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Topic: About that LEFT HAND................... |
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 21 Oct 2012 4:28 pm |
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Do any of you use/apply a 'fluid' or 'loose' left/bar hand in your playing, utilizing all of the musical notes between the frets as well as those directly above the fret markers?
OR, do you shoot for the exact spot on the fret, much like a robot might be expected to do and other than some vibrato, hold the bar to the position?
I was listening to some old tunes by Goldie Hill on the JERRY BYRD CHANNEL on You Tube and listening intently to JERRY BYRD's magical playing style during the back-up on her recordings. WOW! Like palm trees bending in a soft warm breeze. |
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Tracy Sheehan
From:
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2012 6:57 pm Re.
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Ray i am going to stick my foot in my mouth again. I am from the old school also and i always used the fret marker for a refence only. I used my ear to try and stay on key which i will bring up again an old problem. If the bass,guitar or what ever is out of tune the steel will sound out also.
IMHO thats a big problem for many now days. They depend on an electronic tuner and as others have posted. If one doesn't have the ear thats a problem.
As i have mentioned many times i also play fiddle as thats what i started on. On a fiddle/violin you are either on key or in another one as the notes get so close together as one plays higher on the neck there is no in between. Makes me laugh to think Jerry Byrd or the other greats would have had to depend on a tuner. Just my opinions. Tracy
As you know us old timers tuned to each other. |
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Tracy Sheehan
From:
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2012 7:06 pm Re: Re.
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| Tracy Sheehan wrote: |
Ray i am going to stick my foot in my mouth again. I am from the old school also and i always used the fret marker for a reference only. I used my ear to try and stay on key which i will bring up again an old problem. If the bass,guitar or what ever is out of tune the steel will sound out also.
IMHO thats a big problem for many now days. They depend on an electronic tuner and as others have posted. If one doesn't have the ear thats a problem.
As i have mentioned many times i also play fiddle as thats what i started on. On a fiddle/violin you are either on key or in another one as the notes get so close together as one plays higher on the neck there is no in between. Makes me laugh to think Jerry Byrd or the other greats would have had to depend on a tuner. Just my opinions. Tracy
As you know us old timers tuned to each other.
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I got off track as uaual. No way Jerry Byrd could have played right on the fret marker as much as he slanted the bar. He used his ears. LOL |
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Tracy Sheehan
From:
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2012 7:14 pm Re.
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| RATTS. Double post again.Sorry about that. |
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 21 Oct 2012 9:22 pm
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My left hand was always attached to my Ears. Also,IMHO, as the strings get older and more worn my Ears would also make adjustments.
_________________
Sacramento Western Swing Society Hall of Fame, 1992
Last edited by Billy Tonnesen on 22 Oct 2012 12:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Marco Schouten
From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Posted 21 Oct 2012 11:22 pm
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For shure the ears are important, but I don't think that that was the question. I aim for the right position first (were the note is in tune), visual or by ear is not relevant, and after that I start the vibrato.
I have seen others that use a heavy vibrato all the time.
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo |
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Rick Schacter
From:
Portland, Or.
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Posted 22 Oct 2012 8:30 am Re: About that LEFT HAND...................
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| Ray Montee wrote: |
Do any of you use/apply a 'fluid' or 'loose' left/bar hand in your playing, utilizing all of the musical notes between the frets as well as those directly above the fret markers?
OR, do you shoot for the exact spot on the fret, much like a robot might be expected to do and other than some vibrato, hold the bar to the position?
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Ray,
I think it was you who told me there is a lot of music between the frets.
I keep that in mind whenever I sit down at the steel guitar now. Along with some tips that Larry has passed on to me as well.
Rick |
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 27 Oct 2012 9:25 am
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I agree in principle with most of the previous comments.
The fret is an important reference point, but when there is a conflict between the fret and the ear, I choose the ear.
My opinion is that if a players ear cannot distinguish between a flat or a sharp note without referring to a mechanical device, then maybe a different vocation should be considered.
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"FROM THEN TIL' NOW" |
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Tracy Sheehan
From:
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2012 9:56 am Re.
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| Gene Jones wrote: |
I agree in principle with most of the previous comments.
The fret is an important reference point, but when there is a conflict between the fret and the ear, I choose the ear.
My opinion is that if a players ear cannot distinguish between a flat or a sharp note without referring to a mechanical device, then maybe a different vocation should be considered. |
Thats what i wanted to say.  |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 30 Oct 2012 8:30 am Just an olde man's perspective.............
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I just learned a couple of days ago while Bob Muller was here kindly and enthusiastically moving a ton of my g'tars around and setting up the BIGSBY and my Emmons as well as one of my JERRY BYRD stand-alone single necks that in fact, my BIGSBY is a "LONG Scale". How 'bout that? It never really made any difference to me, one way or the other. It's what I wanted, I purchased it and that's the way it arrived and besides, I think I looked good  , perhaps really great, sitting there behind it. (Please forgive my modesty!) Until a couple of years ago, I had no idea the darn things were even made in different lengths. What an eye-opener!
When it comes to frettin'........
From the first moment I placed a Ric Bakelite on my lap, thanks to my long-time good friend Wayne Tanner of Belverde, Texas, and Michael Misetich from down Dallas, Texas, way.......
I realized that with a Ric there is no need to guess or speculate where to place one's bar as it is so perfectly engineered that it is virtually impossible to make an inaccurate SLANT, forward or reverse. For those that have to make adjustments in order to play in tune, try a Ric! |
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