"Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good - Malcolm Gladwell FOCUS ON TODAY'S WEAKNESS...

HEY, WHAT HAPPENED? Anytime I miss something that I am going for on a gig or session, it is caused by not having a physical move or...

Here are the intervals derived from the Harmonized Major Scale chords that made the 60’s steel guitar styles famous. From John Hughey . . .

What I play onstage in any situation goes towards "How do I arrange my role for what is played onstage" The more musicians that are...

The Nashville Number System (NNS) uses the formula of the diatonic harmonies. It is a shorthand system which does not follow exact textbook

Let's look at how to learn to play a part from a popular song. We can get the notes right, but sometimes it still does not sound exactly ...

I'm very pleased to announce a brand-new course I've just launched called Paul Franklin's E9 Pedal Steel Vocabulary. For many years . . .

Everyone that wants to play fast or slow starts out copying their heroes (as I did) in my early teens. Most players that learn this way ...

Becoming a good backup musician depends on knowing where the “holes” are located. We either pad or layout until those holes appear.

When I played the 1 & 2 & 7 raise lever and the PF4, many said they were just “lick pedals”. That’s not how I was looking at it, and . . .

The pedal steel often can not invert every chord type like a piano can, so you’ll need to learn as many inversions as you can find.

The secret to finding logical copedents is to understand how chords and single note phrases are created. We do that by having a complete ...

A question about pedal trills and adding quick pedal moves came up on the Facebook Group…

Steelers were never really taught the importance of volume dynamics while it seems like all other instruments are taught to master this ...

When I listen to Buddy Emmons, Robert Randolph, Lloyd Green, Tommy White, Curly Chalker, or other pedal steel guitar legends, I hear . . .

Thanks so much to all the players who attended Paul’s seminar at the Texas Steel Guitar Association Jamboree. Paul covered a lot of , , ,

A question about the challenges of playing fast was recently posted on the Paul Franklin Method Facebook Group. Many students joined . . .

I believe we need more pedal steel guitar players in order to keep the instrument alive. We need to expand our presence in all genres, in al

I don’t limit myself to one side or the other. If I did my career would have ended years ago. There are many valid approaches to recording

Paul replies to a student on the The Paul Franklin Method private Facebook Group, who as a regular guitar player is accomplished at . . .

One of the best things about The Paul Franklin Method is the students-only Facebook Group that gives active students the ability to have ...

The key to unlocking great technique is to find the fingerings that work best for you. Some players who are having issues playing clean .,,

The difference between a pedal steel and guitar has to surface for students to realize a one-size-fits-all approach is not necessarily . , ,

I improvise thinking in 3 and 4 note combinations. I learn everything this way. Thinking in small amounts frees my mindset to rearrange ...

Paul’s been all over the web lately in podcasts, video interviews and of course the Lloyd Green interviews here on the blog. We’re . . .

I had the pleasure of meeting the great Daniel Lanois at a video shoot I did recently for D’Addario’s “Guitar Power” YouTube series.

The Christmas album I recorded many years back, began as a test of sorts. I had three DA-88 digital recorders (24 tracks) and a 32 . . .

It’s great to know all of the names of the notes on every string and fret and you should strive to do so for completeness’ sake. It’s . . .

The pedal steel guitar can perform in place of synths and is often the choice of many producers looking for unique bending textures.

A Method student recently asked for comments on a common practice and gig issue: tension felt in his neck and shoulders after playing . . .

Here’s the late great Dawn Sears, backed by Time Jumpers Kenny Sears, Andy Reiss, Joe Spivey, Ranger Doug, Paul Franklin, Rick Vanaugh, . .

I was 17 when I moved to Nashville. The great Hal Rugg named my blocking technique for controlling the length of notes “Pick Blocking” . . .

hey say “practice makes perfect”, but what they mean is “perfect practice makes perfect”. We’ve all been there: we’re working on a new . . .

Several students have asked about my constant emphasis on memorization. It’s my belief that internalizing these concepts is vital to . . .