Novice (advanced) player needs picking advice and mentor...

Charles Fager · Post by **Charles Fager** » 13 Aug 2015 11:58 am

I am in desperate need of finding a picking mentor...

I am an advanced novice player who has been asked to be a fill-in backup PSG player for a very established country, swing, honky tonk band. I have a single neck E9 MSA, A, B, C pedals, E and F levers (and other levers which I never use)... I know basic music theory, my bar positions, grips, A&B pedals, and E&F levers pretty well. I have spent the past Summer studying the online course of Joe Wright (Sierra Steel Web Site.. Joe is fantastic) and my finger and palm blocking has gotten 500% better. I primarily use my A and B pedals (I know my B/C scales but never use it in a gig environment), and E lever (lower E), and occasion F lever (with my A pedal). I over-use the A&B squeeze, but people seem to like that sound on the straight country material, and it has masked my weaknesses somewhat in other areas. I want to take my playing to the next level and I am a self learner.

I am seeking mentor ($$-yes) who is comfortable communicating electronically and over the phone who can help me develop and prepare to play a more picking style of PSG, and I do not know where to start... I have studied my scales and can play them fairly well with proper blocking, but I stink when it comes to the band handing off solos to me. I don't embarrass myself by any means, but I am subbing for a master PSG player, and this is quite intimidating for me.. the band is spoiled with their regular player. I don't have a strategy that makes sense yet..I just pick (mostly random forward and backward rolls) over the bands chord progression, with a few Jeff Newman phrases added.. honestly, I wing it and pray that I don't blow it.. I have not made the connection yet from playing clean scales to real-time implementation of free-flowing solo picking when the band calls me up to play a solo. I have no interest in speed picking; just the basics... Band members are very understanding of this, and they have been totally cool and patient with me. Additionally, the honky tonk/swing material that they play presents other challenges to me on the E9 neck in terms of playing ideas.

I am willing to pay any established teacher/player who might be interested in hearing more about my story and mentor me to a more comfortable level of playing. This band is getting more and more high end gigs, and I do not want to embarrass anybody, especially myself. My wife is one of the leads in the band (she is a pro musician and singer), so I join in as a favor to the band (they pay me unbelievably). My wife and I have a blast playing together.. I do this primarily for family fun when the regular PSG player is not available.... any ideas out there?. Any resources out there that can kick start me in this direction?.... HELP!...thx!! Charlie

Ross Shafer · Post by **Ross Shafer** » 13 Aug 2015 12:21 pm

Contact Josh Yenne through his website. Great steeler and steel teacher just up the road in Sonoma

http://www.joshyenne.com

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 13 Aug 2015 12:41 pm

Here's a few videos giving ideas. I like to think most of my stuff is aimed at intermediate players. Playing ideas: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... Jons_m-c2h
I'm also free daytimes to talk in the phone, my number's 8162060239

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 13 Aug 2015 12:42 pm

You have some knee levers you don't use. What do they do

Michael Hummel · Post by **Michael Hummel** » 14 Aug 2015 9:38 am

Lane is a great resource for sure. If you are interested in Skype lessons, I can recommend John McClung from whom I took lessons for a while. He can customize a lesson plan to go from where you are to where you want to be, and have a lot of fun in the process!

Mike