Ways in which "unseasoned" steelers can fall flat on their f

John Knight · Post by **John Knight** » 19 Sep 2001 10:14 am

There is a lot of good advice here for playing with other musicians. A couple that I can add that were taught to me by my 30 year road warrior parents, If you have time to practice as a group, always work out intros and endings and get them tight, the folks listening will remember. Even if you do the song wrong if the band plays it together your right. I've listened to many bands where I knew the materials and I could hear missing cords but the band sounded fine. Lastly, we are all human and mistakes will happen being professional is covering or moving on with out drawing attention to the mistake. Much like the BE example above, I caught Chet Atkins in concert and he was feeling the energy from the crowd and kicked off a song just a little to fast. He simply stopped the band made a comment to the crowd about his old fingers not moving as fast as they use to and started again at a tempo he was pleased with and he performance was beautiful. Remember it's all about making music, a gift not all of us have, so make the best sounds you can.

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D 10 Thomas with 8&6
Nashville 400 and Profex II
Asleep at the Steel

Bill C. Buntin · Post by **Bill C. Buntin** » 20 Sep 2001 3:49 pm

This to me is what this forum is all about. Folks of like interests sharing their ideas and experiences. I've tried this both ways. Good and Bad results. Anymore, I approach the occasional "sit in" one nighter by just, "Its just a job". If I let my frustrations with other players affect me, I would never have any jobs to play. As I grow as a player, my clientel gets smaller. Last year I played on a project for a local band's new CD. I went down and the entire band played "Scratch" tracks to give the engineer and singer something to work with. I guess the singer ran out of money or whatever, but they mastered the sratch tracks and only overdubbed the vocal tracks. I was mortified! It was absolutely the worst I've ever heard. I somehow have the assinine idea that other bands won't hire me now because of the results of that project. It can happen to anyone. Best of luck to all of you, and just keep on pickin'. Regards.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 20 Sep 2001 4:27 pm

Bill,
You don't even want to hear some of the crap that was produced from stuff I've laid down in the studio. Some of it my fault; some of it not (so much) my fault.

Despite all that, I stay pretty busy.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 21 Sep 2001 1:43 am

In response to the original topic: Ways in which "unseasoned" steelers can fall flat on their face:
1) Start the turnaround in the wrong key.
2) Press the completely wrong pedal, (continually.)
3) Play way too quiet, (or too loud.)
4) In the middle of a solo - gets the finger picks caught in the strings.
5) While tuning - turn the wrong tuner and snap a string.
6) Looses control of volume pedal foot, turning sound into a tremelo.
7) Adjusts an effect just before the solo. Causing WAY TOO MUCH effect. (Pick one or more: reverb, delay, distortion, compressor, etc...)

(Along with #7) Turn on the wrong effect for the solo. (Crazy Arms doesn't need distortion.)
9) Get the tip of shoe/boot caught in between the pedal rods.
10) Press footswitch right by the volume pedal and turn off the volume pedal with toe in the middle of the solo.
11) (Goes hand in hand with #5) Using a winder to change a string and wind it "really fast" the wrong way, snapping the string.
These all can happen from time to time. (At least they have to me in the last 27 years.) If I think some more about it, I can probably add another batch of them, too.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Mike Cass · Post by **Mike Cass** » 22 Sep 2001 12:30 am

Ernie...you forgot to mention leaving your bar, picks or volume pedal,etc at home or at the motel...(30 miles away,in my case) & Sometimes, just showing up for a gig can set all of the rest into motion

.....shes a harsh mistress....

[This message was edited by Mike Cass on 22 September 2001 at 01:38 AM.]

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 22 Sep 2001 3:05 am

Bingo, Mike.......all set-up at an Air Force Base in Texas and ready to tune....my little red case with bar & picks laying on the floor at an Air Force Base in Oklahoma! www.genejones.com

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 22 Sep 2001 3:41 am

Have a check-list of equipment that you require for gigs, and tick them off as you load the trailer. That way, hopefully, you will be fully equipped when you arrive at your gig.

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 22 Sep 2001 3:42 am

Mike;
"Harsh" is the right word and "Mistress" is, too!

I realize I also forgot:
12) Taking your hand off the bar and having it roll away. (We had one place we worked at a lot and the floor leaned just ever so slightly to one side. While we were there, if I was going to change to lead guitar, stupid me, I got in the habit of just letting go of the bar and it would roll harmlessly into the headstock and beautifully stop right where I would have put it. I remember one of the weeks after we played there. I let go of the bar and it rolled right up, over the changer, off the end of the guitar, bounced off the top of my Echo-Plex and onto the floor. BTW:The bar was un-harmed.)

13) After you make a mistake, don't try to be funny. Just smile and carry on.
{I remember one night playing and making an obvious mistake, (combination #'s 1 and 3.) I was, of course, going to make light of my mistake. The guitar player looked over and using my right hand I slapped the other hand. What I was going to say was, "Hey, you work for me!" However, I knocked the bar completely out of my hand and across the stage. I would pay big money for a video of me crawling across the stage trying to find it. Would be hilarious! (For you road warriors: It was at Poor Richard's in Columbus, Nebraska.)}

"When I think of the past... it brings back so many memories" - Steven Wright.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com[This message was edited by Ernie Renn on 22 September 2001 at 04:48 AM.]

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 22 Sep 2001 7:47 pm

There are no WRONG notes. Just right notes placed in the wrong place, and I am an expert at this technique.

Speaking of goof ups on the way to the job, Bobby Boydd who used to play with Hank Thompson told me that one night he placed his pedal bar on top of his pickup (camper shell), loaded his Sho-Bud in the bed of the truck. He shut the camper shell, forgot about the pedal bar and took off for work. He then noticed the pedal bar missing. He back tracked the highway for several miles and eventually found it in the ditch by the side of the road. Apparently several big rig trucks had run over it, broke the pedals and totally ruined the pedal bar. He said he never had a harder time playing all night with only knee levers for pedals. He also stated it is amazing how much straight steel he had forgotten.