I am making GREAT progress!

Bob Bestor · Post by **Bob Bestor** » 20 Feb 2019 1:18 pm

I've read several times on this forum that it takes several years just to suck at PSG. Well, only 2.5 years in so far and I suck tremendously. Guess I'm right on track! Ugh.

Michael Hummel · Post by **Michael Hummel** » 20 Feb 2019 2:49 pm

Bob! Don't be so hard on yourself. Yes, it takes a long time to grasp this monster of an instrument. I'm about 4 years in, and made the mistake of changing guitars so that has set me back a year or so. But I'm slowly becoming one with the instrument.

The only thing I can compare it with is learning the drums. At first the thought of flailing all the limbs just doesn't work. AFter a couple of years, it all comes together.

On stage, you just have to stop thinking and let everything flow naturally.

Good luck.
Mike

Jon Voth · Post by **Jon Voth** » 20 Feb 2019 8:40 pm

Yes, I am also on the track. About 1.5 years in and also suck a whole bunch!

I'm in a band that performs very occasionally and how I fool them is that the songs that I am on, I tend to play by rote, having memorized the chords/fills/solos. I could play twice and it would be exactly the same.

There is no way I could sit in on a jam or session, and also playing with speed is the worst.

BUT...

I work hard and someday it will come. Never ever like Emmons but hopefully something passable before I get too old. It's addictive-I think that's why a lot of us like the instrument.

Jon

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 21 Feb 2019 4:48 pm

To Michael and Bob, both former students:

Don't forget The Professor Twang Mantra: it takes Patience, Practice, Persistence, Available Time and Faith!

You both did well in lessons with me. Keep the faith, keep practicing, you WILL improve. Play with bands as soon as you can.

All best,
Prof. Twang

Jerry Recktenwald · Post by **Jerry Recktenwald** » 21 Feb 2019 5:21 pm

I've been playing the PSG for 2 years and a guitar player for many years. There will always be someone better. Enjoy living and having fun playing music. Just enjoy the blessing that the Lord gave you playing music. You will be surprised.

Kevin Fix · Post by **Kevin Fix** » 21 Feb 2019 6:33 pm

Hey John, No more truer words ever said!!!! I have been at it for about 37 years now and my biggest enjoyment is learning a new trick of the trade. If I am not learning something new, on either neck, I get bored. I never think about playing as good as some the all time greats but I am thankful to the good Lord above for allowing me to do as much as I am doing on Pedal Steel.

Bob Bestor · Post by **Bob Bestor** » 21 Feb 2019 9:28 pm

Thanks everyone for the pep talk. I posted that in a moment of frustration. I was practicing after two weeks away from my PSG and it felt like I was wrestling an octopus and losing badly. That fact is I AM making progress. It is slow, but it is steady. I am a better player than I was even just a few months ago and just need to remember the Professor Twang Mantra. (Thanks for the reminder John!) It's a long journey, ain't it?

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 22 Feb 2019 5:58 am

"Twang Mantra" . . . . dibs on band name!!

Chris

Curt Trisko · Post by **Curt Trisko** » 22 Feb 2019 10:08 am

Jon Voth wrote:Yes, I am also on the track. About 1.5 years in and also suck a whole bunch!

I'm in a band that performs very occasionally and how I fool them is that the songs that I am on, I tend to play by rote, having memorized the chords/fills/solos. I could play twice and it would be exactly the same.

There is no way I could sit in on a jam or session, and also playing with speed is the worst.

BUT...

I work hard and someday it will come. Never ever like Emmons but hopefully something passable before I get too old. It's addictive-I think that's why a lot of us like the instrument.

Jon

I'm about seven years in and feel the same way. It's still my penultimate goal to comfortably be able to improvise fresh and interesting phrases that fit each song. At this point, I'm not even sure if that's realistically possible for a normal human being. Luckily, the people I play with appreciate the chordal and simpler stuff on steel - and I can wow them with well-chosen movement instead of an entire phrase.

Learning steel has been such a fulfilling experience for me. I started at 27 years old with it being my first real instrument. It's made the changes I've observed in myself and my playing that much more vivid. The learning plateaus, the breakthroughs, my evolving ear, my evolving taste and attitudes, etc.. For every door you open, several more doors appear in front of you.

At your stage of learning, I think once you get the muscle memory down for the physical aspects of playing, you'll start seeing the other aspects open up in front of you much more fully.

It's okay to feel frustrated, but be sure to also feel happy about the amazing process you're in the middle of going through.

Bobby Nelson · Post by **Bobby Nelson** » 23 Feb 2019 4:10 am

ha! The "sucking tremendously" thing had me on the floor. With 8 months on PSG, and almost two years altogether (before I got pedals, I practiced with an 8-string console for a little over a year), I am really really bad at it haha! But, It starts to come to me a little more every time I seriously put seat time to it. My biggest "ugh!", is that, as a 6-string guitar player, I was very very fast and accurate at playing lead. I don't even know if I have time left in my life to get there on this monster. So I try not to dwell on that, and concentrate more on just trying to be musical with the things I learn.

Pete Bailey · Post by **Pete Bailey** » 23 Feb 2019 12:09 pm

Just over 2 years in the bag, and I can say with confidence that I suck really, really well right now.

Right on track!

Travis Egnor · Post by **Travis Egnor** » 1 Mar 2019 11:08 pm

Just got my first PSG and I have two gigs coming up next weekend - one with a band Iâ€™ve never played with before. Haha. Iâ€™ve been playing 8-string non-pedal for about 3 years and several years of 6-string lap steel before that. I missed out on a really fantastic gig with a national tourer because I didnâ€™t play pedals and I decided that wasnâ€™t going to happen again. Iâ€™ve been woodshedding for a few weeks now and Iâ€™ll be hitting the bull head-on next weekend. Wish me luck.