"He's Pretty Good"

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 10 Oct 2008 4:34 pm

Duane,

Albeit the emphasis was on the clientele who gets disorderly, I realize that the customer is always right according to successful merchants. Therefore it's the resposibility of the band to tolerate all behaviorisms, (according to your teachings). It might just work, hopefully in situations where audience participation is on the decline.

Duane Reese · Post by **Duane Reese** » 10 Oct 2008 4:51 pm

Well, if someone doesn't like your music, they don't like your music; resisting the urge to get angry at them will prevent things from getting worse - that's all I'm saying.

Therefore it's the resposibility of the band to tolerate all behaviorisms, (according to your teachings).

be·hav·ior·ism /bɪˈheɪvyəˌrɪzəm/
–noun Psychology.

the theory or doctrine that human or animal psychology can be accurately studied only through the examination and analysis of objectively observable and quantifiable behavioral events, in contrast with subjective mental states.

According to my teachings, if you are entertaining a convention of behavioral psychologists and it turns rowdy, you'd better pack up and leave... Don't speak to anybody, and don't make eye contact...

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 10 Oct 2008 5:33 pm

Duane,

I'm interested in your conjectures. Camaraderie, as much I can gather, is rarely seen in psychologists, doctors, and lawyers. Therefore, IMHO, it's best not to be concerned about them banding together.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 10 Oct 2008 6:23 pm

Any DARIUS RUCKER fans in da house???

Lem Smith · Post by **Lem Smith** » 10 Oct 2008 8:50 pm

Duane Reese wrote:When someone says that I'm pretty good, I always take it as a complement... Unless they follow it up with, "... For a #%$@..."

No, here's what's annoying: when someone learns that you play an instrument, without having heard you play, and asks, "Are you good?" What kind of a rude question is that? There's no way to answer it without looking bad in one way or another, and not answering makes you look like a jerk too. I just say, "Oh, I don't know..."

What's worse is if they ask, "Are you any good?"

No no, here's the worst: you are playing somewhere, and before you have a chance to take a good ride, someone asks, "So you're learning to play that thing, huh?"

See - that makes "he's pretty good" sound pretty good, doesn't it?

I've had one experience that I think might have been even worse than that, Duane. Several years back, I was practicing with a group one night for about 3 hours, and after we got finished, a young man about 7 years old came up and started to ask me a few questions about the steel I was playing. His last question kind of stung a bit. It was then that he asked me, "Can you play it?". I thought to myself, obviously not!

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 11 Oct 2008 12:27 am

If we dont stop this thread at some point, the men in white coats will be coming to get us!

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 2:34 am

Larry,

Duanes warning was quite sufficient; written in subtle terminology. My best advice in terms of white coats syndromes, is to stay clear of those whose practices instill doubts and fear. I suggest visiting bob's humor page, if you suspect that this page does not warrant further discussion. Over there, anything goes! You can laugh until the "The cow goes dry", or is it, until "The well goes dry"? I'll keep a sharp lookout for trouble spots on this forum, based on discussions that insert prognoses that reflect a deliberate effort to convert a thread to waste material. Those who balk at deriving an education, are viewed upon with distaste. There are those who have loads of time for their own selfinterests, and none for others. I've learned it's best to move away from those who choose to ignore the rights of others.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 2:57 am

Stephen,

"Don't Think I Don't Think About It"... A good video..

Mark Durante · Post by **Mark Durante** » 11 Oct 2008 4:13 am

I've been asking myself why it is that every time I get on this great forum lately I go right to this thread. I guess I enjoy superficial entertainment as much as the next guy, where else can you witness the drama of Hankey vs Sliff?
Duane, watch out, you're getting dangerously close to the original topic.
Mr. Hankey, I was just watching a youtube of Thumbs Carlille, I don't know what you think of him but he had a capo on his tele while playing some fantastic music.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 11 Oct 2008 4:21 am

I would say, "Thumbs & Darius are pretty good"!

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 4:54 am

Mark

No other endorsement is needed of a fine musician who could hang out with Emmons, Chalker, Wallace, but most of all "Buzz" Evans. They played as a team in "The Picker's Club" in Lawton, Oklahoma for quite some time, back in the eighties. Unless your skills are not limited, it wouldn't have been wise to tangle with either of the two musicians in that particular club. A simple explanation of capo usage may very well point to the players desire to change pitches with a minimum of effort. Even tapping the toes to your own melodies is a waste of energy. Energy that is needed to produce the ultimate tones in serious attempts to sound the best possible in any situation. My point is that most capo users are opting for easier fingerings, and so much that certain melodies need open strings to project an effect; so they say. Actually they can be found in at least 4 different places on the "neck".

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 11 Oct 2008 7:38 am

Even tapping the toes to your own melodies is a waste of energy.

Bill, keeping that in mind, could you mercifully end this thread?

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 11 Oct 2008 7:47 am

My point is that most capo users are opting for easier fingerings,

No, not "easier" fingerings - fingerings that provide specific voicing and intervals.

and so much that certain melodies need open strings to project an effect; so they say.

Yes, they DO say - and those are the voicings we (those of us who use capos often) are talking about. Without a capo, you cannot physically play in third or fourth positions AND have open strings sustaining notes - unless you, Bill, have anextra set of 10"long fingers on your left hand.

Actually they can be found in at least 4 different places on the "neck".

Again, you don't get it - they *can't* because of the use of open strings and letting them "ring" - sometimes through a couple bars of a lead break.

You're looking at the capo from the perspective of one who has never played the style where it's needed, so you (like many jazz players who don't listen to or play bluegrass) see it as a "crutch" to make the guitar easier to play.

I will not discount that there ARE folk players who do that - they may only know how to play in G, C and E and have to have a capo for key changes simply to play the ONLY chords they know.

But I can take a tune like "Fisher's Hornpipe" and play it with or without capo in the key of "F", as an example - *with* a capo I might play in F using a "D" form with the capo at the 3rd fret, or using a "C" shape with the capo at the 5th fret. Each one works; each one uses the same notes; but each one will sound quite different because of the use of open strings. crosspicking positions, etc.

Hopefully that is clear enough - while it's simple enough to physically demonstrate,it's harder to describe.

But the point is, Bill, that you are coming from a different musical perspective, and instead of dismissing something you don't understand you should just accept that there are stylistic things that are not your cup of tea. It's the same for me and the E9 chromatic strings - I don't play them, but I would not call them a "crutch" for faster playing; they DO facilitate quicker runs, but just because I don't use them does not mean I disrespect those who do...it's a different style.[/quote]

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 8:23 am

Jim,

Once again, thank you for pointing out the use of capos as a practical means of producing the most desirable effects on various melodies. BARRY has requested that I ask to close this thread. I'll count his request as one to close it. I'll need 4 more to sustain his wishes. I have mixed feelings about doing such a thing, especially at a time when the latest inputs centering around effects, that carry over to the steel, are in progress.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 11 Oct 2008 10:45 am

Mr. Hankey, I was just watching a youtube of Thumbs Carlille, I don't know what you think of him but he had a capo on his tele while playing some fantastic music.

There's also some dude named Richards who plays a 5-string Tele in an open tuning, often using a capo. He's made a couple of bucks off that unique style and I can't think of too many folks who would knock his rhythm playing.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 11 Oct 2008 12:14 pm

I've posted this before but it does seem to fit rather nicely here.

We were playing the Royal Military Academy in Oxford, England. The equivilent for our West Point. Since we were all enlisted personnel we had to take our breaks in the kitchen.

Upon returning to the stage, I found a couple engineering Cadets giving my new Fender 1000 a once over. One asked how I was doing and to cover my embarressment I replied: "It helps to kill the time."

Another commented something I have yet to understand: "Well Sir; I would say you have chosen an effective weapon !"

I am glad now, that I wasn't using my capo.

Regards, Paul

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 2:00 pm

Theresa,

I don't recall reading accounts of the unorthodox method of playing the 6 string in the style of Thumbs Carlille. I believe that there are others who have taken up that style of playing. He may have been classified as a jazzbo. I'm not sure; apparently he was comfortable with all music, played in any style, fast or slow. An American treasure, that much is a certainty.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 11 Oct 2008 2:34 pm

I second Barry's motion. Close up this crap.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 3:59 pm

Richard,

I didn't include politeness as a prereqisite to closing anything. Your photo tells me more than I need to know.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 11 Oct 2008 4:24 pm

Very smart and intelligent comeback Hankey. So just what does my photo tell you? Or is this just your moronic attempt at an insult directed at me.

I have a couple of pics of what I think you look like, but I would get kicked off the forum if I post them.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 11 Oct 2008 4:59 pm

Thirds---No editorial necessary.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 5:01 pm

Richard,

You've wasted page after page of problems with a heap of wires. Do you just assume that all readers desire to read that crap? You blew it when you wrote in the steelers section; "The fiddle players I've played with the last few years, number one,can't tune their fiddle,then number 2,they couldn't play on fret (key) if someone held a shotgun to their heads." I could correct pluralities, but not in this case.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 11 Oct 2008 5:16 pm

I just e-mailed b0b to please close this thread. I'll quit before I say something that I will regret later on.