Who has taken lessons from buddy emmons?

[Doug Beaumier]

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[Jack Hanson]

I don't know about Jeff. He certainly had his successes but I must have caught him on a bad day. He was short, almost acerbic, with me and I certainly wasn't less-than-polite when I approached him. That was enough for me. I wasn't prepared to drive from NC to Nashville for a few days of belligerence (and pay the requisite $1200 for it).

Others have spoken highly of him so my experience may have been an isolated one.

Not intending to bash, and I'm reluctant to admit this, but it's certainly refreshing to know that I was not the only person on the planet who was left with a less than favorable impression of the esteemed Mr. Newman.

[Doug Beaumier]

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[Steve Spitz]

My experience with Jeff was this:

Teaching steel was his living.

So, even after attending one of his seminars, if I approached him to chat about my steel learning journey, he would quickly terminate the conversation.

Teaching steel was his living. When he was teaching , “ the meter was running” he was being paid for the one thing he did. When you tried to engage him casually about your “journey” , he wasn’t giving freebies.

That’s my impression. The seminars were fantastic , he just thought you wanted free advice when you engaged with him outside of his seminar.

[Peter Dollard]

There is a repeated uptempo lick on this song and it was driving me crazy.It was obviously Emmons but how how was he doin it. So in 1997 at the St Louis convention at eight in the morning I heard this fiery guitar practicing in one of the rooms. So I asked Buddy how he played it and the answer was simple actually he lowered his second string down to C sharp and kind of pedaled in and out with his knee...He credited Jimmy Crawford with thinking that up

[Peter Dollard]

There is a repeated uptempo lick on this song and it was driving me crazy.It was obviously Emmons but how how was he doin it. So in 1997 at the St Louis convention at eight in the morning I heard this fiery guitar practicing in one of the rooms. So I asked Buddy how he played it and the answer was simple actually he lowered his second string down to C sharp and kind of pedaled in and out with his knee...He credited Jimmy Crawford with thinking that up

[scott murray]

that's great Peter.

here's the song, the lick first appears at 1:09. it does sound very Jimmie!
https://youtu.be/Ye_zqwa4ecs

[Jim Cohen]

I did have the good fortune to have studied with Buddy on several occasions - some at Jeff Newman's place and some at his home in Hermitage and even in hotel rooms when he was on tour nearby with the Everly Brothers. He was always very patient and explained things well. I really appreciated how open he was to meet with me.

I studied with Jeff on several occasions, including private lessons on the hill for a 4 day stretch one time. I thought he was a brilliant teacher and he became a kind of mentor to me, encouraging me to develop my own style instead of becoming another Nashville-style steeler playing the shuffles, weepy ballads, etc. Don't get me wrong - I'd love to play those as well as many of you guys do, but that's not the music in my bones, that I grew up on. It's as a direct result of working with Jeff that I put out my "Home James" album of music from the 60's British Invasion. That was my (musical) home.

I have to also mention Maurice Anderson, another who mentored me. He was also a very gifted teacher. So very perceptive. He could not only see where you messed up but he could diagnose the reasons instantly - because he knew what you were - and weren't - thinking when you played that. And he knew exactly what 3 things you needed to back up and work on and perfect before you come back and try to play this thing again. Just brilliant. I learned so much from Reece.

[Roger Rettig]

It seems as though Jimbo 'takes the biscuit', as we say in the Old Country. One-on-one in Hermitage is hard to top!

From all I've heard about Reece, I often reflect that that was a missed opportunity. I met him a couple of times and even fixed a rhythm section for him when he came to Britain many years ago. A perfect gentleman and clearly so musically intelligent, I can imagine him figuring out in an instant a pupil's thought process.

[Donny Hinson]

At a seminar with Reece back in the '70s, I asked him about the ride in a current song hit that was kinda tricky, and very popular. He then asked me to play the ride for him. After I'd played it, Reece then told me "I've never tried to play that myself, but what you're doing sounds just as good as what's being done on the record."

Which I took to mean "That's not exactly right, but pretty good, nevertheless."

[Donny Hinson]

Thank you, Doug! Reece was one of the most humble and kind men I've ever met. He was also an awesome player of both pedal and non-pedal steel. I never thought he got enough credit for all that he did, but some of that was due to the scandal when the old MSA company closed up.

[Garry Vanderlinde]

Here's Buddy's C6th Class 1 from 10/21-26 1985 at Jeffran College, Hermitage, TN. WE were all Emmonized that week.
You should have seen Buddy's face when he walked into class on the last day and we were all wearing bowlers.
Left to Right: Garry Vanderlinde, David Hughey, Gary Chevwonka, Big "E", Vince Gordon, and Bill Quinn.

[Doug Beaumier]

Great picture, Garry!

[John Lacey]

I’ve been working on that banjo-like lick on the intro of “if it weren’t for country music I’d go crazy” and it closely resembles that lick on the Joe Stampley tune. Having a bitch of time making it sound right, though.

[John Lacey]

I’ve been working on that banjo-like lick on the intro of “if it weren’t for country music I’d go crazy” and it closely resembles that lick on the Joe Stampley tune. Having a bitch of time making it sound right, though.

[Ron Funk]

After playing PSG about 5 years, I spent a full week 'one-on-one' with Doug Jernigan at his studio in Smyrna, TN. Even though Doug was - and remains - light years ahead of me in both Talent and Knowledge, (his Grammy was in the studio) Doug treated me most cordially and with respect a newbie like me really didn't deserve. Doug even invited me to one of his local gigs performing with Hoot Hester and rest of the NVille A-Team. I still refer to Doug's lesson material obtained during that week.

Also "Back in the day," say late 80's, Scotty would hold his quarterly Steel Guitar Club Meetings at the St Charles, MO Moose Hall. One time, Scotty booked Buddy Emmons to perform at a weekend evening dance at the St Charles Moose Hall - and BE conducted a seminar the next day.

So, the afternoon after the dance, BE conducted a seminar which I was fortunate to attend. To be seated about 15 feet from the Greatest Player of All Time - 'teaching me' for four hours - is something I'll never forget. His handouts were great. Buddy was very relaxed and seemed to really enjoy the seminar.

Both Buddy and Doug were very congenial and willing to share their extensive knowledge. Those two events are real highlights of the various seminars I've attended thru the years.

Ron

[Jeff Peterson]

Buddy gave me a couple of lessons..he said 'take up sewing, or race car driving'! I took up both and played steel...'course I bought him a beer at a St. Louis convention or two/three/four and he said I was the best player he ever heard! Some say he had a great sense of humor...I take it as gospel!!

[Paul Wade]

Please close
P.w

[Johnny Cox]

I never officially took lessons from anyone. I did however spend a lot of time at Buddy's house and learned a ton from him. It really wasn't as much about licks although he did show me several. It was more about approach, tone, techniques and how to not be a copy of any one player. He told me that what he played has already been done. Be yourself, find my own style. Great times.

[Doug Beaumier]

He told me that what he played has already been done. Be yourself, find my own style.

Good advice. Buddy said something similar here on the steel forum years ago. Someone was asking him about his sound, his technique, etc, and Buddy told him that he shouldn't try to copy other players. He told the guy that if he did that he "might as well put a ring through his nose" and be led around by others.

[Eric Philippsen]

I attended Jeff Newman’s week-long intermediate E9th course where Buddy came in and co-taught for a couple/three days. Paul Franklin came by, too. On top of that, Sid Hudson played 6-string guitar for the Tuesday night jam where he just BURNED that instrument up.

Funny story from that week. During one day’s lunchtime a bunch of us went to Bobbe Seymour’s store where, among other steels, he had a Fender D8 Stringmaster for $400. We returned to the school and mentioned the D8 to Buddy. He seemedinterested in the steel at that price and so a couple of us offered to go get it for him. He took us up on that, gave us $400, and then said, “Just don’t tell Bobbe you’re getting it for me.”

[Fred Rogan]

As far as my playing, I've been spinning my wheels in the mud of mediocrity for 12 years but several years ago I did have the opportunity to take 6 months of zoom lessons with Doug Jernigan as well as one at his house.I have never seen a person with as much patience in my life. He would hang with me as I stumbled around trying to play what he was trying to show me. He would then follow up by sending me a cd of what he covered with me as well as the tabs. He is an amazing player, teacher and person. I just wish I had been a more worthy student!!

[W. C. Edgar]

When I worked on the Country Music USA Show at Opryland USA in Nashville I went up to Doug's place in White House a couple times for private instruction.
He's the best when it comes to teaching, you sure get your moneys worth AND MORE!
WC Edgar