Wasted Motion Of The Bar

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 9 Sep 2003 7:37 pm

John Hughey & Jerry Byrd to name only two out of many fabulous artists........yet I do believe they are classic examples of the topic of discussion in this post.
John and Jerry.....have both discovered how to
"MILK" that last ounce of emotion out of their bar/pedal movements, particularly on those slow, dreamy balads. While some steel guitar pickers play more like a metranome (sp?), each note of the song being picked exactly on the beat of the measure....and/or each note played precisely on the next fret at the change of the chord, etc.
Jerry will make a "slide" and plays a ton of emotion before he gets to his target fret.
John will often slide and/or use his pedals only to hang onto that "almost out of tune" sound and yet just before it reaches the "out of tune status" he bleeds it back into the correct ending notes and what a beautiful sound he makes out of it.
John plays those pedals just like he does his bar movements. Sweet and gentle. Jerry does all of his
"emotion" with the bar hand.
Those who prefer to pick a hundred notes in but a single measure........miss the opportunity to make these super fine tonal adjustments that prove so captivating to a listeners' ears.

John Hall · Post by **John Hall** » 9 Sep 2003 8:38 pm

OK. Here comes an opinion from someone who really shouldn't have one at at all: a newbie.

If you compare, for example, Hal Rugg, John Hughey and Lloyd Green, LG waves that bar around like nobody's business, making chords you never knew existed. Hal and John will sneak that harmony up on you when you least expect it, but it's tight. The great Buddy will make you cry with what you THINK is his economy of movement. Main thing it sounds GREAT. Whether you're on Fret #5 or Fret #12 is up to you and where you're going next. It's a bit like pool, isn't it?

A know-nothing beginner,

john

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 10 Sep 2003 2:34 am

Deleted for reasons of inadvertently crossing over into the art of non-pedal steel guitars,
and their techniques of playing.
The thread originally focused on pedal steel guitars.

Bill H.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 10 September 2003 at 07:02 PM.][This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 12 September 2003 at 12:31 AM.]

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 10 Sep 2003 4:45 am

Deleted, to avoid further misunderstandings, whereby the readers may misconstrue its intent, to point out a my personal observations. To call attention to a fellow steel guitarist's playing style, becomes a difficult task-
better left alone.

Bill H. [This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 10 September 2003 at 08:51 AM.][This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 10 September 2003 at 06:54 PM.][This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 12 September 2003 at 12:50 AM.]

Tom Vollmer · Post by **Tom Vollmer** » 10 Sep 2003 6:46 pm

I believe the player without arms was Ray Myers,the armless wonder.He played at parks in Pa. like Santa Fe Ranch and Himmelreich,s Grove in the Reading,Pa. area.He would use his feet and toes like hands and fingers.He could shave himself,open soda bottles and drive a car,he had a Pa. drivers license.He had a lap steel 6 string I believe tuned to a major chord.he laid it on the floor,sat on a stool,held the bar with his left foot and would strum the strings with his right foot and accompany his singing.This is best I can recall of him fourty to fifty years ago.TV

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 12 Sep 2003 12:06 am

Tom V.,

Thanks for the information. As soon as you mentioned the player's name, I could hear Chester Atkins' words ringing in my ears. He also mentioned fingerless banjo players, who were able to play, because the banjo is a "drone" instrument.

Bill H.