical example how these most common pedals function. If you pay attention, follow the tab/chord sheet, and have an ear, I have no doubt "the light bulb will come on" in very short order.

Also shown by example are the situations where minor chords, diminished chords, and augmented chord are substituted for dominant (b7) chords and used as passing tones, leading notes from one chord to another in a simple progression.

Similarly to my Swinging on E9 courses, use of these chords give interest and color to progressions beyond the simple "major-chord" based E9 styles that are common to beginner-intermediate levels on that tuning.

I've listed the songs in what I consider ascending order of difficulty, but they're basically on a level where you could jump in anywhere and work your way through them at your own pace.

The songs are in different keys, intentionally so that positions on the entire fretboard are learned.

The songs and keys (click links for MP3 song samples):

The Kind of Love I Can't Forget - G
       (entire song, 3 choruses; Bob Wills standard)
Faded Love - D and A
       (entire song, 3 choruses, traditional TX arrangement)
Columbus Stockade Blues - E
       (entire song, 2 choruses)
Deep Water - F and C
       (entire song, A and B sections; Bob Wills standard)
Corinna Corinna - Bb
       (intro, 4 choruses)
Moonglow - F
       (entire song, A and B sections)
Milk Cow Blues medley - A
       (4 choruses, MCB, Stormy Monday, Brain Cloudy Blues)
Danny Boy - C
       (Price-style intro/ending, entire song once through)

Out of Stock

Rancho Rhythm Roundup
Tab Book & Tracks CD for C6th tuning

For you fellas and gals who want to learn more western swing standards on the C6th tuning, this 60-page tab book has all the solos I performed on the Rancho Rhythm Roundup CD, along with an accompaning CD of the album minus the steel parts, so you can play along to the actual album tracks yourself.

You'll be playing along with some great musicians, trust me! I'm talking members of Merle Haggard's and George Strait's bands.

The songs and keys include:

Rancho Boogie - C
Coconut Grove - E, F, C#, G, G#
Joaquin Special - Bb, D
On The Alamo - Eb
Little Coquette - G
Blue Skirt Waltz - C, Eb, Bb
Tennessee Stomp - G
South - G
Steel Guitar Jubilee - Bb, Eb
Pennies From Heaven - G
Tuxedo Junction - Bb
Steel Guitar Rag - E

Out of Stock

Texas Dance Time! C6 - Tablature Book & CD package

I've prepared a 50 page book containing, in easily understandable tablature form, all the steel guitar heads and solos I played on the Texas Dance Time! album. Also included is an explanation of the tablature symbols, a chart of my pedal setup, and examples of how I use each of the C6th pedal changes. I try to take the mystery out of what many steel players feel are very unfamiliar chord changes presented by the C6th tuning.

This book could easily be considered a course in Western Swing steel guitar, my approach to the C6th tuning. It would be an excellent complement to one of the Rhythm Tracks packages listed above.

The complete package contains the Rhythm Tracks CD, a booklet of each song's chord progressions and song map, and the Tablature Book with all the steel guitar heads and solos enabling you to play along with the practice tracks, or take the arrangements to your own band.

The songs and keys include:

Johnson Rag - D
Perdido - Bb
Boot Heel Drag - A
Rose Room - G
Skater's Waltz - A
'Deed I Do - F
Tippin' In - F
Bluebonnet Rag - G
Gotta Have My Baby - G
Rosetta - C
Steelin' Home - D
Curtain Call - G

Out of Stock

C6 Pedal Changes and Chord Explanation

Many people are turned off to the C6 tuning because the pedal changes seem unfamiliar to them.

This 6 page booklet explains what chords are available with a common 5 pedal/4 knee lever C6 tuning, and my approach to what chords I can find with those changes. While it does not explain chord progressions of songs, it does show almost all of the chord choices I use on this tuning.

I include this essay with a purchase of my Texas Dance Time! or Rancho Rhythm Roundup packages, and I also have it available for sale for those who just want the pedals/chord information.