The best steel players

Albert Svenddal · Post by **Albert Svenddal** » 18 Jun 2016 10:49 am

I love this quote. I think all great steel players
have this mindset.

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 18 Jun 2016 11:01 am

So true, of any instrument.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 19 Jun 2016 1:35 am

Yep, being in a band or playing music with with others is a "team" sport, some people learn this early , some learn it late and sadly some never learn it but yet think they are indeed "team" players.

Ron Scott · Post by **Ron Scott** » 19 Jun 2016 8:37 am

This is how I feel too.RS

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 19 Jun 2016 9:35 am

This is the truth and nothing but the truth...

Kind Regards, Walter

Albert Svenddal · Post by **Albert Svenddal** » 19 Jun 2016 11:33 am

I think that an attitude like this, is what separates
the men from the boys sort of speak in musicians !

Albert Svenddal · Post by **Albert Svenddal** » 19 Jun 2016 11:34 am

I think that an attitude like this, is what separates
the men from the boys sort of speak in musicians !

Ray Harrison · Post by **Ray Harrison** » 20 Jun 2016 9:15 am

Albert, this has been true for you even back during the days of CT. You showed the professionalism even at that age.
All you've done since is improve.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 20 Jun 2016 2:38 pm

Albert Svenddal wrote:I think that an attitude like this, is what separates
the men from the boys sort of speak in musicians !

Albert, I agree with your analogy to the well-known bromide. It is especially appropriate in the usage here, because it compares maturity with immaturity.

Great seeing you every time we play a steel show together. You and your wife are a great musical team.

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 20 Jun 2016 5:08 pm

Half of what you play should be what you don't play.
JB

Jim Means · Post by **Jim Means** » 21 Jun 2016 11:35 am

Ray Harrison wrote:Albert, this has been true for you even back during the days of CT. You showed the professionalism even at that age.
All you've done since is improve.

Ray, that's still true today. I get the chance to play with Albert from time to time. Played with him last weekend as a matter of fact and it was a pleasure as always.

Jim Means

Larry Waisner · Post by **Larry Waisner** » 21 Jun 2016 10:19 pm

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there."

The late great Miles Davis

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Jun 2016 10:13 am

I think musicians are generally remembered, not for what they played or didn't play, but for how well or how differently they played it. In the words of Oscar Wilde..."Indifference is society's revenge for mediocrity".

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 27 Jun 2016 10:35 am

so to speak.

Scott Denniston · Post by **Scott Denniston** » 27 Jun 2016 2:47 pm

Yeah I've been that loud guy at times. Then three or four people keep wanting me to turn it up more. The worst time was when I stepped on this fiddle player a few times. I really wish I'd have pulled back and listened to what she was doing. Probably would have inspired me. It's easy to forget after a few drinks and being so heavily armed. Enough remorse, I hope I've grown out of it.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 27 Jun 2016 3:17 pm

Albert, you have sort of combined two distinctly different concepts here though you tied it together in the part about "mindset."

We occasionally post here about "serving the song" and how a player like Greg Leisz is so good at that. That might be construed as great musicianship.

But it's a whole different deal than attending something like a steel show and you want to see the guy on stage dazzle you with hot licks and you say, "now that guy is one of the greatest steel players I've ever seen."

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 27 Jun 2016 3:36 pm

[quote="]"Don't play what's there, play what's not there."
[/quote]
that's what i did! you didn't hear
it, did you?

Albert Svenddal · Post by **Albert Svenddal** » 28 Jun 2016 3:22 am

Mark, you are right. I have attended many steel shows and
noticed what you are talking about. The best players in my
humble opinion, are the ones who have a ton of ability and
talent combined with the mindset of "serving the song".

I like that phrase.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 28 Jun 2016 5:43 am

Well, since we're going to have all these "rules" to play by, I guess it's okay to ask:

Who decides what's too loud?
Who decides what's too many notes?
And just who decides when the solo is too "flashy"?

You see, and with no disrespect intended, I have a big problem with people who say "Always do this", or "Never do that". I just happen to feel if we don't "push the envelope" once in awhile, we start to get mundane and plain, and we don't get noticed. Personally, I like players like Paul and Tommy who play with a little fire sometimes, a players who can really "burn it", and sometimes do put more into a song than is really required.

Here is one of my favorite songs featuring pedal steel. The player (y'all know him) is obviously overplaying...he's way too loud...about twice as loud as the lead guitar! He's playing way too many notes, too. What's with that? And that solo, where in the hell did he get the idea that that would sound good? It's really waaaaayyy too flashy, because he's certainly not sticking to the (now almost hackneyed) rule of "just play the melody".

Now, I don't know about all you guys, but I wouldn't have it any other way. This is a classic, and it shows what can be done when great player is allowed to break those "rules" outlined above...but there is a caveat:

Warning - Do Not attempt to play this solo yourself! - Just stick to the melody if you're ever asked to play this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUCXf5ecjtI

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 28 Jun 2016 1:14 pm

As another GREAT guitar player buddy of mine (who was really going for the fence trying to impress) was told by a GREAT bass player on a session in January, "You know, Reggie Young was never accused of overplaying, and he's booked till Christmas!"

Truer words were never spoken...

Joe Rogers · Post by **Joe Rogers** » 3 Jul 2016 4:29 pm

I tend to believe that a player's musical ability pretty much follows their personal conversational ability. If a person is timid, the
hide-in-the-corner type, then that player's true musical ideas may never get heard because those ideas will never get projected as forcefully as they should. On the opposite
end of the spectrum, I think we all know folks who like to dominate every single conversation whether or not they have any knowledge of the topic being discussed. There is barely
a breath for anyone else to chime in to share ideas. I don't think I need to describe what a player of this sort does to the musical cohesiveness of a band.

Then you have the person who is polite enough to remain silent while others are talking. This accomplishes several goals. Number one, it lets others feel valued by being allowed to
share what they want to share. Number two, listening opens a person's mind to hearing ideas that he/she may never have thought about. There is an old saying that one cannot learn a single thing while talking, it is only by listening that one learns. Number three, silence gives a person time to come up with the perfect rebuttal. How many of us have opened mouth and inserted foot by simply engaging our tongue before engaging our minds..?? Likewise, how many of us have ever been in the middle of a hot topic and experienced someone who came out with a response
that was so on target that no one had a single thing to say when this person was finished...??

True conversational eloquence is characterized by the ability to be brief and to the point, appropriate and fitting to the topic being discussed, and the ability to inject passion, character and/or humor to the conversation without offending. A musician who possesses these same traits when applied to musical conversations will always stand apart from the crowd.

Search through this forum and study the verbal responses of the master players such as Buddy or Lloyd and the manner in which their opinions are conveyed.

Then put on an album or CD and listen to their playing as well as the musical interaction with other players in the band.

Musical conversations are every bit as engaging as verbal conversations, and a lot of the same rules apply to both.

Joe Rogers