Ralph Mooney: staccato picking thing

John Larson · Post by **John Larson** » 12 Oct 2024 3:53 am

I had a playlist going on a long drive in the car of 60s Haggard and I noticed that Mooney does this like stutter thing, super staccato, chicken picking thing. How does he do that?

The steel break at like 1:20 in "The Bottle Let Me Down" is a good example Moon hits some flutter swells on the volume pedal and then does the bit I'm talking about. Or am I off base is that Roy Nichols guitar. Hard to tell given Mooney's absolute telecaster esque in your face tone.

"Swinging Doors" has what I'm trying to describe as well.

Joe Bill Moad · Post by **Joe Bill Moad** » 12 Oct 2024 5:28 am

Mooney did more for early “Honky Tonk” aka Wynn Stewart, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and many more Artists, and ended with the “Outlaw” movement aka Waylon Jennings run and beyond. He had a style that is noted and will stay in the books as time goes on. Plus, he was a Great ambassador for the Steel Players community and from Duncan Oklahoma. He was a Natural Talent!

John Larson · Post by **John Larson** » 12 Oct 2024 9:21 am

Joe Bill Moad wrote:Mooney did more for early “Honky Tonk” aka Wynn Stewart, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and many more Artists, and ended with the “Outlaw” movement aka Waylon Jennings run and beyond. He had a style that is noted and will stay in the books as time goes on. Plus, he was a Great ambassador for the Steel Players community and from Duncan Oklahoma. He was a Natural Talent!

Agree Joe, Mooney was one of a kind, to me the Bakersfield sound IS the sound of Steel Guitar and he helped pioneer that sound.

John Swain · Post by **John Swain** » 12 Oct 2024 9:26 am

The turnaround at 1:20, there's 4 measures of Mooney then 4 measures of Nichols.

Joe Bill Moad · Post by **Joe Bill Moad** » 12 Oct 2024 9:26 am

I agree 100% Sir! That Bakersfield Sound got me interested watching Buck Owens every Saturday afternoon back in the day! Don Rich didn’t miss any licks either! Mooney and Don Rich what a team for early Country Music!! Priceless!!!!

Jbm

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 12 Oct 2024 9:50 am

check out Lew Houston with Conway Twitty while you’re at it:
https://youtu.be/FOZ4AWWLtXw

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 12 Oct 2024 7:47 pm

Roy Nichols is not playing guitar on the original Capital versions of "The Bottle Let me Down" or "Swinging Doors". That would be James Burton.

They're both fantastic players of course, and there are some later Hag records that they both play on. And Haggard re-recorded some of his early hits later for other labels that Nichols played on, and some live versions.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 12 Oct 2024 9:14 pm

I believe it was actually Phil Baugh on Swinging Doors

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 12 Oct 2024 9:20 pm

scott murray wrote:I believe it was actually Phil Baugh on Swinging Doors

I do believe you're right.

Brendan Mitchell · Post by **Brendan Mitchell** » 16 Oct 2024 6:27 pm

John, I believe he is sliding the bar back and forth as well as squeezing the volume pedal on and off. But I could be wrong.Giroy Hollister explains here: https://youtu.be/7m1xIaErpfE?si=TIaljI6sEQAXwXSd

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 16 Oct 2024 7:08 pm

I could never figure out whether Tele players were imitating steel players or vice-versa. It doesn’t really matter when they both sound great.

The call and response interlude (reprising the intro) on Tonight The Bottle that starts with steel at 1:20 and hands off to guitar at 1:26 is a perfect example. I mean, there has never been a cooler bit for a straight ahead honky tonk song as this defining moment.

The guitar is the one doing the chicken-pickin in this case. Doing that on steel is all about the muting - palm blocking is probably the best bet. If you want the clucking sound, you mute the string all the way so no pitch is heard. If you want a staccato note, then you let the picked note ring a split second and then mute. Piece o cake. Not.

Hope that’s clear as mud. The Gilroy Hollister vid demonstrates the pedal steel part pretty well. Imitating the guitar part on steel is a whole nuther kettle of shrimp.

John Larson · Post by **John Larson** » 17 Oct 2024 9:25 am

Fred Treece wrote:Doing that on steel is all about the muting - palm blocking is probably the best bet. If you want the clucking sound, you mute the string all the way so no pitch is heard. If you want a staccato note, then you let the picked note ring a split second and then mute. Piece o cake. Not.

Yep I'm realizing this, only time I've heard steel with that much clucking is Lloyd Green's Little Darlin' records stuff for Paycheck and such. Expert palm blocking mode. Real hard to do faster than a mid tempo. That Lloyd lick in The Byrds "One Hundred Years From Now" comes to mind.