Old Timey Waltz

[Bob Russell]

I know all you grizzled veterans out there probably eat this stuff for breakfast, but I'm finding this one pretty challenging. It's from the Jerry Byrd video, in E7 tuning.

http://soundcloud.com/bob-russell/old-timey-waltz

[Ray Montee]

PLEASE.....tell me what accompaniment you selected.

It's one of the best I've yet heard.

Was it BIAB latest REAL INSTRUMENTS with Uke????

[Bob Russell]

Ray, that's me playing actual instruments. Besides the steel, I did a uke track, a guitar track and a bass track. (I don't do Band-in-a-Box.) Glad you liked it. Thanks!

[Gary C. Dygert]

Very nice & sweet. Is that hi to lo E B G# E D B?

[Bob Russell]

Very nice & sweet. Is that hi to lo E B G# E D B?

Thank you, Gary. You're exactly right on the tuning. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Rick Collins]

Bob, this is so expertly done I hesitate to critique; but seemingly the tempo is slightly slower than 3/4 waltz.
But, that could be 'just me'. It could very well be, that others might think I play waltz time too fast.

[Bob Russell]

Bob, this is so expertly done I hesitate to critique; but seemingly the tempo is slightly slower than 3/4 waltz.
But, that could be 'just me'. It could very well be, that others might think I play waltz time too fast.

I took the tempo straight from the Byrd video. For purposes of instruction, he was probably playing it more slowly than you might normally play it. It was definitely challenging for me at that tempo - any degree of "offness" in the slants shows up big-time, as I inadvertently demonstrated!

[Rick Collins]

I took the tempo straight from the Byrd video. For purposes of instruction, he was probably playing it more slowly than you might normally play it. It was definitely challenging for me at that tempo - any degree of "offness" in the slants shows up big-time, as I inadvertently demonstrated!

Thanks Bob, that explains it.
I play Hawaiian and have noticed some Hawaiian players play the Hawaiian classics so slowly that they seem to drag.
But, it does depend on the atmosphere and/or the audience.

[Bob Russell]

I took the tempo straight from the Byrd video. For purposes of instruction, he was probably playing it more slowly than you might normally play it. It was definitely challenging for me at that tempo - any degree of "offness" in the slants shows up big-time, as I inadvertently demonstrated!

Thanks Bob, that explains it.
I play Hawaiian and have noticed some Hawaiian players play the Hawaiian classics so slowly that they seem to drag.
But, it does depend on the atmosphere and/or the audience.

It was an exercise in discipline for me - I never play anything that slow! But he wrote such a pretty tune, I think it works at that speed. And in terms of making the player pay attention to intonation, vibrato, slants. etc., it sure does force one to focus!

Thanks for listening and commenting. I'm just getting my feet wet here and it's always good to hear from other players.

[Jerome Hawkes]

Great tune - i did not know Byrd played very much in the old E7

what video are we referring to? - is this something on youtube or his instructional video that scotty sells or ??

[Bob Russell]

Great tune - i did not know Byrd played very much in the old E7

what video are we referring to? - is this something on youtube or his instructional video that scotty sells or ??

The video is the JB seminar course Scotty's been selling for a while now. It's a very clear explanation of most of the basics of steel guitar technique, and I'm finding it helpful, especially for working on slants and split-bar stuff.

I don't know that Byrd played "very much" in the old E7, but he includes a section on it in the video. And that tuning used to be fairly popular among Hawaiian and country players a long time ago, apparently. More experienced hands than I may choose to chime in on that subject.

[Mike Ihde]

Bob,

I know the tune well because I use it in my Steel Guitar Lab at Berklee College of Music in Boston. You did a good job but the one thing you need to work on is that you're getting to the next chord too quickly. I tell my students to keep the bar moving at all times and just stop off at the written fret long enough to sound the pitch. To do this, you have to wait on the written note a hair longer before you slide to the next one getting to the new note at the same moment that you pick it. You're getting there a full eight beat before you should. In a measure that has 4 quarter notes you make it sound like 8 eight notes.

Mike

[Bob Russell]

Bob,

I know the tune well because I use it in my Steel Guitar Lab at Berklee College of Music in Boston. You did a good job but the one thing you need to work on is that you're getting to the next chord too quickly. I tell my students to keep the bar moving at all times and just stop off at the written fret long enough to sound the pitch. To do this, you have to wait on the written note a hair longer before you slide to the next one getting to the new note at the same moment that you pick it. You're getting there a full eight beat before you should. In a measure that has 4 quarter notes you make it sound like 8 eight notes.

Mike

Hmmm. Thanks for the tip, Mike - I'll have to go back and listen again.

[Charles Kleinert]

Great Job Bob:

I have tried this song also, not nearly as well as you do it, as has been mentioned the backing is really nice. Really enjoyed it.

Thanks for posting it.

chuck

[Bob Russell]

Great Job Bob:

I have tried this song also, not nearly as well as you do it, as has been mentioned the backing is really nice. Really enjoyed it.

Thanks for posting it.

chuck

Thank you for listening, Chuck. Glad you liked it.