Thinking about selling everything

Clinton Damron · Post by **Clinton Damron** » 14 Jan 2013 3:50 pm

I am considering selling all of my steel guitar equipment. After going to the West Texas Steel Guitar School, I don't think I will ever really learn how to play. I am at a point where I don't even want touch either of my guitars. I have time to practice but it seems I really don't get the hang of it so I think it may be a waist of time.
I understand what to do in my mind but it doesn't translate to my hands. I want to learn but it's just not happening for me after almost a year and a half. It's not like I came into wanting to learn and play being able to play anything else. I will be happy just listening to everybody else play. I really didn't need a new hobby anyways.

Just my random thoughts. Y'all tell me if I'm thinking right or if I should keep trying.

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 14 Jan 2013 3:59 pm

It takes a lot of time and patience to get anywhere with a pedal steel Clinton. You are the only one who can decide if the effort you are putting into it is rewarding or not. I would think it would be terribly hard to learn pedal steel without a background on some other instrument, but there are people who have done it and get a great deal of enjoyment from it.
It isn't for everyone, that's for sure. Best of luck to you whatever your decision may be.

Ricky Thibodeaux · Post by **Ricky Thibodeaux** » 14 Jan 2013 4:03 pm

If you decide to sell what do you have an how much you asking?

Stan Paxton · Post by **Stan Paxton** » 14 Jan 2013 4:04 pm

Music is a God-given gift, doesn't matter the level of proficiency. ...I and maybe others play for our own amazement anyway. And if others enjoy it, thats a bonus.

...I would suggest just putting it aside a little while, then come back to it. If you just quit, it will leave a hole in your life. ...

Clinton Damron · Post by **Clinton Damron** » 14 Jan 2013 4:14 pm

Ricky Thibodeaux wrote:If you decide to sell what do you have an how much you asking?

Rains SD-10
Stage One
Nashville 112
Fender Steel King
Peavey ProFex II
2 Goodrich 120 pedals
Walker pack seat
Other odds and ends

Not 100% sure what I'm going to do. I'm at a point where I can't make myself practice because I get frustrated to the point of wanting to take a sledge hammer to everything.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 14 Jan 2013 4:25 pm

Hi, Clinton, In my case, and I'm sure for many others as well, I discovered I made much faster progress when I worked on one small thing, and tried to fit it in everywhere I could. If it's basic technique, send me an email or PM and I'll be very glad to do what I can from here to help. Sometimes all it takes is a tiny bit of progress to light us up enough to stick with it. Best wishes!

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 14 Jan 2013 4:29 pm

I would strongly, hugely, vehemently advise against it, unless you're completely sure of all the events that are going to happen the rest of your entire life. Things can really throw you for a loop, and in my case, playing music has been just about the only constant over some fairly drastic changes. Here's an idea - think of fifteen or twenty people that you know, maybe getting up in years, and whether they might be better off if they had a fascinating, consuming hobby that will keep their brain alive.

I have seen people who have retired from work well, and ones who have done it poorly, and in every case it's been the quality or type of hobbies they pursued that make the difference. Here's another idea - if you're still working, the next time you can, take a week off or at least several workdays. But wake up in the morning, go sit it front of your TV, and watch it for 12 hours a day, straight through, day after day. That is your retirement plan? Nobody in their right mind wouldn't wish they had a steel guitar in the closet.

But, you wouldn't.

Joe Gall · Post by **Joe Gall** » 14 Jan 2013 5:19 pm

Clinton,

I can 100% relate to your feelings on this very topic. The only thing that keeps me from doing the same things as your suggestion is the mere fact that I don't have too many other options as I am losing my vision.

I had to give up the biggest hobby of my life which was classic cars. Now I have turned to the PSG. I must say I have now been at this off and on for the past 2 years now. Six to nine months of that I lost due to moving and buying a home. However, The rest of that time I have been putting in some serious hours on this thing and believe me, I have come so close to taking an hammer to my guitar on so many occasions, I am not even kidding!

I can hear exactly what I should be doing, what I want to be doing, I think I even know how I should do it, I just can't get my hands, knees, feet to do what they "know" they should be doing! It is the most frustrating thing I have ever attempted in my life hands down.

I will say one thing, the time I took off, so to speak, to work on the house we bought, did do me some good! It gave me time to think about my commitment to learning and my level of enthusiasm for the instrument etc.

The entire time we were working on the house, I realized this was something I did indeed want to commit myself and my time to. I guess that is what each person has to do at some point and maybe the best thing you can do right now is take some time away from your guitar and see what happens vs. selling everything off and then wishing you hadn't.

This is just my opinion and thought I would chime in as I am in the same boat and have felt the same way on several occasions.

Best wishes to you...

Ray Anderson · Post by **Ray Anderson** » 14 Jan 2013 5:44 pm

Hey Clint, This is the begining of my 3rd year and it is starting to come together nicely for me. I have said this so many times that it is becoming "cliche", the Newman courses are the best I've come across. The method that he teaches by is geared for the beginner (you learn at your own pace) he is very thorough and patient. These courses and your schedule will have you on the right track in nothin' flat. Half your battle is over, you have some very nice gear. There has to be a deep rooted desire or you have not attempted the journey. One more thing, I determined to pay more attention to what I was being taught and less about what my wants amounted to. Keep on Steelin'.

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 14 Jan 2013 5:45 pm

I'm at a point where I can't make myself practice because I get frustrated to the point of wanting to take a sledge hammer to everything.

Oh, so what you are saying is that you're really just like the rest of us?

Seriously, Clinton, if this is your first instrument you must be patient with it and with yourself. If you had started your musical "hobby" as you call it with a clarinet or a flute or a trombone you would only have to play one note at a time while you learned about keys and intervals and rythm and relationships. If you had started with a piano and been expected to play multiple notes simultaneously at least you could find them all laid out in a line.

Instead, like nearly all of us here, you fell in love with the sound of the instrument and it drove you to invest in learning to make those sounds yourself. I could only suggest - and strongly so - that you find some other steelers in your area to spend time with and exchange ideas, frustrations, tricks, techniques, etc.. Play with recordings of songs you like, don't expect to sound like Buddy or Lloyd or Tommy, just do what you can and do it with verve and elan to the best of your ability. It's not time wasted, muscle memory is accumulative so you're always learning. And most importantly, cut yourself some slack when it doesn't come out like what you heard somebody else do, I am here to tell you that as someone who has played all manner of instruments for over half a century, it's simply the
most difficult instrument to master, but it's also the absolute easiest to make beautiful sounds on, just stick to what you can do and let it grow organically, you'll get there too.

One more thing: Touch it every day, even if you don't sit down behind it, make it a part of your life, eventually it may become your best friend, and then maybe forty years later - like me - you will now and then feel like you're starting to get the hang of it

I mean, what else is a "hobby" for, anyway?

Bill Moore · Post by **Bill Moore** » 14 Jan 2013 5:51 pm

I had never heard of the West Texas Steel Guitar School, but I did find the web page. So, it looks like a great program, pro instructors, guys like Johnny cox, and loaded with information. If I lived close by, I would really like to attend something like this. I'm certainly not a great player, but I have been playing for 30+ years. And I think that may be the root of your problem, there is no way a relative beginner could absorb and master all this information in just a couple of days. I'll bet most of the other attendees were pretty experienced players and, to you, it just seemed so easy for them to go through the material. I remember when I started, it took me at least six months to begin to sound like I was getting the guitar close to being in tune. Everything came very slowly, I just kept at it and eventually managed to be able to play at an average level. But even being a average player will impress a lot of people. I play occasionally some gigs in Jackson MI, Joe Wright's home town. At one, a fellow came up to me and said how much he enjoyed the music, and asked if I knew Joe, I told him I didn't and mentioned that Joe is one of the best players out there. He said "Well you play just as good as Joe" I had to reassure him that no, I would never be any where near the player that Joe is, but I'm glad he enjoyed what I played. The point I'm trying to make is; you don't need be be as good as Johnny Cox or Joe Wright, or any of the top pros, if you only master the basics, you will get a lot of enjoyment from that.

If I were you, I would keep at it, and maybe try to find a few individual lessons from an experienced player. Work on the basics, really work on being able to play in tune. And be patient, it will take time, just keep at it. A year and a half is not really very long, try to see where you might be in another year and half. If you work at it, you will make some progress. Good luck to you.

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 14 Jan 2013 6:00 pm

Clinton, in my opinion, here is the question: Have you enjoyed the trip thus far? Do you enjoy messing with the darn thing and trying to play, even if you have not made as much progress as you think you should have by now?

I was in your situation back in 1968 and there were no courses or internet help available. All I had was records to listen to. I really wanted to play bad. I was just out of college and bought a steel and car with my first job. I had nothing but time in the evenings and on weekends. I made a commitment to myself that I would practice every night from 7 PM until 10 PM and do it for a year. After a year, I would decide on whether to throw in the towel or not. After a year, I still couldn't play very well and knew that the way I sounded did not sound like the way the guys played on the records at all.

I quit for 7 years and started my own business. Then, quite by accident, I was traveling and found myself in Connecticut. I stopped at a motel for the night and heard steel guitar music coming from some place in the motel. It turned out it was a steel guitar club's monthly meeting and that Harry Guffy owned a steel guitar shop 1/2 mile away. I sat in at that club meeting and went to Harry's shop the next morning. I found all sorts of learning material, a lot of it was Jeff Newman's. I bought all I could afford and couldn't wait to get back home and work on the courses, which I had never had before. I found out about Jeff's school in Nashville and went for the 5 day intermediate course, then the 5 day advanced course, followed by several 2 day courses on a specific areas. Nashville is only 4 1/2 hour drive, so I kept Interstate 40 busy for about a year. Studying with Jeff totally changed my way of picking. Jeff was so right when he told me that I would be a worse picker when I got home than when I came to his school. If you knew Jeff, he would say things like this tongue in cheek, but he went on to explain that everything that I knew how to play would no longer sound good and that I would not be able to play the proper way that he was teaching for several months. He was right, of course. It took me about 4 months for things to start coming together.

I am still not a great player and never will be. But, I have enjoyed it all so much, I would not take anything for the experience. I have played in quite a few bands and currently am playing in two different bands. I have got to play one show, pick up band gigs with Archie Campbell, Norma Jean, Claude Gray, Ray Pillow, Bill Phillips, Bun Wilson, and a few others. What great memories and all the wonderful times I have had and all the wonderful people I have met that I would not have without the steel.

Based on my life's experience with the steel guitar, my advice is simply if you enjoy trying, don't quit. Nobody but you have set a standard that you feel you must achieve. You can play at home in your music room and nowhere else the rest of your life if you are enjoying it. If you are having a good time trying, that is all that matters. If not, then life is too short to do things that we do not enjoy that we have control over. Sell the stuff and make some people happy. Don't sell just because you don't think you are not making enough progress.

Jeff Newman told me that the pedal steel is one of the most difficult instruments in the world to learn. I have heard it said that it is a 10 year instrument, so give it time and practice at the very minimum 1 hour every day, even in two 30 minute segments, if necessary. It is the tortoise that wins in this game, not the hare. The pedal steel will test your patience like nothing you have ever done in your life. There is hardly a steel player alive that hasn't either quit or seriously considered it.

Good luck and all the best in making your decision.

PS: Unless you need the money, I would not sell the stuff for a while. You may regret it later.

Carl Kilmer · Post by **Carl Kilmer** » 14 Jan 2013 6:05 pm

Clinton, you should stay with it. It does get better in time.
I'm still learning from the very start after I had an accident
5 years ago. It's been the hardest part of my recovery, but
I'm dedicated to going as far as I can for a 73 year old man.
I can't read tabs because of bad vision, but I've got a lot of
very good tracks that I use. If I don't know the melody, I'll
ask someone or go to Youtube to get it. I usually work on
3-4 songs for a week, and try to practice 3 to 5 hours a day.
Sometimes I play good and sometimes, like this afternoon,
I can't play at all so I stop, but I'll be at it again tonight.
Get some nice slow tracks (and maybe tabs) to start with,
and take some time every day to practice 1-2 tunes. It works.
Good things ain't always easy, be dedicated and you'll get it.
Check how far I've gone in the last 3 years on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LUCKY5774?f ... CBIQwRs%3D

I'm not great, but sometimes I think I'm fairly good.

Stick with it. You can do it too...........Carl "Lucky" Kilmer

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 14 Jan 2013 6:42 pm

Clinton, hang in there buddy. It's hard work, but it's also very rewarding. You've got quite a support group right here on the forum. Pardon me for saying, but a year and a half, is nothing, dude.

Mitch Ellis · Post by **Mitch Ellis** » 14 Jan 2013 7:24 pm

Mark van Allen wrote:Hi, Clinton, In my case, and I'm sure for many others as well, I discovered I made much faster progress when I worked on one small thing, and tried to fit it in everywhere I could. Sometimes all it takes is a tiny bit of progress to light us up enough to stick with it.

That's great advise! Getting really good at just one simple lick can give you confidence. And just a little confidence at the right time can go a looooong way. I've been playing steel for about 15 years, and I know how you feel.

If I were you, I wouldn't sell just yet. Keep trying and good luck!

Mitch

Mitch Ellis · Post by **Mitch Ellis** » 14 Jan 2013 7:29 pm

Dave Grafe wrote:

Oh, so what you are saying is that you're really just like the rest of us?

There's a lot of truth in that.

Mitch

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 14 Jan 2013 7:50 pm

Clinton, DO NOT GIVE UP!!! I am a novice as well. I understand frustration. I learn slowly, I have CRS (can't remember stuff, a touch of dyslexia, have trouble getting the music in head to my fingers, etc. I will never be a pro at psg and that don't matter. But when I do make some headway........man it is so sweet!! We have plenty of company in the "slow learning and frustrated department"!! Don't give up!! You are going to make it!!Hang in there!!

Clinton Damron · Post by **Clinton Damron** » 14 Jan 2013 8:38 pm

Bill Moore wrote:If I were you, I would keep at it, and maybe try to find a few individual lessons from an experienced player. Work on the basics, really work on being able to play in tune. And be patient, it will take time, just keep at it. A year and a half is not really very long, try to see where you might be in another year and half. If you work at it, you will make some progress. Good luck to you.

I normally take a lesson locally every other week, but I've been so frustrated I haven't been in a few weeks now. The good thing though, is that I can not touch the steel for a week or so and sit down and pick up where I left off. I don't have to go back and relearn what I've already figured out. Most of the tab I have is way beyond what my hands will let me play. I need tab for dummies

I wouldn't be selling it because I need the money.

As long as I am able the steel will not be my number one passion/hobby. Hunting and archery has my main devotion. Even more so now that I am learning to shoot a recurve well. I shoot it about 3 times a week but it is fun for me where the steel has not been fun for a while now.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 14 Jan 2013 8:58 pm

Steel takes up a lot.

It takes up a lot of space.

It takes up a lot of money.

It takes up a lot of time.

If you don't have the time to devote, the passion to drive you, I don't know how you succeed playing steel. It is a jealous mistress and really demands all your spare attention to progress.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 14 Jan 2013 9:18 pm

Clinton, since you asked...

I'd say if you're paying for lessons, have the time to practice, but are only sitting down once a week or so, you probably aren't into it. And that's OK.

Whether you're really not into it or acting out, only you know. But I will agree with others who've said we've all been frustrated at one time or another. Very frustrated.

If you're looking for a pep talk consider this: a year and a half is NOT enough time to judge by. If you like it but are frustrated don't give up...it's too soon. If you don't really like it and need permission to quit...go for it.

I noticed you list your archery equipment in your footer.

Two mistresses may be one too many!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 Jan 2013 10:21 pm

I was not aware that playing steel guitar was optional.

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 14 Jan 2013 11:38 pm

If you're not to the point after a few months where you can play with a band you might be right, you're just not getting the hang of it. Nothing wrong with that. If it ain't fun, quit doing it.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 15 Jan 2013 4:27 am

Maybe you're trying too hard,just relax & just because the "other guys" play good doesn't mean you can't.Don't try to be an Emmons or a Green,play the way "YOU" want too.I was happy the first time I could play anything that resembled a tune when I started & I too got frustrated but then I told myself"I'm gonna play this damn thing even if it kills me"(I ain't ded yet)Don't give up!!!!

Bill Miller · Post by **Bill Miller** » 15 Jan 2013 5:17 am

Basically the only people who learn to play pedal steel are those who love the sound of the instrument too much to leave it alone. If you don't have that love you're destined to fail. When I started I had a lot of obstacles. In my ignorance I bought a decrepit old Sho~Bud with no knee levers and a bunch of missing parts. There were no steel players for hundreds of miles in any direction and no Internet to turn to. I found out how to tune it and just using the A and B pedals for a long time I gradually coaxed some nice sounds from it. If you really love that sound you'll work it out in time. If not, then yes, I'd say you might as well throw in the towel.

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