THE PAUL FRANKLIN METHOD
A complete Course in Pedal Steel Guitar
for the E9 & C6 Necks
Enroll Now!
Something for everyone.
Regardless of skill level.
Multi-Camera Video Lessons
TABs and Document PDFs
Audio Backing Tracks
Enroll Now!
JUST GETTING STARTED?
Paul de-mystifies the pedal steel by breaking down concepts into easily learned lessons and gets you playing the right way, right away. No bad habits, nothing to unlearn!
BEEN PLAYING FOR YEARS?
Check out Paul’s advanced lessons on chords, theory and improvisation. Learn the essential exercises and techniques he uses in his practice routine.
WONDERING WHAT TO LEARN NEXT?
If you’ve been playing a while and are stuck in a rut, let Paul guide you past the plateaus and help you break through to the next level.
IN THE MOOD TO LEARN OR PRACTICE?
All you need is internet access and a computer or mobile device and you can start learning – at home or on the go.
NEED A VIRTUAL PERSONAL TUTOR?
With great camera angles, TABs and step-by-step instruction, it’s like having Paul sit across from you in a one-on-one lesson.
LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR TONE?
Paul covers the techniques and gear he uses and can help you dial up great tone no matter what amps/gear you are using.
NEED MORE LICKS?
Paul breaks down some of his classic recorded parts and shows you alternate versions…and how to create your own!
WANT TO KNOW MORE ON CHORDS? SCALES?
Let us know what you’d like Paul to cover, whether it’s new content or a more in-depth look at an existing lesson, and we’ll add it to the list of future videos.
About Paul Franklin
Paul Franklin began playing steel guitar at age 8. Taking lessons from a Hawaiian guitar master, he quickly progressed and when pedal steel guitars came about, he got one immediately.
Paul was already gigging in local clubs at 11, and a member of the Musician’s Union. Soon calls came to the house asking for a pedal steel player for sessions in the thriving local music scene.
Not only were Pop, Motown and Jazz popular, but the “Hillbilly Highway” of Southerners heading North to build cars fueled a burgeoning Country music scene.
Paul got his first taste of national success as a teenager on Gallery’s “It’s So Nice To Be With You”, a #1 hit single. He also guested on Parliament’s “Country Boy” track and worked with Motown producer Dennis Coffey (of instrumental hit “Scorpio” fame).
The pedal steel was being embraced by Country music, and Nashville was the place for this young prodigy to be, so he headed to Tennessee as a senior in high school to join Barbara Mandrell’s band at the invitation of her father, Irby. He also toured with Dottie West, Lynn Anderson, and Donna Fargo.
Session steeler Pete Drake hired Paul to play on jingles and a few recordings. Franklin joined Jerry Reed’s band and recorded solo albums of original pedal steel instrumentals and Jazz standards. A long stint with Mel Tillis’ Statesiders playing classic country and honky-tonk with an excellent road band was next.
After leaving Tillis, his studio career took off and he was featured in many of the albums of the 1980’s-2000s. In 1991 he took a call from Mark Knopfler that led to playing on The Notting Hillbillies album and eventually with Dire Straits, touring the world and recording On Every Street with them.
In recent years, besides his busy studio schedule, Franklin is a member of Vince Gill’s touring band and holds down the pedal steel seat with the Time Jumpers who showcase Western Swing and classic Country every Monday night at a local Nashville club.
" I have never had an instructor like Paul. He tells, explains, demonstrates, and inspires. No teacher I have ever had in any subject has done that."
"Having struggled to gain what knowledge of this amazing instrument that I have, and worked hard to do it, I only wish I had had this when I started out."
"I've seen most all of the instruction materials that have come over my playing life. This is by far the absolute best, & as long as Paul desires to continue sharing his knowledge I'll be there to take lessons from him. "
" It's like having Tiger Woods help you with your golf game. I can't think of any other profession or hobby or avocation where regular folks have this kind of access to the best on the planet."
"As a second generation steel guitarist I believe this is the most important thing to happen to the future of the instrument. 25 years ago I did 10 instructional videos for steel, so know the amount of work it takes to do this.Congratulations on a masterful job, Paul!"
"I cannot imagine a better way to learn or a better teacher than Paul. Several months in I’ve learned more than I thought I could and have a path for continued improvement. Money well spent for anyone willing to do the work whether they’ve been playing for 20 years or 20 minutes.
Click on a Section to see the Lessons
A MESSAGE FROM PAUL
STUDENTS: Check here for the LATEST NEWS
How to Navigate The Course Player - SLIDES
How to Navigate New Player - PDF
The Parts of the Pedal Steel Guitar
Tuning Your Guitar - By Ear
Tuning Levers With Pedals
Other Ways of Tuning the E9th
Changing Your Strings
For 6-String Guitarists
Open Strings and Intervals
The Four String Groups
Chord Names on the Fretboard
The Open Strings - QUIZ
Fretboard By The Numbers
Nashville Number System - PDF
The E9 Tuning In Intervals
Why Is My Guitar Tuned Like This? - TEXT
Fretboard and Pedals (A&B)
Thinking In Intervals - PDF
E9 Tuning - QUIZ
The Four String Groups - QUIZ
Chord Names On The Fretboard -QUIZ
How to Sit Behind the Guitar
How to Read TAB
History Behind The E9th Floor Pedals
Basic E9th Pedals & Knee Levers
The Pedals - QUIZ
Pedals and Chords - QUIZ
Rocking The Pedals
Knee Lever Placement
Volume Pedal Basics
Using the Volume Pedal for Expression
The Emotional Sound of the Pedals
PF4 And Pedal Placement
Choices For Picking Techniques
The Picks – Why The Choice Matters
Mastering The Bar (Tuning And Tone)
Bar Pressure
The Arpeggio
House of the Rising Sun TAB PDF
Blocking
Pick Blocking
Blocking the "Picked Rake"
Creative Speed Picking: Permutations
Scale Permutations TAB - PDF
Applying Permutations TAB - PDF
Chimes
Chimes Exercise
Viewing Paul’s Right Hand Technique
3 Element Blocking: Buddy Emmons
3-Element Blocking: Tommy and Buddy
Building Speed
Building Speed Pt 2
Bar Precision: Playing In Tune
Bar Exercises
Controlling The Bar
Forward Bar Slants
Backward Bar Slants
Bar Slant Exercises
Viewing Paul’s Bar Technique
Vibrato Concepts
A Deeper Look Into Vibrato Techniques
Hammer On Exercise
Exercise for Bar and Pedal Coordination
The Four String Groups (Major)
The Four String Groups (Minor)
Minor Chords - QUIZ
Timing: Working With A Metronome
Practicing The String Groups
The 1-4-5 Progression
More On 1-4-5 Progressions
Goodnight Ladies TAB - PDF
Chord Progressions
Chord Progressions - Practice Tracks
1-4-5 - Piano & Click Practice Tracks
1-4-5 Chords In Every Key - PDF
Basic Music Theory - PDF
Major Chord Piano & Click - Practice Tracks
Minor Chord Piano & Click - Practice Tracks
Pads and Power Chords
Dominant 7th Chords
Sliding Into 7ths With Pedals
More Positions For 7ths, 9ths & 13ths
Dominant 7th Workout - Practice Track
Dominant 7 Workout - PDF
The Major 6th
The ‘add9’ & ‘add2’ Chords
Using the Flat 5
Diminished Chords
Augmented Chords: Basic Positions
Using An Augmented Chord
Augmented Chord Progressions
Augmented Chord Progressions TAB - PDF
Playing The Blues
Major Scale Key Of C
Basic Harmony - PDF
Major Scale Harmonies
Harmonizing the Major Scale In 3rds
Applying the Harmonized Major Scale Pt 1
Applying the Harmonized Major Scale Pt 2
Two-Note Major Scale Harmonies
Thinking Simply: Major Chords
Thinking Simply: Minor Chords
E9 Minor Approach - Pt 1
E9 Minor Approach - Pt 2
E9 Minor Approach - Pts 3 & 4
Relative Major Licks Over Em
Modern Chord Voicings
Putting It All Together
Next Level Diatonics
Approach Chords For Diatonics
Extending Fretboard Knowledge
Expanding The E9 Neck
E9 Chord Substitutions
Chromatic Scale Positions - E9
The Modes: Part 1
The Modes: Part 2
Diatonic Harmony: Danny Boy
Thoughts On Chords - TEXT & PDF
Setting the Amp for Tone
Using Compensators
Copedent Advice
Kemper Steel Amp Profiles
Paul's Effects Settings
Facebook Group
Learning
Filling In The Gaps
Nashville Session Players
Why A Metronome?
Strategies: Morphing
How To Practice
How To Practice Without A Guitar
What If?
The Importance of Memorization
Being Analytical
Buddy Emmons and "Absolutes"
Influences
Building Speed Towards Originality
Learning By Listening - E9 & C6
Keeping An Open Mind
No Longer A Beginner
How To Make Everything Your Own
Focus
Destinations
West Coast Style: Above and Beyond
West Coast 1511
Weldon Myrick Shuffle 1511
Advanced 1511
Additional Bakersfield - BACKING TRACKS
Farewell Party
5511 Ballad
5511 Ballad Advanced
5511 Traditional Country
Additional 5511 Ballad - BACKING TRACKS
5 to 1 Resolution
Banjo Roll
West Coast Country
1 To 1dom7
Bakersfield Hammer-On
Pull-offs
The Rake
Chordal Pull-Offs
Walk Down to the 1 Chord
5 to 1 Ballad
Pentatonic - 70's Country Style
60’s Country: 5-1 Walk-Down
Memphis Groove
Western Swing Style
Beautiful Ballad Phrase: 1 – 1dom7
Rock Style
Speed Exercise
Thinks He's A Train TAB - PDF
My Baby Thinks He's A Train
C6 Sounds 1 to 4 TAB - PDF
1 to 4 with C6 Sounds
Chromatic Fill Licks
Chromatics on E9
Hammer-On Licks
Bluegrass Ending Licks
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
Vocabulary Study Guide
1) - Modern Walk Down
2) - 60's Nashville Country Walk Up
3) - Funky B&C
4) - Four-chord Ending Lick
5) - PF Lick
6) - Chicken Pickin' In F
7) - Bakersfield Whammy
8) - 4 to 1 Melodic Lick
9) - Chord Cluster Ending/Fill
10) - Hot Wired
11) - Diatonic Cascade
12) - PF's Easy Speed Lick - 5dom7
13) - Resolution Licks
14) - Descending 4 to 1: Modern Harmony
15) - Fast Banjo-style Lick
16) - Minor Key Chord Lick
17) - Aggressive Dom7th Chord Walk
18) - 70's Speed Sliding in G
19) - Up The Scale
20) - Open String Lick
21) - Walk Of Life: 1 to 4
22) - Bakersfield, Indiana
23) - Wide-Grip Lick
24) - Walk Down Lick in G
25) - The Infamous Rake
26) - Minor Walk-down Licks
27) - Blues Rock Rake
28) - 90's Country Voicings
29) - Jazz Up the E9th
30) - G7th Chromatic: Combining 2 Licks
31) - Nervous Breakdown
32) - Loose Changes
33) - Jeff Beck Whammy Lick
34) 1 - 3dom7 - 6m Move
35) - Ascending Train Beat
36) - 90's Country Hats
37) - Pickups
38) - Uptempo Intro
39) - Lap Steel Vibe
40) - Hook Lick
41) - Time Jumpin' Ballad Lick
42) - Unison Rake
43) - Easy to Play Fast Lick
44) - Blues Rock Ideas
45) - Get Your Mind Right
46) - Liquid Lick
47)- Downward Sliding Cascade
48) - Bottleneck Lick
49) - Minor Chord Rake Lick
50) - 2-String Ballad Walk
Introduction To Backing A Singer
Pads: Applying The Harmonized Scale
Fills: Playing in The Gaps
Counterpoint and Connecting Phrases
Playing to the Lyric
Fills: Expanding Your Toolbox
Shenandoah
Some Further Comments
Together Again
All My Exes
The Bottle Let Me Down
Don't You Ever Get Tired?
When I Call Your Name
Approach Notes
Applying Approach Notes
Phrasing Part 1
Phrasing Part 2
Pivoting / Pedal Tones
Counterpoint
Connecting: The Volume Pedal
Connecting: Pedal Squeezes
Connecting: Vibrato & Slides
Technique Options: Drum Rudiments
Technique Options: Piano Licks
Technique Options: Hal Rugg Licks
Knowing Intervals in Any Tuning - TEXT
Permutations As Shapes: Pt 1
Permutations As Shapes: Pt 2
Open String Licks
Pulling Tone
Creative Arrangements
Applying Intervals - Pt 1
Applying Intervals - Pt 2
C6 Sounds on the E9: Turnarounds
Translating C6 Sounds to E9
Putting Improv Concepts Together
How to Build New Licks
Buddy's "Donna Lee" Chromatics
Jazz Blues on E9
Sounds and Techniques
Crafting a Rock Solo
Joe Walsh Style
Americana Music
The C6 Neck: Overview
C6: Tuning The Open Strings
C6 Open Tuning - QUIZ
C6: Fretboard Explained
C6: Open Strings Explained
Chords in Open Tuning - QUIZ
C6 Essentials Etude #1 - PDF
Differences Between E9 and C6
E9 to C6: The Difference (for Toolbox Students)
Thoughts on the Tuning & Buddy's Setup
C6: Buddy Emmons Pedal Setup
C6: Tuning the Emmons Pedal Setup
C6: Paul's Pedal Setup
C6: Chord Pockets (Maj & Min)
C6: Single Note Pockets - Pt 1
C6: Single Note Pockets Pt 2
C6: PFM Blues Pt 1
C6: PFM Blues Pt 2
PFM Blues Backing Tracks - MP3s
C6: Blues With Extensions Pt 1
C6: Blues With Extensions Pt 2
C6: 2-5-1 Progression
C6: Harmonized Scale in 3rds and 4ths
C6: Turnaround Progression 3m 6 2m 5
E9 Sounds on C6
Translate C6th to Lap Steel
C6 Thinking Simply - Majors & Minors
C6: Big Band Turnaround Changes
All My Exes
Lenny's Lesson
C6 Finger-Style Creative Concepts
C6 Triads Over Bass Notes
C6: Applying Intervals to Build Chords
Exploring C6 Common Tones
How to Access Minor Chords
C6: Alt Dom7 Chords: The #5 Interval
C6 Altered Dom7: The #9 Interval
C6 Moving From 1 to 4: Diminished to Min7
Moving From 1 to 4: Sus Chords
C6 Moving From 4 to 5: #9 Sounds
C6 Moving From 4 to 5: Counterpoint
C6 Using 2-5 to the 4 Chord Pt 1
C6 Using 2-5 to the 4 Chord Pt 2
Moving From 4 to 5: 13th Interval
Moving From 4 to 5: Maj9 & Diminished
Moving 4 to 5: Strategies
Moving From 4 to 1: Diminished Sounds
C6: 2-5-1 Eb and Bb
C6: Pedal Change
C6: Intervallic Improv VS Scales
Soloing Advice - Pt 1
C6 Giant Steps Pt 1
C6 Giant Steps Pt 2
C6 Giant Steps Pt 3
C6 Giant Steps Progression and TRACKS
C6 Intervallic Improv: Resolving Chords
C6 Jazz & Swing Chromatic Pockets
C6: Jazz Blues
Lick 1: Bluesy Pull-Off
Lick 2: Blues Roll
Lick 3: Jazzy Blues
Lick 4: Funky Horn Section
How To Create A Facebook Account
How To Determine Your Facebook Email Address
Improvisation
Applying The Basics
Bluegrass Backup and Soloing
Right or Wrong
Interval Memorization Application
E9 Blues
Difficult Is Good
Applying Your Interval Knowledge
Chord Tones and Extensions
How to Maximize the Paul Franklin Method - PDF
Lesson Notes Template
Paul's Copedent 2020
TAB Basics - PDF
Basic Harmony - PDF
Basic Music Theory - PDF
Chord Formulas - PDF
Major Scales and Triads - PDF
Cycle Of 4ths and 5ths - PDF
Browser Settings for PDF files
Thoughts On Chords - TEXT & PDF
Suggested Listening - LINKS
Some Pedal Steel Resources - LINKS
Background Drones In Various Keys - DRONES
Drumbeat Practice Tracks - Shuffle and Ballad - DRUMBEATS
II-V-I Practice Tracks In All Keys
Blank Tab Sheet - PDF
Paul's Christmas Collection
Ad: All Our Courses
Lloyd Green Part 1
Lloyd Green Part 2
Lloyd Green Part 3
Lloyd Green Part 4
Lloyd Green Part 5
Lloyd Green Part 6
Lloyd Green Part 7
Tommy White Part 1 of 2
Tommy White Part 2 of 2
Dann Huff Part 1
Dann Huff Part 2
Tuning
Chimes and Picks
Buddy Emmons
Tilting the Pedal Steel
Bar Issues
Jerry Reed
Non-Tennessee residents
Non-Tennessee residents
Tennessee residents, includes tax
Tennessee residents, includes tax
The Paul Franklin Method is a streaming video course brought to you by Modern Music Masters.
Your enrollment covers the price of the Course and includes 12 months of access. Launched in Jan of 2018, the course library now contains hundreds of wide-ranging video lessons and Paul continues to add to them on a regular basis.
The idea is to create an virtual classroom environment. Instead of booking a flight to Nashville, paying for a hotel room, food and transportation to take an hour or two lesson from Paul whenever his schedule might allow it, you can do it 24/7 from your home on any device that can stream online video.
Unlike a private lesson, you can review the materials by watching the videos over and over, use the video player to slow things down, and print out TABs and other relevant lesson materials.
You’ll have all the necessary close-up shots of Paul’s bar hand, pick hand and the pedals and levers, perspectives you simply could not get all at once at a private lesson.
This complete approach to teaching is what Paul means when he calls the Method a “living, breathing course”. Online streaming allows Paul to truly create a Method, not just an hour of hot licks or techniques – though of course hot licks, solos and intros are included in the Method!
The pedal steel has never had a complete video method dedicated to it, and we are aiming to set the standard of quality and completeness. You should be able to start from scratch and come out playing at a high level. Paul has committed to keep teaching as long as students are willing to learn.
Foundations: E9PSGB is Paul's starter course for pedal steel guitar. All of the material in F:E9SGB is contained in TPFM. TPFM continues on from the basics and goes deeper into all aspects of the PSG.
The Paul Franklin Method is a streaming online video course. Your initial enrollment includes well over 200 videos and 12 months of viewing access. You can view all of the videos and content 24/7 when connected to the internet.
All Paul Franklin courses are available online 24/7 on any device with an internet connection. Pedal Steel Guitar and Musician's Hall of Famer Paul Franklin is a master player and a master teacher. With decades of experience teaching via cassette and in person at clinics and seminars, the arrival of online teaching finally allowed Paul to reach many more players and get deeper into subjects that earlier methods and in-person appearances cannot rival.
Paul draws on his five decades of live and studio playing with a who's-who of musical titans, from Country titans like George Strait, Alan Jackson and many others to Barbra Streisand, Harry Connick, Jr. and Megadeth. He is expert on both E9 and C6 tunings and has an encyclopedic knowledge of classic steel styes from the early masters of the instrument. Paul was mentored by legends like Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green, Pete Drake, Weldon Myrick, Hal Rugg, John Hughey, all fellow Hall of Famers. His guitar dominated the charts during the Country boom of the '90=80's and '90's, he toured the world with Dire Straits and continues to be the first-call pedal steel player in the Nashville studio scene.
From ripping Rock, to twangy Country, to Jazz, to Western Swing and all points in between, Paul honors the past and keeps pushing the instrument forward. It is his desire to share all of the knowledge he has acquired for future generations to study and carry the pedal steel guitar torch into the future.
The Paul Franklin Method can be viewed on desktop computers and mobile devices – phones, tablets, laptops – as long as you have a supported browser on them and they are connected to the internet. You will need to keep your OS and browser fairly current as how browsers display items changes over time. For example, in the Mac world, you may need iOS 10.x or higher.
Yes. We offer a free Test Drive of this course, containing a select sample of Paul Franklin Method lessons. Just scroll down to bottom of this page.
The Paul Franklin Method videos are not available for download, though other items like PDFs and TABs, are.
Your initial enrollment allows you access to view the videos online 24/7 for 12 months. After that there will be affordable monthly subscription plans that will maintain your access to the site.
This should not be an issue. When streaming to your device, the video player attempts to detect your device’s capability and the current quality of your internet connection.
The default setting will auto adjust to deliver a quality viewing experience. If you prefer a resolution other than the ‘auto’ setting choice, you have the ability to select the resolution that is being sent to you.
The settings will typically range from a high of 1080p or 720p to a low of 224p. The lower the resolution setting, the less bandwidth used.
Paul teaches using the standard pedal setups as used by Buddy Emmons, Jimmy Day, Lloyd Green, Rusty Young, Tom Brumley, etc. Pedal placement is your personal preference, so Paul refers to them as “A”, “B” or “C” pedals. Wherever you have those changes on your guitar is your call.
On the E9 tuning, you should have the two basic knee levers that raise and lower the 4th and 8th strings a half-tone (E to F and E to Eb). On the C6 tuning, the standard Buddy Emmons setup is taught.
Universal or Extended tuning users can benefit from the Course, just apply the concepts to your own tuning/copedent.
Start With Foundations?