Spare a critque for a year-old steeler?

[Derek Quinn]

Hello and happy new year all.

I'm a recent convert to the steel guitar -particularly lap steel. As of this month, I have been steelin' for a grand total of one year! My original idea was to add steel to my trick bag as maybe textural seasoning, but the more I got into it, the further down the rabbit hole I fell! I wanted to share some of my rough demos and experiments with the steel for your feedback. I know I've got a long, long way to go but I look forward to the journey. Thanks everyone!

https://soundcloud.com/derek-q

[Michael Laslovich]

Hey Derek,

Listening to your tunes great interpretation of Wade in The Water. Saw Harvey Mandel do that song in the 70's. I think you have a great feel for the slide, style your own. So great to hear the slide taking to so many places. Nice backing tracks. Happy New Year!!!

Michael

[Bill Leff]

You are doing great, especially for only having played a year. Your notes are in tune and I'm not hearing overuse of glisses, etc. You are playing with class!

My only suggestion would be to incorporate some vibrato in at least some of your notes. Vibrato is a personal thing and you be the judge on how you want it to sound and where to put it. Vibrato is a key element in providing "your" sound as well as helping to sustain notes.

[Derek Quinn]

Bill & Mike, thanks for listening as well as the feedback. I was nervous because my experiments with the steel are not quite the traditional approach, but I'm glad you liked it.

Bill: Thanks for the advice. I wanted to try and temper my use of glissing so it doesn't sound so....Looney Tunes? I admit that getting a good vibrato is perhaps the toughest thing to do. When I hear Andy Iona's vibrato it just slays me! I'll keep working at it.

Mike: Thanks, I appreciate that. I got a lap steel with the intent of adding something textural to my tracks. Once I heard the possibilities in my head, I got really obsessed with trying to bend the steel to my will. Most often the steel won! Richard Bennett and The Vanduras really inspired me and made me think about the steel differently. I was messing with my Rickenbacher and I ended up writing Jiyu as a result.

I'm trying to get my hands on a copy of Jerry Byrd's course so I can be sure to learn proper technique. The steel is such a blast -and so much uncharted territory awaits!

[Ulrich Sinn]

Sounds great! Bone Machine!

[Derek Quinn]

You busted me!

[Mike Neer]

Bone Machine is my favorite record of all time! Forum member David Phillips played pedal steel on that record and that was a big reason a dove in to pedal steel when I did.

I think you did a good job playing, and an even better job of understanding how to use the steel and your abilities in context. To me, that's just as important, if not more.

I really liked Chelsea Bridge, too!

[Derek Quinn]

Thanks Mike! I dig your recent track too. Funny thing about Chelsea Bridge is that I never liked the arrangement for the Ellington band. I was way more influenced by Ben Webster's solo reading. I think he captured that impressionistic image that Strayhorn was seeking to convey, and I had that picture in mind with the steel.

Your blog has also been very helpful. I was really inspired by your ruminations on your early struggles with the steel. I've been playing bottleneck slide for 20 years and I thought "steel can't be that hard." Seems that everything that works for bottleneck slide is just wrong for steel.

I also read your interview with Joel Paterson and ran to get my copy of Steel is Real, just to learn it's out-of-print. Always a day late and a dollar short!

[Jay Fagerlie]

Hey Derek,
What part of Ca are you in?

Jay

[Ron Whitfield]

I also read your interview with Joel Paterson and ran to get my copy of Steel is Real, just to learn it's out-of-print.

Try contacting him http://joelpaterson.com.hostbaby.com/index
Do you know Peter Volpe?