The importance of practice

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 11 Jan 2004 7:00 pm

Chris Lasher, your first post in this thread really hits home. Very well said.

I acually enjoy practicing, but I always wonder if I'm doing it the right way. What's best? Picking exercises followed by copping licks from the greats? I dunno. What I do know is that the amount of time needed for me to become solid on PSG (assuming the requisite talent is already in place, and I'm not sure that's a safe assumption with me!) would require that my day job be curtailed, my family time be moderated, my lawns grow longer, my oil get changed less often, and that I throw the TV out the window (that's probably a good idea in any case).

To really sail with this instrument, and perhaps with any, you need for it to be front and center in your life. Well, my day job is front and center for me (hey, I need to cover food and mortgage) so my 'addiction' to the PSG motivates me to use whatever free time I can muster to the instrument. Practice? Absolutely. I only wish I could make it the best kind of practice possible in accordance with the way my brain is wired to learn. And I wish I didn't have to spend most of my weekday waking hours at work so I could polish my playing instead! Now there's a fantasy.

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<font size=-1>Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?</font>

Tony Chavez · Post by **Tony Chavez** » 11 Jan 2004 8:32 pm

I've been playing steel for a little over 4 years and since I work away from home 4 days out of the week,I have to cram on my days off and practice 3 to 5 hours a day and get absolutely no where in those 3 days except really bummed out,cause I keep playing the same exact stuff I play all the time.I've become so reliant on tab that I don't play with my heart and now go by memory.I have this huge phobia of taking a "ride" or"lead" or "Break" or what ever you want to call it.And now it messes with my confidence.I have a hard time playing just the right thing.What I play doesn't sound bad I can play the breaks perfectly if I learn the Tab no problem.I just wish it came to me more natural.There are people who were givin the natural ability to play music and theres people like me who have to constantly work at it.I've come so close to throwing in the towel.Practice is awesome if your actually progessing.I'm stuck in the clay buried to the axels in four wheel drive and running out of gas.Sorry guys just a little frustrated

Nicholas Dedring · Post by **Nicholas Dedring** » 12 Jan 2004 9:33 am

Well, I'm one of the incompetent unwashed that Roy is speaking to in the balcony up here...

I find that even if I didn't have to work at a desk all day, I don't know if I could sit for fourteen hours practising... my mind would just sort of crumple.

As it is, injecting a little variety into the method usually makes it more fun to sit for a couple three hours and work on stuff. Putting on music feed of things I don't know, across a spectrum of styles makes me feel like I'm training my ears to match what I'm hearing with what I'm playing... and it's a lot more entertaining than just scales for hours on end. Some days it's just drills, some days it's just fiddling around with records.

Tony, not that I am worth listening to... but have you thought about just putting all the tab aside for a while, and just getting used to playing what you want to hear? If you don't change a regimen, you'll keep on getting the same results. Put stuff on, practice just getting through without sweating the small stuff...

Sorry this is so long, for being so worthless... I'll close with one thing I've realized that I try to remind myself of: I don't sound as bad to anyone as I do to myself.

Tony Chavez · Post by **Tony Chavez** » 14 Jan 2004 3:19 pm

Thanks Nicholas,It's nice to know someone feels my pain.I was reading another topic about someone not being happy with their playing,and now I don't feel so bad....but,I don't feel much better.I often feel like I'm mashing on the gas pedal on black ice.For my level of playing(4.5 years)I guess I'm where I'm suppose to be.I recently did a live recording with the Chris Lackey Band,and everytime I hear myself,I feel so far away from my goal.Everyone thinks I'm crazy cause I hate the way I play.And,the worst part about it,is I get compliments and praise and job offers.I think they're patronizing me.I suck.

Chris Lasher · Post by **Chris Lasher** » 14 Jan 2004 6:41 pm

<SMALL>I used to not like being in the studio. It's just too humbling, you know, to hear what you really sound like. It's just, you know, it'll wear you out. —Alison Krauss</SMALL>

I think a lot of musicians feel that way, Tony; I certainly find it humbling. At the same time, you've got to work with what you've got. Just try to enjoy the fact that you can even play music at all--there are those less fortunate than you and I that won't ever be able to or can no longer do that.

To quote Joe Nichol's recent hit:
We all know the way it really is
You don't get recognized for doin' things like this
You spend a lot of time feelin' sorry for yourself
It doesn't really mean that much to anybody else

It's not going to do anyone any good to kick yourself around. You have friends and peers who think highly of your musicianship; be respectful of their opinions, and recognize that, hey, you may be pretty good, after all.

Nicholas gave you fantastic advice--lay the tabs down and get back to the thrill of just playing pedal steel. For me as a beginner, this is easy: I get excited just by playing one phrase or one lick correctly. Try to get back to that beginner's mindset of just loving the steel. If you keep playing it like you love it, people will take notice.

Keep steelin'! You'll look back someday and be glad you did.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 14 Jan 2004 10:19 pm

The best thing that I did to improve was to buy a second guitar and to have it always set up ready to play. It makes you a better player. The other guitar stays in it's case ready for the gig.

Tony Chavez · Post by **Tony Chavez** » 15 Jan 2004 6:22 am

I'm my own worst critic and often beat myself up when I should'nt.I figure it keeps my feet on the ground.Thanks guys I'll lighten up.

Ward Wilsey · Post by **Ward Wilsey** » 15 Jan 2004 2:13 pm

I think the most important part of steel is to always play with a reference, a band backing you up. Band in the Box works for me, but many people sell CD's with various songs on them that would work just fine.

It's much easier to see how licks and runs fit when you're playing over actual changes, as compared to a metronome. Plus, there's a lot of chords where I can't quite here it unless I have a bass playing the root.