The Paul Franklin Method

THE
PAUL FRANKLIN
METHOD

A complete Course in E9 and C6 Pedal Steel Guitar

Enroll Now!

ABOUT THE METHOD

Learn From
A Pro

Pedal Steel Guitar Hall-of-Famer Paul Franklin shares his 50 years of playing and teaching experience with you.

From Beginner
To Mastery

From Beginner through Advanced and all the way to Mastery, there are lessons for whatever stage you may be at.

Multiple
Music Styles

Paul’s Method is applicable to all forms of music — Modern Country, Classic Country, Blues, Jazz, Rock & Pop.

Watch Listen Learn

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 pedal steel for a while and are stuck in a rut, let Paul guide you past the plateaus and help you break through to the next level.
NEED MORE LICKS? Paul teaches dozens of his classic recorded licks and solos and shows you how to adapt them to create your own!
HAVE A SPECIAL REQUEST? Paul adds dozens of new lessons every year. Let us know what you’d like him to cover, and we’ll add it to the list!

Eight Courses In One!

The Paul Franklin Method is delivered as a stand-alone course and as a collection of three Workshops and four Break-Outs.

You can focus your learning by using the Workshops and Break-Outs as handy sub-sets of the Method's 475+ lessons.

The Three Workshops
Each neck separately, plus all the licks

E9 Complete contains every single E9 lesson from the full Method. Perfect for those only interested in the front neck.

C6 Complete has just the C6 lessons from the full Method. A one-stop shop for all things C6

Just the Licks breaks out every Lick lesson found in the entire Method, including all of the licks in the stand-alone E9 Vocabulary course.

NOTE: These 3 workshops are curated from the complete PFM for student convenience. Not offered separately.

The Four Break-Outs

Beginners can start in E9 Foundations and then explore E9 Applications Toolbox, and maybe grab some manageable licks from Just The Licks once they are ready

Intermediate players can brush up on their skills in E9 Foundations, then study the E9 Applications Toolbox material and move on to E9 Complete for more in-depth coverage.

C6 fans can spend their time getting the tuning mastered in C6 Essentials, then using Paul’s personal approach in C6 Toolbox to apply what they know to tunes. After that, C6 Complete has all of the C6 Improv lessons.

NOTE: These four courses can also be purchased separately by students not yet ready for the full Method Course

Paul's Students Say:

"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."

" 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."

"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."

"It has been a transformational experience for my approach to the PSG. In my experience it is vanishingly uncommon for an artist of Paul’s level of accomplishment to have the interest, generosity, and work ethic required to create a course of this depth, breadth, and quality."

"One of the highlights of my year was discovering the PFM and joining this great community. My playing has improved more than I could have hoped, and my enjoyment of playing has increased commensurately. Your teaching (and inspirational attitude) has made a world of difference for me."

"As a 2nd 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!"

Facebook Group

Your enrollment in The Paul Franklin Method includes an invitation to join Paul's Facebook Group, where actively enrolled players get direct access to Paul!

Ask Paul any question, suggest future lesson topics, post videos of your progress, get personal tips and guidance, glean exclusive insights from his session and touring life, and interact with your fellow students on the main feed and in the Student Chat.

Complete Lesson List!

Click on a Section to see the Lessons

1. A MESSAGE FROM PAUL
1. LATEST NEWS & LESSONS
2. How To Join The Facebook Group
3. Enrollment Renewal Information
4. About the PFM Bundle!
1. How to Navigate The Course - SLIDES
2. How to Navigate The Course - PDF
1. The Parts of the Pedal Steel Guitar
2. Tuning Your Guitar - By Ear
3. Tuning Levers With Pedals
4. Other Ways of Tuning the E9th
5. Changing Your Strings
6. For 6-String Guitarists
7. Harmonic Centers for 6-String Guitarists
8. Open Strings and Intervals
9. The Four String Groups
10. Chord Names on the Fretboard
11. The Open Strings - QUIZ
12. Fretboard By The Numbers
13. Nashville Number System - PDF
14. The E9 Tuning In Intervals
15. Why Is My Guitar Tuned Like This? - TEXT
16. Fretboard and Pedals (A&B)
17. Thinking In Intervals - PDF
18. E9 Tuning - QUIZ
19. The Four String Groups - QUIZ
20. Chord Names On The Fretboard -QUIZ
21. How to Sit Behind the Guitar
22. How to Read TAB
23. Learning
24. FOR BEGINNERS ONLY!
1. History Behind The E9th Floor Pedals
2. Basic E9th Pedals & Knee Levers
3. The Pedals - QUIZ
4. Pedals and Chords - QUIZ
5. Adjusting the Pedals
6. Rocking The Pedals
7. Knee Lever Placement
8. Volume Pedal Basics
9. Using the Volume Pedal for Expression
10. Volume Pedal Mastery
11. Mastering Pedal Squeezes
12. The Emotional Sound of the Pedals
13. PF4 And Pedal Placement
1. Choices For Picking Techniques
2. The Picks – Why The Choice Matters
3. Mastering The Bar (Tuning And Tone)
4. Bar Pressure
1. Intro to the Permutations
2. Perms 1-4
3. Perms 5-8
4. Perms 9-12
5. Perms 13-16
6. Perms 17-20
7. Perms 21-24
8. Permutations: Melodic Shapes
9. Permutations: Melodic Subtraction
10. Combining Permutations
1. Warming Up Your Right Hand
2. The Arpeggio
3. House of the Rising Sun TAB PDF
4. Blocking
5. Pick Blocking
6. Blocking the "Picked Rake"
7. Creative Speed Picking: Permutations
8. Scale Permutations TAB - PDF
9. Applying Permutations TAB - PDF
10. Chimes
11. Chimes Exercise
12. Viewing Paul’s Right Hand Technique
13. 3 Element Blocking: Buddy Emmons
14. 3-Element Blocking: Tommy and Buddy
15. Building Speed
16. Building Speed Pt 2
17. My Right Hand
18. Blocking With Chords Pt. 1
19. Blocking With Chords Pt. 2
20. Building Finger Strength
1. Bar Precision: Playing In Tune
2. Bar Exercises
3. Controlling The Bar
4. Forward Bar Slants
5. Backward Bar Slants
6. Bar Slant Exercises
7. Viewing Paul’s Bar Technique
8. Vibrato Concepts
9. A Deeper Look Into Vibrato Techniques
10. Hammer On Exercise
11. Exercise for Bar and Pedal Coordination
1. The Four String Groups (Major)
2. Major Chord Piano & Click - Practice Tracks
3. The Four String Groups (Minor)
4. Minor Chords - QUIZ
5. Minor Chord Piano & Click - Practice Tracks
6. Timing: Working With A Metronome
7. Practicing The String Groups
8. The 1-4-5 Progression
9. More On 1-4-5 Progressions
10. Goodnight Ladies TAB - PDF
11. 1-4-5 - Piano & Click Practice Tracks
12. 1-4-5 Chords In Every Key - PDF
13. Major Chord Workout
14. Minor Chord Workout
15. Chord Progression Workout
16. Chord Progressions
17. Must-Know Chord Positions
18. Basic Music Theory - PDF
1. Major Scale Key Of C
2. Basic Harmony - PDF
3. Major Scale Harmonies
4. Harmonizing the Major Scale In 3rds
5. Applying the Harmonized Major Scale Pt 1
6. Applying the Harmonized Major Scale Pt 2
7. Two-Note Major Scale Harmonies
8. Alternate I to IV Chord Moves
9. New Discovery: Chromatic/Diatonic Lick
10. New Discovery Part 2
11. Thinking Simply: Major Chords
12. Thinking Simply: Minor Chords
13. E9 Minor Approach - Pt 1
14. E9 Minor Approach - Pt 2
15. E9 Minor Approach - Pts 3 & 4
16. Relative Major Licks Over Em
17. Modern Chord Voicings
18. Putting It All Together
19. Next Level Diatonics
20. Approach Chords For Diatonics
21. Major Chord Modulations
22. Beautiful Maj7 Voicings
23. Open String Chords
24. Harmonized Scale Over Minor Chords
1. Pads and Power Chords
2. Dominant 7th Chords
3. Sliding Into 7ths With Pedals
4. More Positions For 7ths, 9ths & 13ths
5. Playing The Blues
6. Simple Blues Progression
7. Dominant 7th Workout: Chart & Track
8. The Major 6th
9. The ‘add9’ & ‘add2’ Chords
10. Using the Flat 5
11. Diminished Chords
12. Augmented Chords: Basic Positions
13. Using An Augmented Chord
14. Augmented Chord Progressions
15. Augmented Chord Progressions TAB - PDF
1. Extending Fretboard Knowledge
2. Expanding The E9 Neck
3. E9 Chord Substitutions
4. Modern E9th Chords: Diatonics & Intervals
5. Chromatic Scale Positions - E9
6. Color Chords Using Intervals
7. Thoughts On Chords: Tritone Subs & Extensions
1. The Modes: Ionian
2. The Modes: Ionian Part 2
3. Diatonic Harmony: Ionian Mode "Danny Boy"
1. Setting the Amp for Tone
2. Setting Amp Volume
3. Using Compensators
4. Copedent Advice
5. Kemper Steel Amp Profiles
6. Paul's Effects Settings
1. Facebook Group
2. Filling In The Gaps
3. Nashville Session Players
4. Why A Metronome?
5. Strategies: Morphing
6. Finding Your Own Path
1. How To Practice
2. How To Practice Without A Guitar
3. What If?
4. The Importance of Memorization
5. Being Analytical
6. Buddy Emmons and "Absolutes"
7. Influences
8. Building Speed Towards Originality
9. Learning By Listening - E9 & C6
1. Keeping An Open Mind
2. No Longer A Beginner
3. How To Make Everything Your Own
4. Focus
5. Destinations
6. Combining Knowledge
1. Foundational Fills: Intro
2. Foundational Fills #1
3. Foundational Fills #2
4. Foundational Fills #3
5. Foundational Fills #4
6. Foundational Fills #5
7. Foundational Fills #6
8. Foundational Fills #7
9. Foundational Fills #8
10. Foundational Fills #9
11. Foundational Fills #10
12. West Coast Style: Above and Beyond
13. West Coast 1511
14. Weldon Myrick Shuffle 1511
15. Advanced 1511
16. Additional Bakersfield - BACKING TRACKS
17. Farewell Party
18. 5511 Ballad
19. 5511 Ballad Advanced
20. 5511 Traditional Country
21. Additional 5511 Ballad - BACKING TRACKS
22. 5 to 1 Resolution
23. Banjo Roll
24. West Coast Country
25. 1 To 1dom7
26. Bakersfield Hammer-On
27. Pull-offs
28. The Rake
29. Chordal Pull-Offs
30. Walk Down to the 1 Chord
31. 5 to 1 Ballad
32. Pentatonic - 70's Country Style
33. 60’s Country: 5-1 Walk-Down
34. Memphis Groove
35. Western Swing Style
36. Beautiful Ballad Phrase: 1 – 1dom7
37. Rock Style
38. Speed Exercise
39. My Baby Thinks He's A Train
40. Thinks He's A Train TAB - PDF
41. 1 to 4 with C6 Sounds
42. C6 Sounds 1 to 4 TAB - PDF
43. Chromatic Fill Licks
44. Chromatics on E9
45. Hammer-On Licks
46. Bluegrass Ending Licks
47. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
48. Four PF4 Licks
49. Speed Lick #1
50. Speed Lick #2
51. Speed Lick #3
52. Speed Lick #4
53. Speed Lick #5
54. Speed Lick #6
55. Speed Lick #7
56. Speed Lick #8
57. Speed Lick #9
58. Speed Lick #10
59. Speed Lick #11
60. Speed Lick #12
61. I to IV Speed Lick "B-Bender"
62. Single Chord Licks #1
63. Single-Chord Licks #2
64. Single-Chord Licks #3
65. Single-Chord Licks #4
66. Flashy Lick Ideas
67. 1 to 4 Ballad Lick
68. Cajun Steel Lick
69. Rock Guitar Bending Lick
70. Flashy Minor Lick
71. Double-Stop Minor Lick
72. Unison Bend Minor Lick
73. Pedals Down Minor Lick
74. Minor Ballad Lick
75. "C6 on E9" I to IV Move
76. MinMaj7 Chord Move
77. E9 Open String Drone Lick
1. Vocabulary Study Guide
2. 1) - Modern Walk Down
3. 2) - 60's Nashville Country Walk Up
4. 3) - Funky B&C
5. 4) - Four-chord Ending Lick
6. 5) - PF Lick
7. 6) - Chicken Pickin' In F
8. 7) - Bakersfield Whammy
9. 8) - 4 to 1 Melodic Lick
10. 9) - Chord Cluster Ending/Fill
11. 10) - Hot Wired
1. 11) - Diatonic Cascade
2. 12) - PF's Easy Speed Lick - 5dom7
3. 13) - Resolution Licks
4. 14) - Descending 4 to 1: Modern Harmony
5. 15) - Fast Banjo-style Lick
6. 16) - Minor Key Chord Lick
7. 17) - Aggressive Dom7th Chord Walk
8. 18) - 70's Speed Sliding in G
9. 19) - Up The Scale
10. 20) - Open String Lick
1. 21) - Walk Of Life: 1 to 4
2. 22) - Bakersfield, Indiana
3. 23) - Wide-Grip Lick
4. 24) - Walk Down Lick in G
5. 25) - The Infamous Rake
6. 26) - Minor Walk-down Licks
7. 27) - Blues Rock Rake
8. 28) - 90's Country Voicings
9. 29) - Jazz Up the E9th
10. 30) - G7th Chromatic: Combining 2 Licks
1. 31) - Nervous Breakdown
2. 32) - Loose Changes
3. 33) - Jeff Beck Whammy Lick
4. 34) 1 - 3dom7 - 6m Move
5. 35) - Ascending Train Beat
6. 36) - 90's Country Hats
7. 37) - Pickups
8. 38) - Uptempo Intro
9. 39) - Lap Steel Vibe
10. 40) - Hook Lick
1. 42) - Unison Rake
2. 41) - Time Jumpin' Ballad Lick
3. 43) - Easy to Play Fast Lick
4. 44) - Blues Rock Ideas
5. 45) - Get Your Mind Right
6. 46) - Liquid Lick
7. 47)- Downward Sliding Cascade
8. 48) - Bottleneck Lick
9. 49) - Minor Chord Rake Lick
10. 50) - 2-String Ballad Walk
1. Introduction To Backing A Singer
2. Pads: Applying The Harmonized Scale
3. Fills: Playing in The Gaps
4. Counterpoint and Connecting Phrases
5. Playing to the Lyric
6. Fills: Expanding Your Toolbox
7. Shenandoah: A Complete Breakdown of A Recording Session
8. Some Further Comments
1. Together Again
2. All My Exes
3. The Bottle Let Me Down
4. Don't You Ever Get Tired?
5. When I Call Your Name
6. I'll Break Out Again Tonight
1. Approach Notes
2. Applying Approach Notes
3. Pivoting / Pedal Tones
4. Counterpoint
5. Connecting: The Volume Pedal
6. Connecting: Pedal Squeezes
7. Connecting: Vibrato & Slides
8. Technique Options: Drum Rudiments
9. Technique Options: Piano Licks
10. Technique Options: Hal Rugg Licks
11. Knowing Intervals in Any Tuning - TEXT
12. Permutations As Shapes: Pt 1
13. Permutations As Shapes: Pt 2
14. Open String Licks
15. Pulling Tone
16. Creative Arrangements
17. Applying Intervals - Pt 1
18. Applying Intervals - Pt 2
19. C6 Sounds on the E9: Turnarounds
20. Translating C6 Sounds to E9
21. Putting Improv Concepts Together
22. How to Build New Licks
23. Buddy's "Donna Lee" Chromatics
24. Jazz Blues on E9
25. Steel Drum & Marimba Muting Effect
26. E9: Mapping The Fretboard
27. Jamming Using PFM Concepts E9 & C6
28. Targeted Muting
29. Bringing Out The Upper Voice
30. Modernize Your Fills
31. Intervallic Playing: Adding Approach Notes
32. Intervals Over Chords
33. Technique & Expression
34. Pulling Tone Expanded
1. Introduction To Phrasing
2. Phrasing Part 1
3. Phrasing Part 2
4. Chord Structure for a Modern Groove
5. Swinging Over a Modern Groove
6. Grooves & Feels With Billy Thomas
7. Train Beat Groove
8. Cajun/Zydeco Groove
9. Half Time Feels
10. Buck & Ray Shuffles
11. Ballads
12. 3/4 Time
13. Blending Styles
14. Bo Diddley/Clave Grooves
15. Flat Tire Shuffle
16. 90's Shuffle
17. Boogaloo
18. Waylon Groove
19. Billy's Pocket & Conclusion
20. Phrasing: Developing Themes
21. Learning By Listening
1. Sounds and Techniques
2. Crafting a Rock Solo
3. Joe Walsh Style
4. Americana Music
5. Ambient Pedal Steel
6. Preparing to Sacred Steel
7. Hippie Steel
1. The C6 Neck: Overview
2. C6: Tuning The Open Strings
3. C6 Open Tuning - QUIZ
4. C6: Tuning the Pedals & Levers
5. C6: Fretboard Explained
6. C6: Open Strings Explained
7. Chords in Open Tuning - QUIZ
8. C6 Essentials Etude #1 - PDF
9. Differences Between E9 and C6
10. E9 to C6: The Difference (for Toolbox Students)
11. Thoughts on the Tuning & Buddy's Setup
12. C6: Buddy Emmons Pedal Setup
13. C6: Tuning the Emmons Pedal Setup
14. C6: Paul's Pedal Setup
15. C6: Chord Pockets (Maj & Min)
16. C6: Single Note Pockets - Pt 1
17. C6: Single Note Pockets Pt 2
18. C6: PFM Blues Pt 1
19. C6: PFM Blues Pt 2
20. PFM Blues Backing Tracks - MP3s
21. C6: Blues With Extensions Pt 1
22. C6: Blues With Extensions Pt 2
1. C6: 2-5-1 Progression
2. C6: Harmonized Scale in 3rds and 4ths
3. C6: Turnaround Progression 3m 6 2m 5
4. E9 Sounds on C6
5. Translate C6th to Lap Steel
6. C6: Big Band Turnaround Changes
7. All My Exes
8. Lenny's Lesson
9. C6 Finger-Style Creative Concepts
10. C6 Triads Over Bass Notes
11. C6: Applying Intervals to Build Chords
12. How to Access Minor Chords
13. Exploring C6 Common Tones
14. C6: Alt Dom7 Chords: The #5 Interval
15. C6 Altered Dom7: The #9 Interval
16. C6 Moving From 1 to 4: Diminished to Min7
17. Moving From 1 to 4: Sus Chords
18. C6 Moving From 4 to 5: #9 Sounds
19. C6 Moving From 4 to 5: Counterpoint
20. C6 Using 2-5 to the 4 Chord Pt 1
21. C6 Using 2-5 to the 4 Chord Pt 2
22. Moving From 4 to 5: 13th Interval
23. Moving From 4 to 5: Maj9 & Diminished
24. Moving 4 to 5: Strategies
25. Moving From 4 to 1: Diminished Sounds
1. C6: Study Strategies
2. C6: 2-5-1 Eb and Bb
3. C6: Pedal Change
4. C6: Intervallic Improv VS Scales
5. Soloing Advice - Pt 1
6. C6 Giant Steps Pt 1
7. C6 Giant Steps Pt 2
8. C6 Giant Steps Pt 3
9. C6 Giant Steps Progression and TRACKS
10. Intervalic Improv - Resolving 7ths Into Minors
11. C6 Intervallic Improv: Resolving Chords
12. C6 Jazz & Swing Chromatic Pockets
13. C6: Jazz Blues
14. Lick 1: Bluesy Pull-Off
15. Lick 2: Blues Roll
16. Lick 3: Jazzy Blues
17. Lick 4: Funky Horn Section
18. C6: Minor Chords Using Permutations
19. C6: Jazz Phrasing On A Minor Key Pop Tune
20. C6: Jazzy Notes For Majors & Dom 7ths
21. C6: Phrasing Over Rhythm Changes
1. C6: Lick #1
2. C6: Lick #2
3. C6: Lick #3
4. C6: Lick #4
5. C6: Lick #5
6. C6: Lick #6
7. C6: Lick #7
8. C6: Lick #8
9. C6: Lick #9
10. C6: Lick #10
11. C6: Lick #11
12. C6: Lick #12
13. C6 Single Chord Lick #1
14. C6: Single Chord Lick #2
15. C6: Single Chord Lick #3
16. C6: Single Chord Lick #4
17. C6: Swing Grips Ex 1
18. C6: Swing Grips Ex 2
19. C6: Swing Grips Ex 3
20. C6: 4 to 1 Chord Lick
21. C6: Open String Lick
22. C6: 4 to 1 Chord Lick
23. C6: 1 to 4 Chord Lick
1. How To Create A Facebook Account
2. Improvisation
3. Applying The Basics
4. Bluegrass Backup and Soloing
5. Right or Wrong
6. Interval Memorization Application
7. E9 Blues
8. Difficult Is Good
9. Applying Your Interval Knowledge
10. Chord Tones and Extensions
1. How to Maximize the Paul Franklin Method - PDF
2. Lesson Notes Template
3. Blank Chord Sheets
4. PFM Course Outline & TOC
5. Paul's Copedent 2020
6. TAB Basics - PDF
7. Basic Harmony - PDF
8. Basic Music Theory - PDF
9. Chord Formulas - PDF
10. Major Scales and Triads - PDF
11. Cycle Of 4ths and 5ths - PDF
12. Chord Substitutions
13. The Harmonized Scale
14. Browser Settings for PDF files
15. Thoughts On Chords - TEXT & PDF
16. Suggested Listening - LINKS
17. Some Pedal Steel Resources - LINKS
18. Background Drones In Various Keys - DRONES
19. Drumbeat Practice Tracks - Shuffle and Ballad - DRUMBEATS
20. II-V-I Practice Tracks In All Keys
21. Blank Tab Sheet - PDF
22. Paul's Christmas Collection
23. All Our Courses
1. Lloyd Green Part 1
2. Lloyd Green Part 2
3. Lloyd Green Part 3
4. Lloyd Green Part 4
5. Lloyd Green Part 5
6. Lloyd Green Part 6
7. Lloyd Green Part 7
8. Tommy White Part 1 of 2
9. Tommy White Part 2 of 2
10. Dann Huff Part 1
11. Dann Huff Part 2
1. Tuning
2. Chimes and Picks
3. Buddy Emmons
4. Tilting the Pedal Steel
5. Bar Issues
6. Jerry Reed
7. Chorus Effect
8. Vibrato Skills
9. Change The Learning Mindset
10. Emotion and Accuracy (1 of 2)
11. Paul Franklin Seminar (2 of 2)

About this course

533 lessons
41.5 hours of video content

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One Year Plan

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Watch 24/7. Anywhere. Anytime
Re-choose plan after 1 year.

Course FAQ

What is The Paul Franklin Method?

The Paul Franklin Method is a streaming video course brought to you by Modern Music Masters.

Launched in Jan of 2018 and added to continuously since then , the course library now contains over 475 wide-ranging lessons. And more are added on a regular basis.

The idea is to create an virtual classroom environment you can do 24/7 from your home on any device that can stream online video.

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, and perspectives.

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!

We are aiming to set a 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.
How is this different from Paul's E9 Foundations course?

Foundations is Paul's $99 starter course for pedal steel guitar. All of the material in Foundations is also contained here in The Method, which then continues on from the basics and goes deeper into all aspects of the PSG.
What do I get when I enroll?

The Paul Franklin Method is a streaming online video course, with 7 mini-courses spun off for targeted learning, as explained above on this web page. Your enrollment includes over 475 lessons. You can view all of the videos and content 24/7 when connected to the internet.
How is this course different than other pedal steel courses I see online?

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 legends, 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 styles 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. 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.
What devices can I watch the videos on?

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 16.x or higher.
Am I allowed to download the videos?

The Paul Franklin Method videos are not available for download, though other items like PDFs and TABs, are.

Your enrollment allows you access to view the videos online 24/7.
What kind of pedal setup do I need to take this Course?

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.
Is there a way to try before I buy?

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.

Enroll in the PFM Now!

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.

Enroll Now!

OTHER OPTIONS

Free Test Drive?

Not ready to buy yet? We offer a free Test Drive containing a few selected lessons from the full course

Check Out the Test Drive

Start With Foundations?

The $99 price of this introductory course can later be applied towards enrollment in the full Paul Franklin Method

Learn More About Foundations

ABOUT THE METHOD

Watch Listen Learn

Eight Courses In One!

Paul's Students Say:

A MESSAGE FROM PAUL

NEWS/FACEBOOK GROUP/RENEWALS

SITE AND COURSE NAVIGATION

GETTING READY TO PLAY

THE PEDALS & LEVERS

TOOLS: PICKS AND BAR

THE PERMUTATIONS

PICK HAND TECHNIQUES

BAR TECHNIQUES

CHORDS: MAJOR AND MINOR

HARMONY: MAJOR & MINOR

MORE CHORDS

HARMONY: EXTENSIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

HARMONY: MODES

GEAR AND GUITARS

STRATEGIES

PRACTICE ADVICE

MUSINGS

INTROS, LICKS & FILLS

E9 VOCABULARY 1-10

E9 VOCABULARY 11-20

E9 VOCABULARY 21-30

E9 VOCABULARY 31-40

E9 VOCABULARY 41-50

BACKING A SINGER

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

MUSICIANSHIP

PHRASING

MODERN STEEL STYLES

C6 ESSENTIALS

C6 HARMONY

C6 IMPROV

C6 LICKS

BEST OF THE FACEBOOK GROUP

RESOURCES

THE INTERVIEWS

SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS

About this course

ENROLLMENT PLANS

Monthly Plan

$ 49 /mo

3 Month Plan

$ 149

One Year Plan

$ 575

3 Month Plan

$ 149

One Year Plan

$ 575