Take a trip out West with Paul Franklin as he explores the exciting sounds of West Coast pedal steel guitar!

ABOUT THE COURSE

The “Bakersfield Style” of pedal steel guitar as pioneered by Ralph Mooney was an immediate influence on players everywhere.

In this course I teach the key techniques I rely on to get that sound. To demonstrate them in actual use, I selected twelve tracks from the “Bakersfield” album that I did with Vince Gill.

That record was our tribute to Buck Owens and Merle Haggard and all of the great artists and players who created or were influenced by that unique West Coast Country sound.

- Paul Franklin

CLASSIC

GROOVES

  • Shuffles

  • Ballads

  • Honky-Tonk

PEDAL TECHNIQUES

  • Snaps

  • Trills

  • Squeezes

NUANCE & EXPRESSION

  • Volume Pedal

  • Picking Dynamics

  • Partial Bends

FROM THE COURSE

THE SONGS

TESTIMONIALS

"Thank you so much for bringing this guys! One of my favorite records of the last 10 years." - BM

"The course is worth every penny, thanks a lot!" - WW

"It's awesome, I love this course. Thank you Paul for contributing to the joy of others not only through your music but your gift of being able to teach." -JC

"If you are a fan of west coast style and/or Vince and Paul's Bakersfield album like I am, this course is going to knock your socks off." - JM

"It's pretty amazing! Just the intro and discussion of pick and pedal technique is worth its weight in gold. To be able to have this info is priceless." - BB

COURSE SYLLABUS

INTRO & TECHNIQUES

Welcome!

Pedal Techniques

Pick Techniques

FOOLIN' AROUND

Intro

Solo

BRANDED MAN

Intro

Solo

TOGETHER AGAIN

Solo

THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN

Intro

Licks

HE DON'T DESERVE YOU ANYMORE

Intro

Solo

Outro

I CAN'T BE MYSELF

Solo

NOBODY'S FOOL BUT YOURS

Intro

Solo

HOLDIN' THINGS TOGETHER

Solo

BUT I DO

Intro

Solo

THE FIGHTIN' SIDE OF ME

Intro

Solo

I THREW AWAY THE ROSE

Intro

Solo

YOUR TENDER LOVING CARE

Intro

Trading Solos

RESOURCES

How to Navigate The Course - PDF

Lesson Notes Template

Suggested Listening - LINKS

The Nashville Number System

How To read TAB - PDF

FAQ

WHAT IS THIS COURSE ABOUT?

This course is an in-depth exploration into the West Coast/Bakersfield pedal steel styles pioneered by Ralph Mooney. Paul teaches many of the Intros, Solos and Licks (w/practice tracks) from the "Bakersfield" album he did with Vince Gill

Questions? We can be reached at: [email protected]

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE COURSE FORMAT?

West Coast Country is a streaming video course hosted by Modern Music Masters. 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 lesson materials.

The course is composed of video content, downloadable pdfs, and Practice Tracks. The course videos are available to stream online 24/7, and can be paused, fast-forwarded, or slowed down.

WHAT DEVICES CAN I WATCH THE VIDEOS ON?

The Course can be viewed on desktop computers and most mobile devices – phones, tablets, laptops – as long as they have a compatible browser on them and they are connected to the internet.

You will need to keep your OS and browser current as how browsers display items changes over time. For example, in the Mac world, you will need iOS 16 or higher.

HOW MUCH DOES WEST COAST COUNTRY COST?

The course is one single payment of $259 or 2 payments of $130. For that you get 24/7 access to 27 lessons and materials, with no enrollment expiration.

WHAT KIND OF PEDAL SETUP WILL I NEED?

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)

Copyright: Modern Music Masters, Inc. 2025