"This Masquerade" played in C13 tuning

[Mike Neer]

I recorded this Leon Russell classic over the last few nights--I recorded the rhythm section and just practiced over it for a few days. It's not quite ready for prime time, but what the heck? I enjoyed playing over this tune--it was a challenge trying to play something lyrical that also had some interesting stuff in it, too. Had to give it a little Latin flavor.

I played my Clinesmith through a Sano amp with a Freeze pedal (my new favorite pedal) tuned to C13:
E C A G E C Bb F

http://soundcloud.com/ionahoopii/this-m ... strumental

[Doug Beaumier]

Sounds good, Mike. I hear a lot of licks in there that I haven't heard you play before. Sounds like you're really expanding your C6 (C13) vocabulary. Parts of it sound very much like (dare I say) C6 pedal steel! Or at least like some of the C6 PSG players I've heard over the years. Nice picking, cool song.

[Mike Neer]

Doug, I've been working on developing longer lines and trying to introduce more chromaticism into the lines, which is difficult. But the more I do it, the more freedom I have and the more successful I get at making the chromatic stuff sound "in".

I quit listening to steel players a while back because I just wanted to focus on developing my own vocabulary. I guess it's unavoidable that stuff is going to carry over, but I'm trying to eradicate those licks now.

Anyway, thanks for listening. I'll just keep playing with this tune until I really feel comfortable with it. That's the great thing--we really can sound exactly like we want to if we put the work in and follow the sounds in our heads.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[Roy Thomson]

Great Mike!
I really like the "in tune" consistency of the chords when played on non pedal steel. You do well.
Your single steel riffs and runs light up the song
very nicely.

Roy

[Mike Neer]

Interesting.

I'll take that, Georg!

Thanks for listening, guys and thank you, Roy. Back to the turkey....

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Very nice Mike!

[Stan Schober]

Dude, you just blow me away....so tasty.

[Nate Hofer]

Yay! Another Neer installment.

[Stephen Abruzzo]

Really nice Mike with good lyricism in your lines.....early on it sounded Robert Randolph-ish (that's a compliment btw).

Can't wait to hear the finished product.

[Doug Beaumier]

I quit listening to steel players a while back because I just wanted to focus on developing my own vocabulary.

I've heard some great steel players say the same thing. Many listen to horn players, pianists, and other to musicians expand their playing and to avoid getting trapped in the itty-bitty world of cliché steel guitar licks. Back in the 80s a well know pedal steel guitarist likened the situation to a bunch of old ladies in a sewing circle trading stitches!

[Rob Munn]

Hey Mike,

Very nice! I've always loved that song; in fact the whole record (Carny) was fantastic. Nicely transformed to jazz lap steel; nice fills and solo highlights!
Rob

[John Mulligan]

Outstanding. This tune really shows your proficiency without ever sounding show-off-ish. It just sounds very very musical. Nice work.

[Mike Neer]

Thank you, gentlemen.

[Mike Neer]

After listening again, I apologize for the bass playing. My intonation is terrible!

[Jim Cohen]

Sounds great, Mike. I enjoyed that.

[Jeff Au Hoy]

Beautiful! I feel like you have some Pahinui in your touch (?) when you play chord melody. The bop lines are inspiring! Thanks

[Bill Hatcher]

thats some real nice stuff!!! a very challenging tune also!! i like the backup track too...bass and perc..leaves the steel out there where you can hear everything so well.

[Stephan Miller]

Nice, Mike. Playing, arrangement and use of tuning are stellar! I like the subtle use of the Freeze too...

[Jerome Hawkes]

great as always - keep 'em coming

[Tom Grosz]

Very nice -- I enjoyed listening to this. Is that the Freeze pedal that is sustaining some of the chords where there are those short in between runs?

[Tony Lombardo]

I believe George Benson would really dig that if he ever got a chance to hear it.

Tony L.

[Mike Neer]

You guys are too kind. I'm just having fun with the steel, playing what I want to play. I dig playing in a trio setting best, so that's what I'm shooting for.

That is the Freeze pedal subtly sustaining the chords for those brief moments. That was a gift from my friend Don Rooke, and it is my favorite pedal. I have a few cool things that I've worked out with it, but I'm trying to perfect its implementation. Also, I'm trying to score its big brother, the Superego.

Jeff Au Hoy, thanks for listening and commenting. I don't think I can hear the Pahinui in my playing (wish I could), but he's in there! I think if it wasn't for the Hawaiian players I've listened to, I wouldn't be playing at all, that's how important they are to me.

I found a comment on a jazz forum by a friend of mine, Bill Carrothers, a phenomenal jazz pianist, and it was in response to some guys talking about improvising using modes and specific scales, etc. I think it really gets to the essence of what it is all about:

"In reading the posts up to this point, I don't even know what half of the stuff is you guys are talking about. I couldn't correctly name the modes of a scale if you put a pistol to my head. I think there is too much reliance on the brain to learning jazz and not enough emphasis on using your ears. Not to sound deliberately contradictory to your statement, but your ears are the FIRST stage in your playing. By this I mean the pure sound, and the joy of the sound, is what got you interested in jazz in the first place (besides the fact that it's a great way to make a alot of money ). And ears are the second stage...and the third stage...etc...Trust is the key. You have to learn to trust that whatever you hear, even if it's really simple, or "wrong", is the best stuff that will come out of you. As this trust and skill develops, so will your complexity of ideas. And the best part about that is when it starts to happen, your ideas will be coming from someplace real inside you, a place you own rather than borrow.

I liken the process to learning to speak your native language. How do you do this? By following your mother around, listening and imitating. You don't follow her around with a pencil and a dictionary, sussing out what sentence structure she just used. You listen and you imitate. At some point it may be useful to put structure to the things that come out of your mouth, but the difference between a great writer and a bad writer has little to do with knowing what a split infinitive or a present participle is.

"

Do what you love to do.

[Scott Thomas]

That is great, Mike! I like that tune, and your version is amazing. One thing that stood out to me is the restrained vibrato. I like the way you aren't afraid to hold notes and let them decay naturally. That is appropriate to the style, though I believe. I don't know jazz that well, but didn't Miles start that? Anyway, I know it's traditional in Latin/Brazilian. I can close my eyes and hear Astrud Gilberto singing to this.

Re: your other thoughts....
I always remember how Joe Pass said "play TUNES" when it came to learning.

I was recently on Frank Vignola's website. He is giving video lessons. He is also stressing learning by hearing and playing, the way most of the people we admire learned.

[Riley Hart]

As a relative beginner(and not sure at this point in time my main axe will surface-to-be) I just can't stress how much this forum means to me, and Mike in particular here. This joint is the ultimate security blanket.

I am currently studying scales on a 12 string tuned to the Anderson tuning...
Whenever caught up, will order ur bebop book...