You don't have to be fast or fancy.

[Greg Wisecup]

Here's proof that a song played (very) well doesn't have to be all "fancified' to be good! Greg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTbNb6ay ... re=related

[Jody Sanders]

Don Helms was one of the greatest players of our time. He always subscribed to the KISS theory. Jody.

[John Coffman]

Don was a great player. Anyone can play fast. It takes years to play slow and with great tone with control. I remember Joe Wright say if you can not play it slow with control and tone. Playing it fast just has more mistakes covered up. For give me if I mis remember exactly. I hope to never be fast but to have control and good tone. Once you have these two fast will come. IMHO

[Jody Sanders]

What John said. Jody.

[Don Brown, Sr.]

The song was done with great feeling, but I feel if anyone feels that was done in simplicity, they've overlooked a great deal. On the Contrary, it was done with, Remarkable Pedal and Bar placement, that few ever achieve in their playing.

In other words, yes! It was very slow, and would seem to be played in Simplicity, when on the contrary, it was played with as much and more feeling that only comes from a player who plays anything but! Simplicity.

The very sign, that only a handfull of players, can pull off. Don Helms made Hank, much the same as what John made Harold.

But again, to me, that was not played as one could ever call played as a simple playing example. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

With all due respect to others, that is only my personal opinion, after giving it a few good listens.

Anyone else agree or disagree? Listen to it again. Then try to play it as Don did.

Don

[Henry]

"Don Helms was one of the greatest players",,
imo, he was well-known in that/his time ,one of the pioneers ,THANKS for that!!
With respect that's my qualification.
Has nothing to do with ,"You don't have to be fast or fancy",,,or not.

H

[Dave Mudgett]

Greg said "it doesn't have to be fast or fancified". This doesn't mean it's "easy to play" - I don't see how he said that at all. I interpreted the statement to say "it doesn't have to be fast or fancified - to be great."

The "not fast" part seems obvious. To my tastes, there isn't an extra note in there - just the ones that are needed - that's the "not fancified" part. I agree that it isn't easy to play like this, and also agree that it's great playing.

I think the concept of "easy/hard to play" is completely orthogonal to Greg's point, which I agree with completely. In fact, I'll go further. In an age where there is often pressure to crank out a lot of notes as a demonstration of "chops" or "competence", it requires exceptional insight and discipline to play just the needed notes and no more. In other words, it is often harder to just do what's needed and not succumb to the temptation to embellish with extraneous stuff.

Don Helms made Hank, much the same as what John made Harold.

I think that's a classic example of overstatement. Don and John obviously added a great deal to both Hank and Conway. But I don't think it's reasonable to argue that their music or greatness didn't stand on their own, with or without steel guitar, fiddle, or any other specific arrangement or musical element.

My opinions, of course.

[James Kerr]

What beauty, what grace, a man at the very top of his game playing in remembrance of another great.

James.