C6th Scales and Chord Progressions for Lap Steel
Arrangement by David J. Stewart

       The first thing you need to learn is your scales, from which songs are composed. A chord is 2 or more notes played together. Once you learn your C6th chord scales, then you can play the melody of a song by ear, i.e., you'll be able to play what you hear. If you can hum a song, you should be able to play it on your guitar if you know your scales. 

E______3__5__6__8__10__12__13__15__17_____________________________
C___5__________________________________17_________________________
A____________5__7__________12_____________________________________
G______3__5________10__12______15__17_____________________________
E___5__________________________________17_________________________
C#________________________________________________________________

 

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A___1___3___5___________________5_________________________________
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E_________________________________________________________________
C_________________________________________________________________
A___1___3___5___6___8___10__12___13____Notice that this scale_____
G______________________________________run brings you exactly_____
E______________________________________one octave higher._________
C#__1___2___4___6___8___9___11___13_______________________________
 
 
E_________________________________________________________________
C___0___2___4___5___7___9___11___12_______________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
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E___0___1___3___5___7___8___10___12_______________________________
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E___3___4___5___6___8___9___10____________________________________
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A_______3___4___5_________________________________________________
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E_________________________________________________________________
C_________________________________________________________________
A________________________________________Play these scales up and_
G___3___5___7___8___10___12___13___15____down. See if you can_____
E___3___4___6___8___10___11___13___15____make a little song by____
C#_______________________________________rearranging the chords.__
 
 
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E___15___13-12-11___10-9-8___6-5-4___3____________________________
C___15___14-13-12___10-9-8___7-6-5___3____________________________
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E______1__2__3___4___3_________________6__________________________
C___3__1__2__3___4___3___5__5___3__2______7___3___________________
A________________3_____________________5______3___________________
G___3__1__2__3_______2______5______1______7___3___________________
E___3_______________________5__________4______3___________________
C#________________________________________7_______________________
 
 
E__________________________________3______________________________
C___________5___3___10-9-8-7___8___3___6___5___4___3______________
A___1___5___5___3___10-9-8-7_______________5_______3______________
G___1___5_______3__________________2_______________3______________
E___1___4___4___3____9-8-7-6_______________4_______3______________
C#__1_____________________________________________________________
 
 
E___3__4-6__4___7___11___8__7__6______________________6__7-3___4__
C_______________7___11___8__7__6___8__________3__5-8__5__7-3______
A______5-4__3___6___10_____________8___8___7__3__5-8__4__6-2___3__
G___3____________________8__6__5_________________4-7______________
E__________________________________________6______________________
C#________________________________________________________________
 
 
E_______________2___3_______6_____________________________________
C___3___4___5___2___3___6___6___10________________________________
A_______4___5___1_______6_______10________________________________
G___3___3___________3___5___5___10________________________________
E___3_______4___________________10________________________________
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E_________________________________________________________________
C___12__________10_________9________7______5______________________
A______12-11-10____10-9-8_____8-7-6____6-5____Try to play this____
G_____________________________________________seemlessly, i.e.,___
E_____________________________________________keep it flowing.____
C#________________________________________________________________
 
 
E__________________8~~___8~~_______________3________10__9__8______
C_________4-7-10_________8~~___10-9-8___3_____9-10__10__9__8__10__
A_________4-7-10___8-7_________10-9-8___3_____9-10__10__9__8______
G___2-3___3-6-9__________8-7____________3_____________________10__
E___2-3_________________________________3_____________________10__
C#________________________________________________________________
 
 
E______________________________________10__9__8___________________
C___5___2___3___4___5___6___7___8___9____________8________________
A___5_____3___4___5___6___7___8___8_________________7__6__5__4____
G___5___________________________________________________________5_
E___5_____*This chord run sounds really nice. It doesn't have_____
C#_________to be played fast, just keep it flowing._______________
 
 
E___5__6_____5____________________________________________________
C_________7_____5__7_____5________________________________________
A_____________________7_____5__7____5_____________________________
G_________________________________5____3__5_____3_________________
E________*This is a great practice scale_____5_____3__5___________
C#________run and good to play in a song.________________4________
 
 
E_________________________________________________________________
C____8_________________________________6__7__8____________________
A____8_____________________5__6__7__8_____________________________
G____8_________3__4__5__6_________________________________________
E____8___4__5_____________________________________________________
C#________________________________________________________________
 
The following excellent run is from Jerry Byrd's performance of "Little Brown Gal" on 
the "Pagan Paradise" album. It's a great scale exercise to learn and practice. You can 
see here the value of learning your scales and what they allow you to do once you know 
them. 
E_______________________________5__4__3____________5~6~5__3_______
C_____________6__5__4_______5___________5__4~5~6~7___________5____
A_______4__5__________5___5___5______________________________5____
G_____5_________________4____________________________________5____
E___5________________________________________________________5____
C#________________________________________________________________
 
 
Relationship Between Notes and What You Can Do With Them
 
The purpose for learning the following scales is to see how the SAME thing can be played
in different ways. This is important to prevent getting stuck in a rut. There's nothing
wrong with memorizing some tablature and playing a song the same way every time, but you
won't enjoy playing your instrument as much. As a challenge to myself, I try to play in
different ways to make it more interesting. Here's 4 ways to play the same music piece...
E________________3__5__7__8_______|_______________________________
C__________4__5___________________|_______________7__9__11__12____
A_______5_________________________|_________7__8__________________
G____5____________________________|______7________________________
E_________________________________|___8_____________________12____
C#________________________________|_______________________________
 
 



E_____________1__3__5__7__8_______|_______________________________


C_______2__4______________________|________________________9__10__


A____3____________________________|________________10__10_________


G_________________________________|_________9__10_________________


E_________________________________|_____10________________________


C#________________________________|__11___________________________


 


 



	

		
I know what you're asking. You're thinking... What's the difference playing the SAME 

		
scales in four different ways? I'm glad you asked. This is where it gets fun and 

		
interesting. I'm now going to show you what you can do with these four different scale 

		
positions, and you'll see how each scale position gives you a unique situation to take 

		
advantage of various chords...

	







E_______________3___4~~5~~10___|__________________________________


C_________4__5______4~~5~~9____|________________7___8___9~~~12____


A______5____________4~~5~~8____|_________7__8___________9~~~12____


G___5__________________________|______7_________________8~~~11____


E______________________________|___8______________________________


C#_____________________________|__________________________________


 


 






E__________*1~0~1~0~1~0~1__3__4__5__|_____________________________


C_____2__4_______________________5__|_____________________________


A__3________________________________|_________________10__11~~12__


G________________________________4__|__________9__10______11~~12__


E_________*bar bounce_______________|______10_____________11~~12__


C#__________________________________|___11________________11~~12__


 



	

		
With a little practice, these will become second nature. There's many more scales. In 

		
fact, you can start a scale from any note on your guitar. Albeit, I usually start my 

		
scale on the 4th string (as tabbed in the first section above). I learned from Buddy 

		
Emmons that if you can hum a song, then you should be able to play it by ear. This is 

		
only possible if you know your scales. 

	




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  Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven!

	

		

		John 20:31, “But 
		these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 
		Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”