There Are NO Fans Of Steel Guitar Music

[Zane King]

I hope that Topic Title at least got you to come on in here and read a bit of what is on my mind. I seriously love the Steel Guitar Community. It is like family in many ways. We fuss and fight but at the end of the day we still are bound together by a love for a fascinating instrument. I invite you to read the below and I ask you to keep an open mind to what I'm saying. With that said, please realize that I hope any replies you give will not just agree or disagree with me. I would actually love to have dialogue about how we can actually change the course of what has been happening for decades. Simply put, those of us who love this instrument need to find creative ways we can acquire actual fans for steel guitar music. I know, I know...many of you are already saying "there are tons of people who love steel guitar". Just read below please. Bottom line is we play an instrument that is so versatile and beautiful. There is no reason why players who are creative and outstanding in their field should be reduced to the roles I see most steel guitarist in today. While many of those make a good income and do great work, I just shake my head that a career like that of Buddy Emmons is almost non-existent in our musical community. Some say, well we don't have a Buddy Emmons today. That's not true! There are masters and giants of steel guitar in our midst today whose creativity has been relegated to play roles that are far below their ability. Now it's true, Buddy and others like him played sessions and worked with bands while also having a huge career as a Steel Guitar Artist. I guess what I'm saying here is....can someone please tell me why I have literally hundreds of steel guitar recordings from the 70s and 80s and yet my collection over the past 20 years is almost non-existent?

I posted this as a reply on another thread. After I read back through it I thought it might be worthy of starting a new thread/topic. This is posted exactly the way I wrote the reply....

Thanks, Wally for your comments. I don't know why there is so little interest these days. In 2010, I started posting a lot of threads and the comments were very engaging. It was a fun process to say the least. However, I have noticed this year that it seems to be a futile process to keep the threads going. All in all, this website is still a great service to the instrument. I will continue to support it and will do my best to offer my insights and knowledge. I'm at 35 years now sitting behind these musical bicycles so surely I have something to offer.

I will take this chance here to say something that is on my mind. However, at this rate of replies and comments that will be limited to you and I, Wally.

The real tragedy here is that this community (by that I mean all that play, build and promote steel guitar) is really made up of those that either play the instrument as a hobby or make some portion of their income from it. The difficulty with that is there really are very few to actually support the artistry of new and upcoming players. Thus, it might be possible that we are seeing fewer and fewer steel guitarist that are stylists. I know I definitely don't see as many unique styles accompanied with original compositions that I did when I grew up in the late 70s and through the early 90s. Even those that I grew up idolizing as players now are either retired or have slowed in their creativity. Now, my thought on this is simple. It all comes down to an audience. I can't expect my audience to be other players. Some of them may respect my contributions. I know some do because they have encouraged me a great deal. I really can't even expect my audience to be those who own a steel guitar. That crowd is more about learning what I am playing. That is a teacher / student relationship. While that can be a very rewarding career it is not one that I have been passionate about. Thus, we come to what I would term as a Steel Guitar Artist. That performer needs an audience. My guess is that audience basically does not exist. Not for me. Not for dozens of players I can mention here that deserve it. And sadly and worst of all, not for the young would be great players/artist we will likely never really hear. Even now, I know of an enormously talented young player who struggles finding his way as a player. His options are tragically limited.

I would add that it might very well be possible this audience I speak of above has never existed. In the 60s, 70s and 80s the pedal steel guitar was basically being developed. It was a crazy great day for the pedal steeler in the Country Music world. That intriguing sound that everyone who dialed in a Country music radio station drove so many would be musicians wild. What is that instrument? Got to have that! Look at the history of the Sho-Bud Guitar Company (and even Emmons to some degree) and you will see this was a budding industry. Later of course, to be replaced by the "Mom/Pop" model. That alone is not necessarily a bad thing but it is revealing to say the least to where we are today. I'm getting off track here but that is an important point to my argument here that no audience exists for the "steel guitar artist". So my point, even in those days when Jimmy Day, Lloyd Green, Buddy Emmons, Pete Drake, Paul Franklin, Zane Beck, Julian Tharpe, Maurice Anderson, Hal Rugg....and the list goes on and on..(.because I have tons of the records hanging on my walls) were recording regularly. Do you think they made these records because they wanted to see if they could do it or not? Of course, not. They did it because people bought them. Thus, they made more. And people bought more. Now...what ended up happening is that all of those people who bought those records just like me became players or at the very least making some income from the instrument. Now, none of this means that it does not happen at all today. Players do still make recordings. However, just look at iTunes for all of those steel guitar recordings that have been made in the past 5 years!!!! (And just so you all know it is so easy to get a recording on iTunes). Essentially, there are VERY few! You know why that is? Because there are VERY few. Would this be the case if it were 1978 and iTunes existed then? Nope. Buddy, Lloyd, Hal, Bobbe, Speedy, Leon, Jerry, and on and on would be on the top 100 of sales in their respective categories. Those guys at least for that limited period of time did seem to have an audience. But not to contradict my above statement, I still think that audience eventually evolved into what we now know as the steel guitar community.

I would make one final point to my case. I know many many great instrumentalist in Gospel Music. I am privy to a lot of their business and success. I won't name names here but for example. A great pianist in Gospel Music can sell as many as 12,000 to 15,000 CDs of a new release. My guess is that more than 95% of those that purchased one of those piano cds do not even own nor have ever owned a piano. To further drive home my point, I own Kenny G CDs (not embarrassed by that)...yet I have never even picked up a saxophone of any kind. None of what I just said can be said about the Steel Guitar. While you might be able to point out a rare exception or two, I know this to be case overall.

Respectfully Submitted,

Zane

P.S. - Wally - I posted this on a public forum so I know I open myself up to criticism and I welcome it. I actually hope it comes. It would be nice to see a response of some sort. Thus, feel free to copy and paste this anywhere you like.

[James Kerr]

Zane,
I hear what you are saying, and have heard it before from others in different ways, from different fields of Music. First lets look at the market where you might hope to sell your wares, I own nothing that starts with "i" so the chances of me hearing anything on iTunes is zero. I don't live in the US but I understand the Funeral of the Grand Ole' Opry has already taken place, so the type of music which had the Steel Guitar as its backbone has no home now.

I can understand Artists tapping into Gospel Music and selling 12 to 15,000 units, they are playing Music dedicated to that segment, certain areas are very healthy, a Lady called Susan Boyle, came third in a TV singing contest, lives only 3 miles from me, not young, not glamorous, sold 6 Million on her first CD, and the same every issue since. Both of these examples show it can be done if you hook up to the Market.

The Music industry of today has changed out of all recognition, before it was controlled by a few big players who controlled the Market, now, as you point out, even I can produce a Quality Recording in my home studio and stick it on iTunes, trouble is, very few people today buy CD recordings as Hard Copy, the days are over when a Record Company could put out a 12 track LP or CD upon which only 2 tracks were worth listening to, the rest just filling rubbish. Today the buyer will download those 2 good tracks and leave you with the rubbish.

Most Artists today more or less give away their Recordings, Utube, Facebook, MySpace etc. They make their money out on the road in Concerts with Merchandise including CDs sold at the Venue, the CD is just a promotion tool now to back up the lucrative Concert takings.

So if any Steel Players want to make it big, put your work where I can hear it, get on the Road and if you come past here I will come and give you my money. We get a few US Bluegrass and what you call Alt.Country Bands coming through, they can easily make $4,000 per night in a 300 seat theater, for a No-Name, if you are well known then write your own ticket. The local Theater where I live charges $200 per night to hire to put on your own show.

There are people who know where to aim, every year a group of US & Scottish Musicians gather in a Highland Farmhouse to record for BBC and afterward go on Tour making a small fortune in the process. There is nowhere else Gerry Douglas would rather be with his Dobro and Lap Steel, CDs from all years are available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTWlMLj_AGE

James.

[David Mason]

This goes back to another thread, the main point (of mine) was that the 1960's and 1970's were an extremely unusual time, in that instrumentalists and singers played the role of "folk hero" that previously was occupied by war heroes, sports figures, and movie stars. The impressions of who you want to be are partially formed under your parents, but I suspect that in America at least in those times, it was the "anti-establishment", and even anti-parent heroes of the teen years that we latched onto. And strictness or permissiveness wasn't the point, as evidenced by the fact that the "best" Muslim suicide bombers tend to come from the strictest upbringings, and the recruiters offer a boy seething under parental control a new and rebellious role of "respect."

In my high school there were a whole lot more kids who wanted to smoke dope with Jerry Garcia than wanted to hit pop flies with Reggie Jackson... even the Hollywood of "Easy Rider" and "The Mod Squad" and "The Partridge Family" was enemy turf - tools of manipulation - and alcohol was the drug of stupid old people. Just during that certain era, musicians were the ones to bear our expectations, and millions of people played guitar, kids used to walk around my high school singing Duane Allman's guitar solos. In retrospect, it was like, nutty. I'm sure that in previous eras, there were small groups of people who felt that way, but it was really widespread then. And as a certain percentage of any size group are going to excel, there were a lot of great musicians coming out of that group, as well as a listening audience. And as a certain percentage of those were also going to be listening to different groups of musicians, a reverence for Buddy Emmons (or Eliot Fisk) was a symptom.

This is a huge subject, there have been entire books written about the "why" of it, children with disposable income, recording and radio changes, young men dying in an unpopular war, birth control and other drugs, it's impossible to explain as being a simple subject, and as it bears directly on what we as musicians DO and will do with our lives, it's crucial.

But as evidence that we're not going to go back to a time when instrumentalists were as respected by young people as we respected them when we were young, I'd just offer up a few snapshots. For example, there are more fans of "jazz steel guitarists" who play the same solos at shows as they recorded on CDs than there are ones even aware of somebody like Dave Easley. For example, I'm convinced that the total disappearance of any kind of instrumental solos from any radio fare (except for us old fogies) is a direct result of the destruction of attention span by television. There's simply no point in recording solos with a beginning, middle and end, for "music fans" who just can't remember a beginning from 30 seconds ago.

For example, the average American adult watched TV five hours a day 30 years ago. And the same is true today, only now five hours is 80% of their elective time - there's just no time available to learn music, practice an instrument, and the reason that music has disappeared from school programs is because the TV-addicted parents see no point - the only point to them in playing music is if you can make money at it. Did you know that the American Pediatric Society recommends that NO child under the age of two watch any TV at all, and that it be strictly regulated for ages up till twelve above that? The evidence tying TV to ADHD is overwhelming, but very, very few people hear of it - because - it's not on TV.

It's been argued that there's no point in remembering things when it's so easy to look them up, but it's a very short step from that to the idea that specialists exist who should take care of their fields, and no distance at all from that to the point that we can let the smart people do that hard stuff, and our function is simply to amuse ourselves. And while spreading that viewpoint surely benefits certain people far more than others, even offering that up in public invites the criticism "conspiracy theory!" Are we being manipulated? Of course we are... and the people who want us to know it, are manipulating us for reasons of their own! There is a combative, me first! element to this that plays right to one of human's strengths - greed - but you're not even supposed to point out that we all contain these characteristics. Look at what happens to an American who would dare say, "we're really not better, or worse, than everyone else." And yes, the French feel the same way, and the Russians, and the Chinese, and... gosh, it's almost a universal pattern. Imagine that.

Nothing happens that isn't a direct result of human nature, and any answer as to "what can we do?" has to go straight though human nature.

[Zane King]

Good replies! Keep them coming! I will respond more as I have time. This is a lot of fun to read! And good too!

[Scott Henderson]

Zane, You don't know me but I have been a big fan of yours since the 80s. I am enjoying this thread to some degree and to some degree not. I am 49 years old and got in on the "final years" of the glory days which you were so much a part of. They were fun partly because it never ended. Just about the time you heard it all some one else got on stage and just blew you away. It was inspiring to say the least...that doesn't happen anymore.... I have played steel shows on a regional level over the last 5 or 6 years....I hope I don't offend anyone but I probably will but I'm 49 years old now and am tired of being nice.
A huge portion of the steel shows I see now are not as much about steel guitar as they are about singers. In fact at one show you are required to have singers on your set. First of all I have nothing against singers....but it is a steel show not a classic country show. I did some instructional products in the 80s and 90s and have noticed that the instructional market is even less than the CD market on steel guitar. Maybe we're where we are as a community because we forgot to train any body new to replace the greats. (It's been said steel shows died with Herby and Papa John!) I don't know...I have struggled (truly struggled) over this very question and have decided to just walk away from the community.....I'm finished with steel shows, I record CDs mainly for my own enjoyment and the benefit of friends who ask for material. It's just depressing to go to these shows anymore....At 49 I still thirst for more knowledge about steel and music in general but I go looking for it else where. Just sad in my opinion....

[Zane King]

Scott! Man it's good to have your input here! Seriously, thank you!!!!! I connect to what you are saying for sure. I don't think there is any question that something with the development of the steel guitar as a whole came off the track a while back.

You are right about the steel shows! When I started at Scotty's in the early 80s it was the rare occasion when someone would have a singer on a stage. I don't think it is entirely bad to have a vocalist do a few tunes here and there but it has become a completely different thing than what it was in my early days.

Again thank you for your input! I'm sure you are a good picker! I'd love to hear you somehow.

ZK

[Scott Henderson]

as always youtube....LOL search Scotty Henderson (Scotty not Scott...he's a blues guitarist....add the "Y" and it turns to steel guitar ironic?)
I hope I didn't sound to harsh or negative....

[Mike Davidson]

It isn't just steel. Same could be said for mandolin, banjo and fiddle. Steel has it's roots in traditional country and country by and large has veered from traditional. These instruments have become typewriters in a world of computers.

Anymore it's hard to tell where pop, rock and country begin or end. The victims of this mud pie are traditional instruments but this phenomenon is not limited to just country for that matter. Music has changed our world has changed. The survivability of the steel guitar depends on acquiring new audiences which is a tall order that would probably require using it in non-traditional ways. Ironically, one of the reasons I am a huge fan of yours as well as artist such as Robert Randolf. Because you do just that.

[Kevin Hatton]

If you are not on the ROAD doing hard time and promoting your self, you are NOT going to sell CD's. Ask Marty Stuart. He creates his OWN market on the the road, and now on T.V. It's all live marketing. Studio work means nothing without road promotion. Remember Jonathen Edwards? He works as much as he wants on the road and gets well paid for it.

[Bent Romnes]

I love this thread. Thanks, Zane, for bringing this important topic to the forefront. I can't say I am a player any more, but I still have an undying love for the pedal steel guitar. Where my main contribution lies these days is in the building of these fascinating instruments. I am only on my 6th one but this fascination will stay with me til I am no longer able to build...I am 65 now.

My take on keeping the steel alive in the minds of people, is to make it fun and desirable for our young kids to play...

Like with the piano, we would ask: Johnny (Suzy), have you practiced your steel today?
Nothing wrong with the thought: A steel in every household.

So I have been toying with the idea of making a pedal steel that a 7 year old can start on and this steel will grow with the child. A few extra parts like rod and leg extenders. This "growing" wants to be something simple yet pretty...something Daddy can do with a wrench as his child grows. Picks for the tiny fingers must be made available. Simple, adjustable seats must also be made available.
When I see my 2 granddaughters 7 and 5 sitting at the steel picking and sliding away, I marvel at their total acceptance and excitement over the steel.

Yep...we gotta get the kids going.

[Clyde Mattocks]

Thanks Zane for a great thread. I would respond more in depth but the above posters have made the same points more eloquently than I could have. Yes, it's a different time, but when I learned to play, there were only about a half dozen steel players in a 50 mile radius of my home. Now, there are dozens, some who play quite well that have never been heard of. Back then, we had steelers featured on the Opry and regional T.V. shows. There isn't that scene to focus the attention on instrumentalists anymore.

[Jason Putnam]

As someone who is new to the instrument, I would say cost is another big factor in the number of steel players. You can learn to play guitar for a couple hundred bucks! You might not have the best equipment but if your new to guitar you can have the equipment to start learning. Look at pedal steel. Cheapest your gonna get is an economy guitar and thats gonna run at least 1000.00. Then you buy a decent amp so you sound like the other steel guitars you have heard. Thats at least 350- 400 more. Then you need a volume pedal. Thats at least another 100 bucks. Then you need a seat to set on. 50 bucks for a cheap piano bench. Cheapest your gonna get started for is 1500 to 1600 dollars. Thats if you find deals on used stuff. If you go with new stuff and a pro level steel then your looking at 3000-4000 dollars or more. Hard to shell out that kind of money to see if its something you want to do and can do.

[David Mason]

To add to what Bent Romnes had to say, "elders" in the culture who had been successful at what they did used to have a fairly well defined role: they taught. I mean old symphony musicians, old sports stars coached, old dancers, old writers, anything. But we've caught ourselves in this weird boomer bubble where we'd rather prop up old guys and fawn over them till they gassed out - to assert our own undying youthfulness, I think. And no one teaches, because they still see themselves in the hero role. Certain cultures still handle this well. I used to think it odd that every Indian music star immediately parlayed their position into opening a school - The Ali Akbar Khan College in California, The Ravi Shankar & Debashish Bhattacharya schools in India. I don't think it odd anymore.

We've gotten really stupid about the old/young thing. Is it really a "tragedy" what's happened to Glen Campbell? Well, no, he got just old. Would HE have chosen the alternative? We want to prop up our own heroes till the last possible minute, then real quick hide them away in old folks homes because... they're embarrassing? They're of no use to us anymore? Or is going to see Eric Clapton & B.B. King one way of convincing yourself that it's still 1969? Because that's not realistic, and people employing their (waning) strength into propping up old fantasies are not people in danger of making many good decisions. Getting old used to be something to be (a bit) proud of, and if you could impart some wisdom, even better. Cowering under your toupee and dragging your midlife crisis into your 60's and beyond, yikes. Unfortunately I don't see the SGF as the perfect place to repair a half-century or more of foolishness all at once.

[Kevin Hatton]

Excellent analysis Dave. I thoroughly agree about teaching. Getting older also.

[Marc Jenkins]

Personally, I don't really like instrumental steel records. I have a few, and really, I only listen to them to get ideas or study. I'd much rather listen to steel in an accompaniment role.

[Clinton Damron]

As someone who is new to the instrument, I would say cost is another big factor in the number of steel players. You can learn to play guitar for a couple hundred bucks! You might not have the best equipment but if your new to guitar you can have the equipment to start learning. Look at pedal steel. Cheapest your gonna get is an economy guitar and thats gonna run at least 1000.00. Then you buy a decent amp so you sound like the other steel guitars you have heard. Thats at least 350- 400 more. Then you need a volume pedal. Thats at least another 100 bucks. Then you need a seat to set on. 50 bucks for a cheap piano bench. Cheapest your gonna get started for is 1500 to 1600 dollars. Thats if you find deals on used stuff. If you go with new stuff and a pro level steel then your looking at 3000-4000 dollars or more. Hard to shell out that kind of money to see if its something you want to do and can do.

I am also new to the steel guitar. I've been messing with it for almost a year and I have 2 psg, 2 amps, 2 volume pedals..... I basically have 2 of everything so I can keep one set up in the 2 places I spend most of my free time.

I am also a hunter and the majority of that is done with archery equipment. In the archery world (at least here in Texas) I am a member of an organization that is starting to fail. It's in trouble and can't geet new members. I asked "how do we change this" and the answer I got was to make it popular. I feel that the same can be said for the steel guitar.

What did the movie Urban Cowboy do for countryt music? It made country popular. The archery world here needs it's "urban cowboy" to get more supporters and people excited about it. The same goes for the steel, we need another urban cowboy.

This is just my opinion and I could be way off but I'd bet I'm pretty close to being right on the money.

[Jim Cohen]

And no one teaches, because they still see themselves in the hero role...

Why do you say this, David? Surely you are as aware as I am of the many steelers who offer instruction, both online and in-person (not to mention in print, DVD courses, massive YouTube series like Mickey Adams', seminars at steel conventions, etc.) Why do you dismiss all of that as "no one teaches"?

I probably agree with much of what else you've said (I'm still cogitatin' on it), but the above claim strikes me as really off base. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding your intent?

[Don Drummer]

Bent and Clinton both zero in on the strategy for the growth, awarness and facination for this instrument. A little 4 string with it's built in speaker and 2 pedals can teach a lot to a very small child. I know it can be done and hope Bent can do it. I have an idea doing thism with a CS muting all but strings 8, 7, 6, and 5.
The movie exposure ala Bonnie and Clyde, Deliverance, and O Brother Where Art Thou kept the Banjo and related acoustic instruments in the limelight. Their releases were so well timed to revive and keep alive that music. It almost seemed planned.

[Riley Hart]

I remember 55 years ago before I learned the alphabet, studying some music on a converted 6string guitar. My parents thought enuf of the instrument to get a little guy like me a few lessons, and my teacher employed the number system since i did know the the alphabet back then.

Of course I did not stay with it, but music has been the most important aspect of my life and while we did have a piano, they chose to introduce me to the steel guitar saying guitar players are a dime a dozen; if you play the steel, you'll never need to worry about finding work. Every good band needs one!

Throughout life I have made a couple of efforts to get back into the instrument, and I think this time will be permanent. After studying Jeff Newman scales nearly a year on a borrowed instrument I managed to get an MCI D10 to practice and play on, but then the nostalgia of the back neck took over and at this time i am spending more time on a 12 string lap steel tuned to the Anderson tuning.

If second childhoods count, gotta say it isn't all that much money involved to start out with no pedals. And the most important thing is introducing children to music in general, and making certain they at least hear something that demonstrates good melodic quality concepts while they are still young. We certainly can't depend on the media to handle this for us...

[Sven Kontio]

I don´t know, guys… I was born in 1960, live in Sweden, and haven´t actually grown up with the music in the era that many of you refer to. Nevertheless, I´ve heard the instrument in songs in the late 70´s, 80´s and 90´s. Genuine PSG music has never been very much exposed over here, but as back up playing in songs we have heard it a lot (maybe not always understanding what we´ve just heard). The PSG is a fantastic instrument that sounds extremely beautiful. But I have come to wonder if it has become too much of an instrument of the musicians so to say. I mean, those who can appreciate not only the sound, but also the “strange” playing, if you know what I mean. The rather advanced chord changes which to an average Joe might sound false, but which to certain musicians sound like a million dollars! I know from demonstrating to friends (who also are musicians) that many of them don´t appreciate those chord changes. They think it sounds really disturbing (but I love it). We, who play the instrument, seem to appreciate not only the “chocolate” but also the advanced ways to get from one chord to another. But they don´t. Could it be the case that the average listener don´t understand or even don´t approve of those things? Maybe it´s just for the “chosen few”? Could that be one reason for the steel guitar to not existing at all in most “country” music of today? (Yes, I say “country” music, because I think the meaning of word has been affected by much “inflation” over the years. Nowadays more or less everything is called “country”, huh?) I´ve heard lots of “pop” ballads of today which would sound fantastic with PSG in it! The instrument could fit in and add value to any of that kind of song. I think I, with a great deal of certainty, can state that most people still like the sound of the PSG, when played smoothly and nicely. But when it comes to doing those “fancy” things, they are lost…? However, the mainstream music of today is more about the performer than the song, I think.
I´ve been playing the guitar, the electric bass and been a singer for almost all my life. A couple of years ago, at the age of 50, I wanted to find out if I was up to learning to play the PSG. I have learned from the forums that it´s an extremely hard instrument to play (the first 20 years are the worst, some say ) and that it takes an extreme amount of talent, skills and practice to learn how to play. In addition, the cost cannot be neglected. Of course those things will strike fear into any (young) person´s heart! It´s rarely told that of course it requires time to learn how to play, but it definitely can be done! It´s not worse than picking up any other instrument. You just need to practice! Having access to a teacher or instructor is of course a tremendous advantage. And there are many resources out there! I can say from own experience that it won´t take more than a year or two before you can play backup in a band. Of course it will not sound as Lloyd Green, Buddy Emmons, Hal Rugg or any other master picker, but most ”average people” will enjoy your playing. Because of the sound! You will enjoy it, and you will improve! I think we need to stop talking about how hard it is to play, and encourage young people to try. Also, I think it might be important not to introduce “the great ones” to the kids the first thing we do, because they might get scared, thinking they never can do what they did…and most likely they never will. I know I never will. But that´s not what´s important. They will come up with new ways of playing, in new kind of music. And we need to appreciate just that.
Ok, that was my two cents... I hope I didn´t make a fool of myself now...and excuse my English...I´m Swedish... LOL

[Tim Heidner]

Maybe you need to write some catchy tunes about puppy love breakups!

[Mike Neer]

When you're a steel guitarist, you're measured against other steel guitarists. When you're a recording or performing artist, you're measured against other artists. How many steel guitarists do you know of who have the overall package to compete with other artists, whatever the genre and whatever the instrument? There aren't many. Robert Randolph comes to mind.

In the heyday(s) of steel guitar, it was a featured instrument--early Hawaiian music, Western Swing, and later, with the advent of pedals, Country--but as time has gone on, the importance of the instrument to those musical styles has waned. The instrument is much more of a utility instrument now than it was before.

There are still a good number of players taking up the instrument. One of the differences today is that experienced musicians (mostly guitarists) are taking it up, rather than folks whose first instrument is steel guitar. A majority of them spend time trying to learn to play in the styles of those who have come before, at least in the formative years.

But what does this mean for the future? I think it does signal that there will be more changes in the styles of music that the instrument reaches across, as these musicians incorporate it into their own music as they get accustomed to playing the instrument. I'm personally at the point of departure, where I feel I've learned enough about playing the instrument that I'm comfortable enough to go my own direction with it. The difference is, I'm not relying on the income from playing the instrument, so I do have that freedom to pursue what I want. There's no guarantee that others will like it, but that's not my concern.

Anyway, I hope I've stayed on point. I'm really pleased to be a part of this community and I value all the friendships I've made and all that I've learned from you.

[Bill Miller]

Personally, I don't really like instrumental steel records. I have a few, and really, I only listen to them to get ideas or study. I'd much rather listen to steel in an accompaniment role.

Interesting Marc. As a player it seems almost like disloyalty to say it, but I'm not a huge fan of pedal steel instrumentals either. It's a bit of a paradox. The instrument is a HUGE part of my life. I spend at least an hour and often two hours or more a day playing it. I've had a love affair with the sound of it since I was a child and been playing it for over twenty years. I like to play along with and try to learn instrumentals but when I'm not seated at my guitar it's a rare thing for me to put on instrumental pedal steel music and listen to it. Like you, the instrument has its greatest appeal for me in a supporting role, woven into the matrix, supporting, embellishing and rising to the surface for solos. Who knows why, but that seems to be how the vast majority of non-pedal steel players feel about it too. There's no market for instrumental steel cds but yet fans of country music often come up to me and comment on how much they love the sound of it when we're backing up vocalists. I think it's an instrument that people overload on quite easily. Sort of a less is more thing as a general rule.

[Bob Carlucci]

Same goes for guitar instrumental albums, piano instrumental albums, spoon instrumental albums.. Most people that will listen to or buy these albums are OTHER guitar, piano, or spoon players..
I was never a big fan of steel instrumentals really.. I was much more turned on by a great steel part in an ensemble setting, with guitars, bass, drums, fiddle, vocals, in the mix as well.. Think Teach or Children or Rainy Day Woman, or Together Again...
Most "normal" people like voices better than instruments anyway , the exception being musicians..
The late great Jeff Newman once said, "No one gives a shit if you're a hot steel player".. something like that.. I agree. We as steel players DO appreciate great steel playing, but "civilians" with untrained ears??.. Not so much... Thats why no one buys steel albums, Not enough people will to pay for it... Same with guitar piano and spoon albums..

Now, Lady GaGa, or JayZ, THATS music... People will buy that stuff right up! bob

[Mike Neer]

Most instrumental records are jazz and let's face it: not many steel players can play jazz, especially at the level of other jazz musicians.

Someone like Bill Frisell has done exceptionally well in his career and I don't see why a similarly talented steel player couldn't, as well. But he'd need to be more than just a steel player (composer, etc.).