Lloyd Green's style

[Bearden Coleman]

How would you characterize Lloyd Green's style compared to his contemporaries? What are a few hallmarks of his sound?

Thanks! I'm looking for the language to describe what I'm hearing.

[Donny Hinson]

Well, that's really a difficult question to answer, as it depends on which Lloyd Green stuff you've been listening to. Like most pedal steel players that achieved fame back in the 1960's (the "golden age" of pedal steel), Lloyd's sound and style changed have changed, somewhat, over the years. In the '60s, I'd characterize it as innovative, bright and snappy. In the '70's and '80s, it was still innovative, but more refined, and with a somewhat fuller sound. However, it's his playing in the last 10 years that impresses me most. His intonation is flawless, impeccable. His sound is fuller and richer, and his playing is exceptionally smooth and flowing. To top it off, Lloyd simply has this wonderful imagination, and he does things that other players, even those with far more complex setups, cannot match. In short, he's a master of the instrument.

This is Lloyd Green of the mid '60s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-gKhciknvk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPYy0tvVXgI

This is Lloyd about 10 years later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqjDvEC1uVw

And here, in 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTA2buWlNyM

In 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtAr9b-bBR0

[Bearden Coleman]

thank for this!

[Chris Templeton]

Lloyd Not lowering the 4th string is a carryover from when players like Speedy west used pedals to change tunings,
I wonder if that has anything to do with mechanics and detuning caused by that change?

[Donny Hinson]

Chris, I don't think of it so much as a carryover from non-pedal days, but more of a technical issue. Some guitars back then had problems doing that change, so a few (like Lloyd) learned to live without it. Even Jimmy Day avoided that change for a while. In a similar fashion, I avoided the 6th string full tone lower, and just found ways to play without it.

Some players are very intimidated by not having certain changes. I've had players refuse to sit on my guitar because even though I had 8 knee levers, I didn't have the full-tone changes on the 1st and 6th strings.

[Dale Rivard]

I think what separates Lloyd from other players is his phrasing(sense of timing) and his ability to create a melody. Listen to how he sometimes plays slightly behind or ahead of the beat and the way he can seamlessly and fluidly connect notes & chords to produce a melody. Amazing musician! Tommy White can do it too!

[Chris Templeton]

Yes, technical issues. Long live Mr. Green!

[Bobby D. Jones]

On the pull and release guitars, It takes a spring set up, To lower & raise the 4th string.
Without the lower of 4th string on D knee lever.
Mr. Green can raise 4th to F on kl, Or F# with C pedal, And 4th and 8th will resolve to open E.

I loosened the tuning nut on an all pull, 4th string D# lower, Had start over again.
Quit before the guys with a straight jacket came and got me.

[Chris Templeton]

Thank you, Bobby. Just getting back home. I think about this. My first thought is that he had an early method for "splits".

[Joe Alterio]

I think it was on Walter Stettner's fantastic tribute website to Lloyd that I had read something that really landed with me. Along the lines of this: Lloyd had a characteristic of playing a lot 5th and 8th string combinations up and down the neck. Now, that's just one of MANY - but once I started to zone in on that, it really opened things up for ME as a player.

I find that Lloyd's ability to bend strings in just the right way and at just the right time, combined with his expert volume pedal usage for effect, are really the trademark for me (his version of "Cold, Cold Heart" is the epitome of how one can make the pedal steel cry). He is one of the few pedal steel players that I can listen to and his playing moves me. Whether he's backing up a singer or he is performing an instrumental, he's clever, emotional, and making the song interesting and *his*.

[Dennis Detweiler]

I have all of Lloyd's LPs and his last CD. I used those recordings for learning how to play and eventually found some of Emmons and other players licks and moves to be motivating. After years of duplicating licks, intro's, endings and rides from various instrumentals and vocalists recordings, I found Lloyd's to be the most difficult to break down. There is more going on in his style than meets the ear. He's unique, elusive and creative all rolled into one.

[Bobby D. Jones]

If you watch a video of Mr. Green playing. You see him use a lot of bar slants, Along with the pedals and knee levers to get some of the phrases, Which makes his phrasing so unique.
On Gene Watson's version of Farewell party, His up 3 frets with A/F combo and some bar slant makes the phrasing one of a kind.

[Paul King]

He was at the Texas Show right when Covid was hitting. His playing and tone was exceptional. One thing I like about Lloyd is that he tells stories about the songs and sessions. He may have changed some over the years but his style is easy to recognize when a song comes on the radio. One of the very best E9th players we will ever see.

[Mark van Allen]

For Lloyd fans, do yourselves a favor and get the Lloyd and Peter Cooper collaboration albums. His incredible tone and feeling with the steel out front and all over every song. Pure heaven.

[Johnny Cox]

There is so much that can be said about Lloyd's playing. For me the guitar is Lloyd's voice. It is the tool.he uses to express his thoughts and emotions. Few players use an instrument in this was but Lloyd definitely does. I think that's part of the reason he has only had a few guitars in his career.
As to lowering the 4th string, he stopped doing that during the time he was playing a permanent Sho-Bud. The lower returns sharp on those and other guitars. He worked around it and never went back.
Jimmy Day, Weldon Myrick and Hal Rugg are other players that did the same.