ThumbJam Forum

Hi,
Any suggestions on that JR Smooth Steel instrument, for example, scale to be used, a couple of basic finger placements to get started...thanks for your help.

Hi,

My own use of JR Smooth Steel, an instrument I like a lot, is generally this: scale is more or less dictated by my bassline but I tend to use quite a wide span to have access to both low and high notes, alternatively use the split screen function to get both of both worlds. Finger wise I usually start with one finger on the note I want to slide from and then add another (higher or lower pitch, depends...) and either slide only one of the two fingers while the other stays where it is to get an effect of sounds joining each other or becoming more and more distant... I sometimes also use something like a triad scale and play a chord with three fingers and move them up or down, ending with the three fingers on the same high or low pitched note.

Anyway IMHO, just try and experiment with scales and key control and you'll find quite easily the sound you want with JR Smooth Steel. Again the way I'm using it (over something I recorded) closes much of my choices but produces things I'm really happy with.

Cheers

Mat: Thanks and sorry for late reply. Your tips will come in valuable and I'm going to give it a shot.