lap steel guitar

musical instrument

Also known as: Hawaiian guitar

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The lap steel guitar is an electric adaptation of the resophonic guitar, typically featuring six to eight strings. It is played horizontally on the lap, with a metal bar (the steel) moved over the strings while the other hand plucks notes and chords. This instrument is commonly heard in Hawaiian and traditional country music.1

The steel guitar originated in Hawaii in the late 19th century. Joseph Kekuku is credited with refining the instrument by altering standard guitar tuning and developing the lap-playing technique. Steel guitars can be acoustic or electric, with some acoustic models featuring a resonator for amplification. The pedal steel guitar, a variation, uses pedals and levers for greater pitch control and vibrato, expanding its use across genres like country, jazz, and rock.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Oceanic music and dance
Hawaii
The Hawaiian, or steel, guitar is a metal-stringed adaptation of the European instrument that is played by stopping the strings with a metal bar.
Read More
The Hawaiian, or steel, guitar is a metal-stringed adaptation of the European instrument that is played by stopping the strings with a metal bar.
Read More

slide guitar
About the same time, however, Hawaiian (steel) guitar—a style that arose separately in the islands in the late 19th century but employed a similar slide technique—was gaining popularity on the U.S. mainland through the concert tours of Hawaiian musicians. Although Hawaiian guitar ultimately made its most significant mark on American…
Read More
About the same time, however, Hawaiian (steel) guitar—a style that arose separately in the islands in the late 19th century but employed a similar slide technique—was gaining popularity on the U.S. mainland through the concert tours of Hawaiian musicians. Although Hawaiian guitar ultimately made its most significant mark on American…
Read More

steel guitar
…is the Hawaiian guitar (or lap steel guitar). The pedal steel guitar, a variation on the traditional lap steel guitar, typically is supported by a stand and uses pedals and levers controlled by the feet and knees, respectively. The pedal steel guitar offers an increased range of sliding notes, the…
Read More
…is the Hawaiian guitar (or lap steel guitar). The pedal steel guitar, a variation on the traditional lap steel guitar, typically is supported by a stand and uses pedals and levers controlled by the feet and knees, respectively. The pedal steel guitar offers an increased range of sliding notes, the…
Read More