The one most important advice to give to a begin

Ted Solesky · From: Mineral Wells, Texas, USA

Lately I've run into people who are just getting into playing the steel guitar. They ask me what should they concentrate on in getting the sound they hear from the pro's. What would you all tell them? I told them to pick out the CD that impresses them most and listen to the three "T"s. Taste, tone and touch. Let it rub off on you. The main thing is getting the right hand to pick clean. You can hit a million notes and if it's sloppy or cluttered sounding, you will never be happy with what you hear. I personally saturated my mind with Mooney's pickin on "Excuse me, Foolin around, Above & beyond". I copied, the best that I could, his touch. And of course, Mr.Emmons and Mr. Day. I do encourage them, like Mike stated, listen to everything. I love old country but I had a great time jamming with Randy Hall (part of the new Lynyrd Skynyrd band) and his friends in OK three weeks ago. That ol Boss fuzz came in handy. I hope that someone in the crowd (1000) noticed "steel guitar".
Again, what's the one favorite advice you give to a beginner?

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Not that I've followed it..

These are some tips I got while I took lessons from Bud Charleton. I beg correction, and it has been a long time. I return to his "Buddy's Therapy" lesson many times before gigs. Maybe somebody has the tab for it. Bruce?

Put your picks on very tightly, and far enough out on your fingers so you can see space above your fingertips looking out at your hand. It sound harsh, but you'll notice your definition far above that of picks that are merely "fingertip covers". They should not grab your finger below your nail line. Nationals tend to hold their tensility. Dunlops tend to "slump". Think of them as extensions of your fingernails or your "bones" and not just shields for your fingers. Blood blisters aren't forever.

Pick each string as hard as you can. Your pick should NEVER rest on the next string afterwards, *especially* your thumb pick. Only in a "sweep" should you use the leading, outside edge of your thumbpick. A well worn thumbpick should be more worn to the palm side than the outside end. Practice picking runs up and down alternating your thumb and middle finger. his is a good one. 10,9,8 9,8,7 8,7,6 7,6,5, 6,5,4,etc, up and down, crossing your thumb and middle on every one, and blocking each cleanly and completely. Practice doing entire runs with only your thumb. Get fast at doubling with it. That's always been my weak point.

Let your hand and your blocking *finger* be it your little finger, or your ring finger, help bounce your hand. Your palm will indeed rest on strings and block them, but it is a very clumsy solitary blocking tool compared with your little or ring fingers ( folded under). Hold your hand as if you had a ping pong sized ball in it. Try holding one in it while you play. Think "Bounce".

Do not play chords in "swift arpeggio" unless intentional. Play all two or three at once. Practice playing them as hard and well defined as you can. Pull UP, not Down.

Practice with your volume pedal wide open, or your foot off it, especially with the band. Be aware of "ducking" it out just after you hit a chord. A little is good, as a reflex. A lot is obvious and a bad habit.

Don't "wiggle" your bar. Don't. That's right, DON'T. If anything and only later, "roll it" evenly.

Oh, and don't work cheap or let yourself get pushed around..

Also: Don't run while carrying sharp objects..

Is there anything else?

------------------
Eric West
'78 Pro III Sho-Bud
'75 MSA Red Baron
'63FLH 90cid Panhead Stroker
'80 Gold Wing
-Peavey: When it's *not* about "The Sound"-
"You can Smart Yourself Dumb.
Why Can't you Dumb yourself Smart?"-Me
"There are only so many ways to fry cat food."- Buster
"At my age, sometimes I run out of Adrenaline, but I've still got plenty of Gall.." -Me-

Mike Delaney · From: Fort Madison, IA

For heaven's sake, play in tune. The only way to do this is to be listening to more than the steel; hear the rest of the band as well.

Larry Miller · From: Dothan AL,USA

From what I've read, don't ever take a gig with either Garth Brooks or Shania Twain

Robert Herr · From: Willow Street,Pa

This is for Ted Solesky. Are you the same Ted Solesky from Lebanon, Pa? If you are I bought my first steel from you a great Birdseye Maple BMI.You also gave me some great lessons.I lived in Austin for 10 years, and did not realize you lived in Texas.Maybe i will see you at one of Bruce "Wally's" Heffner's jams.

Richard Gonzales · From: Davidson, NC USA

This advice is for real beginners! Have a mind set that there is nothing consistent with the pedal steel guitar. There are so many different opinions from Pros and teachers, it will make your head swim! Therefore find out by trial and error what is going to work for you. Do not get discouraged as it might take a year to understand what is right for you. I am referring to picks, bar, body position, guitar type and etc. Do not believe
that you will start out playing with CD's unless you have a lot musical experience and exceptional talent. Playing exercises and easy slow stuff the first 6 months is a good acheivement for any beginner. Try to practice
1 or 2 hours a day and you will see satisfying and rewarding accomplishments that will put you on a high. The only consistent thing about the pedal steel guitar
is that NO ONE masters it, except for a choosen few!!!

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

"Try to always play in a band with musicians better than you are." Believe me, nothing accelerates your learning like "being pushed" all the time.

Richard Gonzales · From: Davidson, NC USA

With all due respect Donny, how does a beginner start playing with a band. A beginner has to learn what strings to pick, bar location, keys with their chord progressions ? I have been playing two years
and would have a hard time playing with a band, but maybe I am a slow learner.

[This message was edited by Richard Gonzales on 07 January 2003 at 10:13 AM.]

Ted Solesky · From: Mineral Wells, Texas, USA

Thanks for the comments. Everyone has given good ideas. Eric, you are one of the lucky few. The comment about playing with musicians that are better than you is the same advice that Bobby Seymour gave in one of his articles.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

The best advice I've gotten so far is,"How much you want for that thing?" from Bobby Boggs.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

I possibly over-amped on my "advice". Maybe too in this response/addendum(b)..

I was extremely lucky to get the chance to learn things from Mr Charleton, as WE all are that Old Mr. Leo Kellar ( now deceased)talked him into giving lessons at his store in Oxon Hill MD. Students like Bruce Bouten have made us all proud. Myself? I've fed myself and my family many times where no other way was possible. Nobody ever wanted their money back, and I've been able to restrain myself from returning it when I found I was "above my head". Thank God...

I think that more than any other instrument, is is SO easy to get off on the "wrong foot" or develop bad habits that will absolutely kill a person's chances to rise above a basic Cro Magnon level. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just that the "Jerry Garcia" ( no $#!+ storms please) type player can never "sound like" the "Emmons or Charleton" type, where the converse IS true. My favorite listening? Somewhere in between. Check out Rod Stewart, Led Zeppelin, Dire Staits. You'll never run out of venues. Nobody needs to get "stuck" playing things or types of music that they "don't like".

Also that when playing, not just with people better than one's self, which is golden advice, but playing in public, is probably the most important way to "Ingrain" ( I dunno how to spell it) or "engrave" what you've learned on yourself. It's all about confidence. All about it.

It's a beautiful instrument. Perhaps in a category with the Sitar, or Harp. No need to get chained to a tree for 5 years with your axe (with the former)or be cloistered in a conservatory (with the latter). Just get an amp, a rythym machine, a pot of coffee, and come out to eat once in a while.

The Dichotomy, if there is one is that basic techniques are very important,and though simple, are very difficult. The other part is that you can sit for hours and days of hours on end and endlessly improvise, hone your skills, and still long for more, enjoying it the whole time. It is nearly a totally "ear" instrument. Your "muse" will be there helping you enjoy what you hear and play more than any other instrument IMHO.

Just don't let her talk you into anything foolish...

Are they hiring any Class 8 Heavy Equipment Haulers in Texas for $30/hr? ( Just Kidding (well maybe not.))

Best wishes

EJL

------------------
Eric West
'78 Pro III Sho-Bud
'75 MSA Red Baron
'63FLH 90cid Panhead Stroker
'80 Gold Wing
-Peavey: When it's *not* about "The Sound"-
"You can Smart Yourself Dumb.
Why Can't you Dumb yourself Smart?"-Me
"There are only so many ways to fry cat food."- Buster
"At my age, sometimes I run out of Adrenaline, but I've still got plenty of Gall.." -Me-

Rich Weiss · From: Woodland Hills, CA, USA

Practice jamming (ad-libbing) to a 1-4-5 blues progression. You will not be able to avoid this situation, if you ever play out.

[This message was edited by Rich Weiss on 07 January 2003 at 01:56 PM.]

John Steele (deceased) · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

Don't lean on your volume pedal for balance.

The greatest advice I ever got was from forumite Larry Behm, who said something like "Play every note like it's your last".
-John

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

All above is good advice. Learn to conquer parallex and tuning your particular guitar. If you can't play in tune and reasonably intonated nothing else matters. I also think ring finger under is a superior blocking technique, but not the only one.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

I had a similar saying passed on to me, as with Mr. Behm. I'd like to say I got it from Mr Charleton, but I'm not sure what was, and what I just "picked up".

It was to play every note and phrase like your life depended on it, because someday it will.

More than once, it has. There was a time I remember in a very ugly "biker bar" situation where I gained a "large friend" at a very opportune time, or the favor of an agent or club owner in Nevada that was considering having the whole band "whacked" on the way out of town.. Perhaps It wasn't so, but I've a suspicion that it's saved me more than once.

.

I think Mr Charleton's seriousness of purpose was the thing that perhaps "shook" me the most. He'd look right through you, and not always was there a smile. I knew that sometimes there was little to smile at. I'd sit and sweat buckets. I remember at one point fighting back tears when because I didn't learn a particular run or technique, I was told that unless I was willing to do it right, that I was wasting both of ours' time. I practiced 8 hours a day at that point until I could face him. It was probably some simple thing like Bud's Bounce.I'd like to think that he didn't get upset like that with those students that didn't impress him. Maybe not.

I remember distinctly that after one lesson where I had practiced day and night, getting everything perfect. I came in, really shone on the song and walked by him after packing up my stuff, smiling and feeling really "proud of myself". I bravely said " See ya, Bud", like I was "one of the guys". He reached out and patted me on the butt as I went by him in the front of the store, and kind of gave me this twisted wry smile.. I about dropped the case when I realised I was *blushing*.

I think He and Don West were unknowingly playing "Good Mentor, Bad Mentor" with me. Buddy on saturday after noon, and Don on Saturday night...

My First teacher, a Cuban Refugee named Steve Antunez, and classical guitar teacher told me to that until I could play something in tears, that I had achieved nothing. Also that until my heart had been broken that I would be just a hollow shell with my music. Then I met my first major girl friend. Problem solved..

That was 35 years ago.

If I looked at it as a "debt", it is one I could never repay.

Kind of like the I.R..... ( naw...)

I also very rarely blush any more....

EJL

Ken Lang · From: Simi Valley, Ca

I got some advice in the 60's from a pro who heard me playing. (quite badly)

He said, "Take 3 weeks off, then quit."

Actually I did stop, for other reasons, but never quit.

Now I sit here at my MSA trying to burn up the strings while my wife quotes AJ's "Won't you burn one down for me."

I get no respect.

Terry Edwards · From: Florida... livin' on spongecake...

My $.02 advice:

Have FUN! The journey should be more fun than getting there!

Terry

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