reason for playing!

Jerry Warner · Post by **Jerry Warner** » 21 Jan 2004 9:20 pm

I thought the reason for playing steel in a band was to make the singer sound good because he is the one at forefront of this thing,but if you want to do a solo on stage or wherever thenyou want to be the star and not the singer and thats whats its all about is backing the singer then you need to get a drummer and bass and go for it,all well just my thoughts anyway!

Robert Thomas · Post by **Robert Thomas** » 22 Jan 2004 4:18 am

If you are in a band , the whole group of members should be striving to make the whole band sound good, not just the singer. I think the whole thing gets lost if there has to be a primadonna that has to outshine everyone else. I believe anyone who performs wants to do what they like the best, but to be great as a group they must function as one well oiled machine (that is not a pun)because many of them do get oiled.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 22 Jan 2004 5:46 am

As they used to say in the old Certs TV commercials, "Stop! You're both right!" I think it depends on what kind of a "band" you're in. Are you really a "band" wherein someone (or maybe several people) sing? Then, I'd agree that everyone plays to make the whole band sound good (which includes making the singer sound good, btw!). If, however, you are in somebody's "Backup Band" and there really is a featured singer, "Joe Palooza and the Backup Band", then you play in an even more supportive role, probably take fewer, or at least shorter, solos, etc. to really make the singer shine. Just my dos pesos.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 22 Jan 2004 6:56 am

What Jim said. I seek out groups that have singers (and songs) who turn me on and turn on a crowd. If I'm not enthusiastic about the singer (and songs), I'm not in the group. I'm not good enough to do instrumentals on my own (like Jim is!), so I look upon it as the singer making me sound good playing some minimal backup and stumbling through an occasional ride. It's not all about the singer or me. It's about when it all comes together and thrills the audience (and me).

Post by **b0b** » 22 Jan 2004 8:29 am

Jerry, I'm moving this to the "Steel Players" section, which is where topics like this are usually found.

Lincoln Goertzen · Post by **Lincoln Goertzen** » 22 Jan 2004 8:57 am

I think there are quite a number of very valuable points here. The WHOLE group must strive to make everyone else sound good.

To me, the whole purpose of playing is to create really, really good music for the audience to enjoy, whatever form that takes.

Lincoln

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 22 Jan 2004 9:26 am

As far as being a steel player goes, I couldn't care less about singers... unless of course, I'm the one singing!

As far as I'm concerned, singers should only be used for doing vocal fills behind the steel licks!!!... and they should do their best to back up the steel player by doing their vocal fills as sparcly, yet tastefully, as possible... and please... just stick to the melody.
Often times they should lay out for an entire verse.

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 22 Jan 2004 10:29 am

What is this "laying out" of which you speak?

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 22 Jan 2004 11:09 am

It's called the steel solo and it doesn't happen often enough for most of us.

Believe it or not, VERY FEW PEOPLE COME TO HEAR A STEEL GUITAR PLAYER. It's great when we can win new fans for the instrument, but when the steel player focuses on only the steel part, the band's performance suffers.

My opinion (FWIW) is that the SONG is the thing. I've said it many times, all musicians and vocalists combine to produce the best performance of a given song that they can. For that to happen, all must respect each other and unite their efforts to the betterment of the performance of the SONG. Not even the vocalist can be a prima donna (or Don) for this to work well. EVERYONE has to sacrifice some of their own ego to build the personality of the performance. Just my opinion.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 22 Jan 2004 11:15 am

EVERYONE has to sacrifice some of their own ego to build the personality of the performance. -Mr Bell-

Count me out of that one....

My "reason for playing?"

Often it's Pure Spite.

EJL[This message was edited by Eric West on 22 January 2004 at 02:03 PM.]

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 22 Jan 2004 11:51 am

I agree with Eric - why should my wife be the only one to suffer?

RR

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 22 Jan 2004 1:50 pm

Around Portland, if there is a steel player on stage, there are likely a half dozen or more steel players in the audience on any night.
FWIW, I can't think of a single band that I would go to see because of the singer, but many because of the steel/guitar/bass/piano/harp/etc players.
I'm all for making any song sound as good as it possibly can, and so should the singer (by making themselves sound as good as they possibly can).
If the singer sucks, I don't blame the steel player.
[This message was edited by Pete Burak on 22 January 2004 at 01:52 PM.]

BobG · Post by **BobG** » 22 Jan 2004 3:38 pm

picture deleted upon request[This message was edited by BobG on 26 January 2004 at 11:01 AM.]

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 22 Jan 2004 3:44 pm

Yesireee Bob! That one comes just ahead of ANY musical consideration.

Some, to be fair, maybe for the guys, not that there's anything wrong with that..

EJL

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 22 Jan 2004 6:37 pm

BobG,
You obviously "Spank the Plank" with the best of 'em!

"Go forth and Prosper"
~Mr Spock

Jerry Warner · Post by **Jerry Warner** » 25 Jan 2004 5:49 pm

Seems like from that last post its not about playing steel but how many women or young stuff thats happening around all well just a thought from and ole man thats seen about everything out there!

David Holden · Post by **David Holden** » 26 Jan 2004 11:59 am

I might be missing the boat here, but IMHO shouldn't entertaining your audience be part of the equation ?