The future of the steel

[Wally Davis]

My post was not meant to be a rant either Dave. Please don't take it as so. Steel guitar is doing well in St. Louis.

[David Anderson]

Thank you Zane! Your words are reassuring and I appreciate you taking time to give your opinion! And thanks to those of you with positive thoughts to give!

No worries Wally! Keep me posted about the next Swansea jam, I will be there for sure!

I posted the question on my Facebook, "How many people have interest in pedal steel and if they haven't made the leap forward, what was holding them back?"Pretty much everyone that responded, posted the issue of cost to acquire an instrument to learn on, as a major obstacle.

I currently teach guitar classes at The Folk School of St. Louis and am currently working on plans with the school to have steel guitar workshops to introduce people to the basics of pedal steel guitar.

I am also in the process of acquiring some student instruments to offer as rentals through my company to get instruments into student's hands and get them started.

I also have a gear column in a local music magazine and freelance write for some other online music magazines. I have written about lap steel in the past and have plans to promote pedal steel through these avenues, as well.

I will continue to offer online lesson videos and will be doing a video for youtube to help people understand the difference in types of pedal steels and how to shop for them.

I currently play and record with bands on the local music scene and will continue to do so.

These are some of the ways I have come up with to help promote pedal steel guitar on a local level. I always had an interest in pedal steel, but never had an opportunity to try one until I happened to be at a family reunion and by chance, a friend of the family brought his steel and showed me the basics. I would never have had the confidence to make the leap if he hadn't taken the time to let me sit at the steel and get an understanding of it. Perhaps that is why I am so intent on promoting the pedal steel to others.

[David Mason]

Well, heck, I can cut 'n' paste my own stuff from a different thread, right? Plagiarize my own self...

The one musical cycle that I can firmly believe in is that there are periods of great, loosely-tethered creativity, followed by periods of consolidation wherein the innovations become the new mainstream. I also think it's well nigh impossible to be accurate about one's own historical era, but: the one specific factoid I'd "guess" about current popular music trends is that rhythm has totally kicked melody's ass and thrown her out the back door. And the pendulum's still moving, but I can't tell you which way.

It may or may not explain a lot to realize that some of the same folks who bemoan the "demise" of steel culture, or lack of interest from a younger generation, went out of their way to protest the inclusion of "new" or different styles in "their" convention.

- Mark Van Allen

Another odd thing that happens over and over on this forum is, the great call to arms from a steeler who says we MUST expand to different styles of music - but they don't know what/where/who/when it is. "It" needs to be rescued - just not by me! There's a goldmine of a thread under "Different Styles" here - but the people most vocal about "Steel guitar is dying! Save the baby steelers!" then backtrack a quarter-century to Joe Wright, Paul Franklin with Mark Knopfler etc. - hmmm, maybe steel guitar has ALREADY been saved - just not by us.

Japancakes, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, and the Red Sparowes are all bands in which the steel guitarist is integral in the writing of the music, and boy do they know how to arrange music that's built to showcase steel. I was turned on to these by the aforementioned "Styles" thread, here:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... sc&start=0

Japancakes is not to my taste, but there's steel everywhere. The other two very much are to my taste, and that whole thread is a GOLDMINE of new steel - this is functioning perfectly, from my point of view. Bookmark it, then put the radio in the closet, the television in the garage, and dig through that stuff - the future is NOW.

[chris ivey]

why does the steel 'have to survive' anyway? you either play it cause you like it or not. if played really well, then maybe it will remain popular. if not, there may be some novelty bands like a kazoo band waiting at the airport. who's going to be smiling there, the steel orchestra or the kazoo orchestra??

i never like evangelicalism (is that a word?)in any field.

if you have to beg, wheedle,coerce , convince or solicit for members, the pure vision is long gone.

[Mark van Allen]

Yes, David, as the "Styles" thread so wonderfully exposes, there are vast amounts of new steel music being made and disseminated. Some of those folks, like Daniel Lanois, have touched millions of listeners, and who knows how many have been motivated to take up the bar.

I often get the feeling here on the forum that what is really being discussed is the demise of a way of life involving steel- the mostly 1970's era where nearly every country band had a steel, and there were 4-7 night house gigs everywhere. Yes, those times are gone, but as with everything else, things have a way of moving on and developing new pathways we can explore. Many, if not most, of my playing opportunities come from outside the spectrum of standard country music.

And yes, there's always the potential for someone to knock it out of the park by being in the right band or right place at the right time. Ukulele is having an absolutely astounding resurgence right now, with sales of instruments, books, and recordings at an all-time high. That could arguably be laid at the feet of one You-Tube performance by Jake Shimabukuro. It doesn't hurt that you can get a good uke for $75.

From the way people approach me and the questions asked about my instrument at gigs I get the strong impression that people think Pedal Steel is just too complicated to tackle. The simpler 2 pedal 6 string setup might answer that, along with the cost factor. I see young kids playing lap steel all the time in emerging bands around the country. They almost universally tell me they're "going to get a pedal guitar" when they find/can afford/get around to it.

Seems healthy to me.

[Bob Russell]

why does the steel 'have to survive' anyway? you either play it cause you like it or not. if played really well, then maybe it will remain popular. if not, there may be some novelty bands like a kazoo band waiting at the airport. who's going to be smiling there, the steel orchestra or the kazoo orchestra??

i never like evangelicalism (is that a word?)in any field.

if you have to beg, wheedle,coerce , convince or solicit for members, the pure vision is long gone.

What Chris said. Play good music on the steel from your heart, let people hear it and let the chips fall where they may. In the end, nothing else works anyway.

[Aaron Smith]

Why the pity party over what we don't have? The steel guitar has been saved already, alive and well in my world and doesn't show any signs of going away ever. We play the best we can as musicians and that's all we should be concerned with in terms of promoting it for the future. It's not a guitar for everybody but is there if you need it and want to try and play a difficult and expensive instrument. If there is a will then there is a way to make it happen,especially today with the world wide web. I started out with entry level guitars that didn't stay in tune but taught me the basics for many years, inspiring me to grow, play in bands and save some coin for a pro guitar. If one doesn't want the headaches and hassles then they shouldn't worry about it and play the tamborine, or a kazoo. The steel guitar is a life long commitment that shouldn't come easy and not made for everyone...if it was then I wouldn't be interested because I like a good challenge and I don't like the mainstream or pop culture. Steelers are a very small and unique crowd and that's just the way it has to be. Shouldn't we just be happy that the instrument has made it this far? The future of steel is here now.

[David Anderson]

I didn't realize that this was a pity party, that I was begging, wheedling, coercing, convincing, soliciting, or being an evangelist to the steel guitar.

It's amazing to me the amount of negativity and general defensiveness that has been spread on this particular thread over something that was meant to be positive.

It is very eye opening to see the responses that have been posted both positive and negative. Thank you again to those with positive remarks I find them reassuring! As for the rest, I do believe I see where you are coming from.

[Leslie Ehrlich]

The instrument needs to shed its traditional 'country' stereotype and be played more often in other music genres if it is to gain any popularity.

The only thing members of the SGF can do is give more attention to other types of steel players rather than singing endless praise toward traditional country players. Lamenting the passing of traditional country music doesn't help either.

[Barry Blackwood]

The instrument needs to shed its traditional 'country' stereotype and be played more often in other music genres if it is to gain any popularity.

Leslie, I don't see that happening any time soon for any number of reasons. I welcome it being played in other musical genres, but breaking new ground, in and of itself, doesn't automatically guarantee that it's popularity will become any more widespread.

[Dave Grafe]

Funny thing, the only place on the planet where I ever hear about the demise of the pedal steel guitar is here on the Steel Guitar Forum. Meanwhile the entire left edge of the country is full of young folks who are taking up the instrument with a passion and using it in new ways; if anything it's on a strong growth curve out here, and audiences are more appreciative and informed about the steel guitar than ever before.

What has been lost is the live music scene of decades ago, when one could build serious chops on the bandstand working six and seven four-hour nights a week, so developing chops re: the likes of Buddy, Lloyd, Hal, Sonny, Jimmy, etc. is maybe not on the horizon for today's players. What has clearly been gained is the freedom from the confinement of a single musical genre, as is evidenced by the 12 pages of commentary and music links still growing in the "Different Styles" thread here on the forum's "Steel Players" section.

Whether or not these folks are playing your daddy's steel guitar music is irrelevant, the instrument has been with us little more than half a century and every year the ways it is used expand and the number of people playing it grows. Just look at the rolls here on the forum and you can see this is not a vanishing act....

[Donny Hinson]

"Pretty much everyone that responded, posted the issue of cost to acquire an instrument to learn on, as a major obstacle.

Well, 40 or 50 years ago, that may have been the case. But, today's access to credit negates that thought. Are you forgetting that the same people who don't have $1500 or so to get started on pedal steel these days regularly spend hundreds of dollars on IPhones, Ipads, expanded cable TV, tinted car windows, custom wheels, and $150 tennis shoes? Sheesh, since when, in today's world, does mere lack of money keep people from buying things! Save you dollars or take out a cash advance, or whatever. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way.

Of course, a lot of the steelers here are really to blame for discouraging potential players. How many times have you heard "You gotta have at least 5 levers, you gotta have a fancy volume pedal, you gotta have a $300 tuner, you gotta have at least 5 levers, you gotta have one of them $100 bars, and those $50 cords"...and on an on, ad infinitum. I know most of these guys have good intentions, but they should really think back to all the famous steelers: Buddy, Hal, Weldon John, Curly, Jimmie, Jimmy, etc.. Those guys had NONE of that stuff!!! Zip, zero, zilch. You didn't learn to drive in a Corvette or a Cadillac or a Lincoln, so quit telling these guys they need the best of everything when they start. It ain't so!

Look, $1400-$1800 will get you a fine outfit. So if you need recommendations, my advice is to avoid the gear-heads, and the brand-name humpers (those who only like their brand) and seek out someone objective who doesn't care about brands, "mojo", vibe, and all those other nebulous, but costly characteristics.

[Andy Jones]

Well said,Mr.Hinson!I bought a used guitar,amp,volume pedal,and a new cord,all for $1900 and away I went.I sucked,but away I went.(After 8 years,I still suck).

It's a priority matter as to how bad you want something.Sometimes one must sacrifice something to get something else.A person doesn't need all that crap to survive.You won't die if you don't have the latest gadget.You could avoid stepping in front of a train while texting if you were at home playing your steel.Think about it.

On the other hand,I have no gadgets,practice my steel playing,and I still suck!

[Donny Hinson]

Andy, I started on an early Fender 1000, and played it for over 8 years. I had a home-made volume pedal, and used a Mack (truck engine) wrist-pin for a bar. I had a Monkey-Wards (Danelectro) amp and used Mapes guitar strings ($1.25 a set, with an extra 1st and 2nd string in each set). A short time later, I got a Sho~Bud bar (which I still use) and a Twin Reverb amp (which I still have).

Sometimes, good enough is good enough...because it has to be. (It's all you've got.)

[Bill L. Wilson]

A Vox Wah-Wah pedal, converted to a vol. pedal w/a 2dollar A-B pot, and a 5dollar Ernie Ball bar. With my MSA semi-classic, 3-1, and a Fender Twin, I was settin' in high cotton.

[Mike Perlowin]

I’m happy to report that after years of knocking on doors, my efforts at introducing the steel to the classical music community are finally starting to pay off. I’ve plugged into the local chamber music scene, and have been invited to participate in a couple of concerts that feature several different artists each playing short sets. I’m currently rehearsing an ensemble for that purpose.

Additionally, I’ll be giving a concert of my own next January. I will be playing in a classical music facility, before a classical music audience. Most of the people in attendance will never have seen a pedal steel guitar before, and the man who is producing the concert has taken the unusual step of asking me to hold a question and answer session afterward.

For the occasion, I’ve secured the services of half a dozen musicians from the L. A. Philharmonic, and various other So California orchestras. I’ve performed with my on again-off again chamber music trio at concerts given by our violist, but those were her concerts, and I was a guest musician. This will my first under my own name. I admit I’m kind of terrified.

I will post the details in the “Event announcements” section as the date approaches.

[David Anderson]

Congratulations Mike! That sounds awesome!

[Beverly Harris]

I have found over the years as a full time player that the absolute best way to promote the instrument is to get out on the bandstand and have fun playing it. Then be helpful to anybody who is interested.

Bob has the right idea. I am a beginning player. I took my steel to my classroom. I teach about 150 students each day. There were no more than 10 students who had heard of a steel, but no one had ever seen one. They loved me playing that day and believe me, it wasn't that good! We may have monthly meetings, but it seems to be for our own pleasure. The public is invited, but mainly I've only seen it posted on the forum. I don't think they visit the website.
We have lots of opportunities to be out for weekend functions where it can be introduced. If you go where there's PEOPLE, the guitar will be heard. They are not going to come to the local meetings to listen.
We promoting the steel guitar, but we're seemingly promoting to other players.

[Dave Grafe]

You go Mike, keep us posted!

[Don Drummer]

Donny Hinson is right. My latest student bought a Stage-One, VP, tuner and amp,from me with tips from her waitressing job here in Lewisburg, WV. She knew she was going to be a player and heeded my help on how to get started right. All cash 5's 10's 20's 50's. Just like the good 'ol days.

[Alan Tanner]

I believe getting folks interested in playing instruments of any kind is an uphill battle. Of the half dozen or so bands in this area that have steel guitars in them, few work regularly. There are a few "shows" that are really free for all jams around, that occur in the afternoon and cater to old folks, with a lunch. Most of these are more torture than fun, however. A few weeks ago I went to listen and lend support to a band that I know pretty well. They are all good pickers and entertainers. I was sitting at the bar when this guy came in and said to the owner "I quit coming in here on band nights because it's always different old guys playing the same old tired tunes". After I thought about it, and mentally reviewed what the groups in the area do, including ours, I had to agree. The folks that grew up with country music no longer care to go out at night to clubs and honky tonks. Younger folks are looking for something different. Karaoke has devastated the music biz around here. Folks with little or no talent go screech to a bunch of drunks who cheer them on. One club here went from trying bands two nights a week, to one night a week, to having karaoke FOUR nights a week. When I spoke with the owner, he said the bands just don't pay any return. At our local steel guitar show in the fall that draws a couple of hundred people, you can count on ONE hand the individuals that are under 50. Lots and lots of bands that are in favor now with younger people, dont have steel guitars any more. I guess that all we can do is just keep picking and promoting, be friendly and inviting when people DO come to the bandstand and ask questions, and hope for the best. The expense of obtaining and maintaining and a steel guitar is prohibitive to young folks who are not yet in full swing at working, or they are trying to raise a family in today's economy.The next few years will tell I guess. SOMEONE is buying something, or there wouldn't be so many different manufacturers competing for your dollar....JMHO....AL

[Theresa Galbraith]

I heard St.Louis only had about 300 people attend this year. It's not looking good for pedal steel players.

[Les Anderson]

I think the reality of the problem stems from the modern background sound in music. Secondly; and more than likely on an equal footing, is $$$$$$$$. Ninety-five percent of modern country music does not have a steel guitar in the mix. Third; the cost of a steel player can be easily be eliminated by a good lead guitarist.

In our area, the modern country bands are so far from the familiar 50s - 70s country sound that to our older ears we don't call it country anymore. To find a steel guitar on a stage or with any group for 500 miles around us, is zero. I still do some old folks home stints or the occasional Legion gig.

So, who is going to dish out $3,500.00 for a pedal steel and suffer the long curve to learn to play it when no one wants it in their band?

[Richard Sinkler]

Ninety-five percent of modern country music does not have a steel guitar in the mix.

I don't know what station you listen to, but on the local radio station here that plays all the latest "hits", I hear steel guitar in most of the songs. I'd like to know how you came up with that figure. Now, it may not be the up front, in your face steel guitar like in the 50's - 70's, but it is there. Most of the major acts that tour these days still have steel guitar players.

[Barry Blackwood]

Karaoke has devastated the music biz around here. Folks with little or no talent go screech to a bunch of drunks who cheer them on. One club here went from trying bands two nights a week, to one night a week, to having karaoke FOUR nights a week.