May 2022 Challenge

[Lloyd Graves]

WHY AND WHAT IS THIS CHALLENGE?
For various reasons my progress with the steel guitar has been erratic - too many competing interests, family obligations, work, etc. I usually find myself working really hard on the steel guitar for a few weeks, then taking a month (or more) off. Despite the overall forward progress, it has been frustrating because I often need to relearn things before pushing forward again. So I've decided to try for a steadier route and set a modest goal of learning 1 tune each month for the next year. And I know I am more successful if I make myself accountable, so I thought I'd post my intentions to you all.
And then I thought to myself, "Self, I bet there are other folks on the Forum that would be interested in joining me in setting modest, monthly goals for themselves."

So here I am, creating a thread where ANYONE can write down a goal for what you hope to achieve during the month of May 2022. It can be learning a tune, a scale, just listening to specific recordings... whatever you want. It's your musical journey!

I'll try to post a new thread each month for the next year.

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My Goals for May 2022*:
- Create a practice space where I can leave my steel guitar, picks, and music out at all times.
- Learn Honolulu Bound (from Sebastian's tab).
- Figure out two ways to back up others (a fiddle and a guitar) on Sweet Leilani and Sailing on to Hawaii (both from Sebastian, as well).


* No promises, but I'll try to record my finished efforts and post them here.

[Jack Hanson]

My goals for May 2022:

Polish out the final clear lacquer coats and reassemble the Gibson Ultratone and Century Deluxe that I recently spent three months in the Sonoran Desert shooting rattle cans at.

The good days were two steps forward and one step back, and the bad days were way worse. Working outdoors with my improvised "spray booth" -- a water heater box with one end cut out -- constantly battling the wind and the ever present dust, was challenging.

My first (and likely last) attempts at refinishing, unless I somehow, somewhere, gain access to a proper indoor spraying setup.

[Mike Neer]

My Goals for May 2022*:
- Create a practice space where I can leave my steel guitar, picks, and music out at all times.
- Learn Honolulu Bound (from Sebastian's tab).
- Figure out two ways to back up others (a fiddle and a guitar) on Sweet Leilani and Sailing on to Hawaii (both from Sebastian, as well).


* No promises, but I'll try to record my finished efforts and post them here.

My friend, that is no modest goal! Honolulu Bound is a difficult piece. I don't know how far along you are as a player, but don't be discouraged by not living up to this goal. It could take longer than that for even a seasoned player. Take your time, King Bennie was no joke. There's a lot of useful stuff to learn in there.

[David DeLoach]

In 2022 I want to create some quality backing tracks for arrangements I've come up with in Leavett tuning and get them recorded.

I've been picking up some solo guitar gigs for corporate events where I sit and in the corner and get ignored while folks eat dinner. These are not gigs for anyone with an ego, but they're paying for my next Clinesmith. On my guitars I'm doing classical tunes, jazz chord solos, and Chet Atkins style fingerstyle stuff, but want to add in 5 or 6 quality lap steel arrangements (playing to the backing tracks).

[Lloyd Graves]

Progress report:
1/3 into May and I can play measures 1-45 (1/3 of the entire tab) from memory at 50% of Sebastian's recording. I miss a few notes here and there, but is going in the right direction.

And I can play measures 46-89 at 25% of the recording speed, but have to consult the tab while playing it. As a clawhammer banjoist, I find steel guitar timing as not-innate and want to even all the syncopation out. It's been a struggle with every song I've learned. I'll keep working on the second 1/3 of the tab for a week, or so, and then try to learn the last 1/3.

As to my other goals:
I don't believe my wife and kids will ever let me have a small corner of the house to myself for a practice space. Any time I try to claim a corner, someone else takes it over. Or my picks and bar go missing.

And I haven't had enough time to sit down and work out specific backup parts for songs, but I did have a band practice Tuesday eveningt and played some harmonics and other fills behind the fiddle which didn't sound horrible, so that was nice. And my hope is that, eventually, I can improvise back up stuff, anyhow.

[Jack Hanson]

My goals for May 2022:

Polish out the final clear lacquer coats and reassemble the Gibson Ultratone and Century Deluxe that I recently spent three months in the Sonoran Desert shooting rattle cans at.

Finis... At long last!

[Lloyd Graves]

Four months late, but I have finally completed my goals for May. Summer had been too hectic to get any meaningful chunks of time to dedicate to learning new Hawaiian guitar songs. But this past week I finally worked my way through the final bits of Sebastian's tabs for both Honolulu Bound and Lady Be Good. There is still cleaning up to do, and I'd like to play then faster than 65% of the backing tracks. But it feels good to have accomplished them.

Great tabs and backing tracks!


I doubt I'll get around to making recordings any time soon though.

And one quick question: what lapsteel tunings can you get to with a standard set of guitar strings? Is there a way to get to high bass A? I am having a Kay, round hole, archtop guitar restored. It'll mostly be for rhythm guitar, but I reinforced the neck so I can put a nut riser on it from time to time.

Thanks.

[David DeLoach]

That's impressive Lloyd - good work!

In 2022 I want to create some quality backing tracks for arrangements I've come up with in Leavett tuning and get them recorded.

I've also met my goal and have created a LOT of backing tracks for my solo gigs. I don't have what you'd call a standard lap steel repertoire Lots of tunes from the Great American Songbook, and a lot of Beatles tunes.

My next goal is to begin uploading one video each week of these tunes.

[Gary Gemoets]

Awesome Job! Well Done. What are they tuned to?
Gary