Steel and TOO much Fiddle

[chas smith]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL> "What are you going to do next, because I'm only going to be here for 5 more
minutes, and then I'm leaving."</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm with you.

[Bob McBride]

Your fiddle player may feel compelled to play too much because he hears most of the other players playing throughout the songs. Try having him pad quietly by plucking the strings with his fingers guitar-style - no bow. Or maybe have him get a mandolin for additional rythym on appropriate songs. You could even provide him with some percussive devices to vent his nervous energy or guilt - whatever it is. If none of these things work out to everyone's satisfaction you'll have no choice but to shoot him.

[Roger Edgington]

We have many fiddle players here around San Antonio, but most of them I've worked with around here have been fun to work with. Most bands here have steel and fiddle and I guess they have learned how to work WITH each other. Usually when I have a problem like that it's with a guitar player thats never worked with a steel.I won't put up with that problem long.A solution will be found.

[Gene Jones]

One of the first rules of when to play used to be: "There shall NEVER be more than ONE instrument playing lead or backup", and violations of that rule was not tolerated.

Today you can even hear exceptions to that rule on some recordings, but my belief is that they were "mixed" that way by an engineer rather than "played" that way!

[Tom Griffin]

I guess this is why I stick to the single/dual act. I have control over the fiddler,guitar player and keyboard player.

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[Ray Jenkins]

I know he's gone now and can't defend himself,but how many of you guys ever played with Leon Bolenger.He played all the time.But man could the guy play.5 string viola.
Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

[Dennis Yager]

Hey, in our band we have the same trouble, but it is the keyboard player instead of the fiddle. She thinks everybody came just to hear her. Oh well after years of playing together, laying tracks on one another don't sound to bad after the gig is half over. Slide that bar, stomp that pedal.

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www.yourURL.com

[DJ Sillito]

I might as well drag this subject on a little longer. I play in a six piece band with four lead instruments and at times it seems like everyone is competing for time in a song.

What makes it more difficult is that my dad is the fiddle player. I find that if the band has not rehearsed the song and decided before hand who is tasking what part then it is basically a free for all.

I don't mind my dad's playing however may I suggest that you don't set up your steel beside the fiddle player especially if his amp is raised off the floor and you're sitting down. I get blasted every now and then especially in ther tune "devil went down to Georgia" when he pulls the bow across the strings and makes that evil HISS!!!

Have you ever felt like the band was a "tuxedo" and you were a pair of "brown shoes"?. Somehow didn't fit or match?
It makes for a long night.

By the way there is nothing more annoying than a lead drummer!

That's my story and i'm stickin' to it!

[Joel Glassman]

Hi--
Just found this thread-(Len and Jim thanks
for your kind comments)
Fiddlers need to be trained Here's what you must to do: Rule #1= The fiddler plays fills when he gets a cue from you, and at *no* other time. Make this very clear. Tell him that playing fills behind an instrumental soloist is totally inappropriate. Make a tape of yourself playing lines behind the vocalist and give it to him to study. He should really only be playing during a pause in the lyrics-though I guess western swing players do more than that.
Playing backup in the vocalist's tonal range ie. the upper A or E
strings will clash w/the vocalist. Maybe some people can do it. I don't know.
As a last resort patch his cable into a
volume pedal and blend-in that fiddling according to your own taste!