Do you sing while you steel?

Gordy Hall · Post by **Gordy Hall** » 22 Mar 2006 8:56 pm

I've been attempting to do harmony, and even some lead vocals while playing steel. I know that masters like Mr. Dave Lindley do it on lap slide, but do any of you sing while you play pedal steet?

Just wondering.

Gordy Hall
Fairfax, CA.
Hack steel, and hack much more

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 22 Mar 2006 9:13 pm

I sing while I play pedal steel. I do lead vocals on about 5 tunes throughout the night, and sing harmonies on about 75% of the set list. I set up the boom stand to the left of the front of my steel, away from the keyhead, and swing it to the side when I'm not singing.

I usually lay back on my playing if I'm singing lead, though. I Don't want to look like a know-it-all.

James Shelton · Post by **James Shelton** » 22 Mar 2006 10:02 pm

I sing and play at the same time,but I can't do it on everything. If I'm playing lead lines I tend to want to sing the same thing I'm playing.So I mostly "comp" while I sing, and then play fills when I get a breath.

I used to Know I guy named Terry Reeves That could Play and sing just about anything at the same time. It would blow my mind to watch him do it! I learned a ton of stuff on the steel from seeing that cat. But I never did learn that sing/play at the same time thing.

James. http://www.steellabs.com/

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 22 Mar 2006 11:00 pm

I sing while playing steel at shows, but you actually don't hear my steel until a solo is comin'. Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel, GFI Ultra D-10

Chuck Hall · Post by **Chuck Hall** » 23 Mar 2006 6:16 am

Having play'ed for over 40 years, I have found that singing while playing steel is somewhat akin to chewing gum while trying to eat. It ain't easy. If I sing while playing, I comp chords. One of the best in these parts is Roger "Buddy" Castleberry. He sings, he steels, he does it all.

Hey Buddy!!!!

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Chuck
Country Fever Band

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Chuck Hall on 23 March 2006 at 06:29 AM.]</p></FONT>

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 23 Mar 2006 6:27 am

I do all my singing in the shower, so it gets
kind of tricky to play steel at the same time.
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Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 23 Mar 2006 6:50 am

I've tried it, with limited success. I think that, if you could use a headset mic, it might be easier. A 58 on a boom obscures my view of the fretboard, and it's hard enough to see those markers under stage lights without that! I know that some of you great players don't need fret markers, but I'm not there yet

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 23 Mar 2006 8:43 am

I do half of the lead singing. Out of those songs I play steel on about 3/4's of them, some times swtching between steel and Tele during a song. Of course there are some songs no matter how much I'd like to play steel on, it's a lost cause!! [It's Tele from start to finish]!!

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/5, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 23 Mar 2006 8:49 am

I have tried it, and it detracts from my steel playing abilities, which don't have much to be "detracted from" before they get distracting...

Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 23 Mar 2006 9:37 am

I hum when I play & I can hum a lot faster than I can play!

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 23 Mar 2006 9:52 am

I can barely play steel much less sing at the same time but I sure like to watch Junior Brown do it, he's amazing.

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 23 Mar 2006 11:12 am

I do every night. Mostly harmony. If you think about it, you should only be playing between the phrases anyway.

John Jeffries · Post by **John Jeffries** » 23 Mar 2006 11:55 am

Think it's hard tryin' to sing & play? - Ever try to play & carry on a conversation at the same time? I saw Bill Monroe's fiddler, Kenny Baker, on stage at a B.G. Festival playing "Katy Hill" at about a hundred miles an hour while carrying on a conversation with Josh Graves....man, I can't imaginge anyone doing that, especially while playing a real fast number - on any instrument.... (I tried it once and wound up only playing "demented" chords).....B.T.W. I've been told that the only singer in my house is a sewing machine...wonder what that means?...guess that's why hummingbirds hum - cause they don't know the words!

"Old age & treachery will overcome youth & skill every time!!"

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 23 Mar 2006 12:19 pm

Gordy-Good Question.

I used to sing solos and also harmony parts while playing 6 string. But I didn't like to sing while playing steel.

But when I did sing some solos, like " I left my heart in San francisco" or a few ballads, I just played nice chords and sustained them to fill up the background a little.....al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Damien Odell · Post by **Damien Odell** » 23 Mar 2006 1:52 pm

I sing harmomies and play steel at the same time. It took some getting used to at first, and I reckon I made some terrible sounds trying to co-ordinate knees, feet, hands and throat - but with practice it becomes second nature.

Gordy Hall · Post by **Gordy Hall** » 23 Mar 2006 7:58 pm

Thanks for all your replies. I've been woodshedding on the pedal steel for about 6 months now, and trying to add some harmony vocals.

Sorta like trying to walk, talk, chew gum, drive,and eat all at the same time.

I have noticed over the years, though, with seeing lots of steel players in bands, that very few try to sing. I never saw Sneaky Pete or Jaydee Maness try to sing and play.

Junior Brown, as mentioned, is awesome. One of the other good ones I've seen was Jonathan Mitguard, and the guy with Robert Earl Keen did some good backups.

Gordy

Tom Taylor · Post by **Tom Taylor** » 23 Mar 2006 8:05 pm

I sing while I play dobro, lead and harmony. Fortunately, chopping and comping is enough while singing, maybe with a few lick in between phrases.

Tom

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OMI Original Hound Dog Dobro,
Remington Playboy 8 String

Colby Tipton · Post by **Colby Tipton** » 24 Mar 2006 10:08 pm

A friend of mine in Texas named David Franlin can do it real well, just like ridin' a bicycle. Me all I do is cuss sometimes when I'm playing.

Ernie Pollock · Post by **Ernie Pollock** » 25 Mar 2006 4:55 am

I have been doing that just in the last couple of years, but I am not real crazy about singing & playing steel at the same time. But you can adapt to it in time.

Ernie http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm

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Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 25 Mar 2006 5:33 am

No it wakes up the guard dogs....

sorry couldn't resist

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Steelin' away in the ozarks and life,
Scott
www.scottyhenderson.com

Sam White · Post by **Sam White** » 25 Mar 2006 6:29 am

Gordy I don't sing when I steel the Cops will hear me.
Sam White

L. A. Wunder · Post by **L. A. Wunder** » 26 Mar 2006 1:13 pm

I play in church, and sometimes we're a little short on voices, so I often sing along, at least part of the time. I just play chords underneath when I sing, but I've managed throw in a lick now-and-then as well.