The Steel Guitar Forum

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 10 Dec 2006 5:15 am

Help.........I have lost mine. I found too many "licks" that I will never be able to do. I would buy the latest new steel if I knew which one it was but I would also have to buy the latest other equipment to go with it and maybe that would increase my ability to do those "celestial sounds". Practice and practice does not seem to help but I have made me a promise that I am going to get good enough to have an ego or at least feel as though I am passable. The only equipment that I own and feel is not replaceable is my picks........well maybe knowledge. Anybody know any "short cuts" to an ego??????????

Robert Jones · Post by **Robert Jones** » 10 Dec 2006 5:23 am

Well Bobby I don't have that problem myself. I have found a lot of licks myself, but can't for the life of me put them all together in songs. I hear them in my head, but have a short of some sort between my head and my fingers. I'm presently in the prosess of working on that, but don't have much hope of resolving that one either. As far as finding a short cut to an ego? Like my old boss told me once and I quote "Turn left and cod it!!!". I hope this helps.

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Mullen Royal Percision D-10 Red Laquar Pearl inlay 8&8
"Life is too short for bad tone".

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 10 Dec 2006 5:27 am

Do you have a good teacher? Have you taken any lessons?

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 10 Dec 2006 6:23 am

I think that it's possible to become overwhelmed with "information" as IMO, the psg has so many possibilities to do different variations. At times I find it relaxing to just do my own thing with what I know; this gives me confidence within my own scope and that way I enjoy what I'm doing at the time. Other times I study other musicians riffs; lately Mr. Cutshaw has given me plenty to think about. I hope this helps.

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 10 Dec 2006 6:34 am

Donny,...yup.......even have a "lick" that Reece showed me back in 1968.......still working on it. I had to replace my "Winnie" book...too many "dog eared" pages....made copies of my "Herby" tapes so I would not wear them out.the books are getting sorta sad though........ I have had many lessons from many teachers........just cant seem to find anyone that I am better than.....maybe different but not better.......dont know which equipment is the "best" and just cant see to find anything to brag about.....'ceptin maby my picks.

Bill Mayville · Post by **Bill Mayville** » 10 Dec 2006 8:12 am

Bobby.Usually in your case ,the players just don't have enough knowledge about music,and they get stuck somewhere in their mind.No-one teaches the little extra about music and the stringed instrument.E-mail me ,mention where your at,or send a recording.If you have the nerve to say in public,that you aren't playing very good,I have the nerve to say ,I can get you to advance.I'll be waiting.
Bill

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Bill Mayville
Le Grande 111 D-10 (05)
Mullen D-10 (04)
Jackson S 10 Very Nice

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 10 Dec 2006 8:16 am

Divorce?

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 10 Dec 2006 9:16 am

It sounds like you already know how to play. IMO, you might be relying too much on tab and exactly duplicating riffs from it and tapes. I had guitar students in the past who had gotten "locked" like that - if they played and forgot one note from the tab they'd be dead.

I'd really receommend taking all that stuff - tab, lesson tapes, etc. - that you've been wearing out, lock it in a closet, and just play. Listen to a song, turn it off, and play what you "heard"..not worrying about being exact, and NEVER stopping to "fix" a mistake, at least for this excercise. Just play what you feel, and if you mess up, go with the flow and make the mistake into something "right".

Do that for a while...a couple of weeks at least...just create music from things you heard and free your mind up from the sensory overload of tab and tapes. A beginner usually can't do this, but a player who already knows what he's doing can.

It'll loosen up your mind, make you more creative, and break you free from trying to copy things...and learning to "emulate" them in your own way instead.

You'll probably have a light-bulb moment the first day, and think "wow - how did I do THAT?". Your ego will feed itself...

Good luck!

Jim

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 10 Dec 2006 1:36 pm

Around 1976 or so, I had been playing about 7-8 months and was on a gig at some little bar, and nothing I was playing was working, I couldn't remember any of the stuff I'd practiced that week, my fingers were getting tangled in the strings, everything sounded horrible... at break time I literally threw my bar down on the stage and stalked outside to sulk. I remember thinking "If all I can do is butcher this beautiful instrument, I might as well quit"... and I was wondering what else I was going to find to do.

That was definitely my ego messing with me... wanting to be great at something and not even being adequate is a tough nut to swallow. Fortunately for me, I had a kind of epiphany that night. As I sat morosely in my truck (freezing Michigan winter) I dialed in the G.O.O. on atmospheric skip and heard a young Dutch girl singing, with such grace and heartfelt beauty, "I Will Always Love You", which I did not care for at all at the time. Her performance was so moving and genuine...
I thought of how much I loved the sound of steel guitar, and thought that if there was just one chance that I could move somebody someday the way that girl had moved me over the airwaves, that I couldn't give up. That was the last time I thought of quitting.
Over the years I've been blessed to have a number of people tell me that my playing, or music I've been a part of, has moved them or even "changed their lives". It's a humbling experience, and even with ego involved, a beautiful thing to connect with people through music. I can't even count the wonderful people and experiences I've had through music.
Hang in there- it gets better!

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 10 Dec 2006 2:42 pm

Well i never had a steel guitar lesson in my life and have played with some of the top country singers, I think the way to learn the steel is to just learn what each string can produce on is own or with a pedal or leaver then sit behind the steel play and play until something happens that you like , That way you will have your own sound not a copy of another players style. I don't think i could play a instrumental all the way through if you payed me , because they don't interest me as a steel player. Put a singer on stage give me the key of the song and i will produce the goods, not a copy of the record . Please don't take this the wrong way i'm not big headed or have an ego . What i'm try to say is Just enjoy the fact that you got a steel guitar and are able to get a tune out of it , most of the punters would don't know if you were in tune or not and you only live once...
i'm going to bed now

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 10 Dec 2006 2:44 pm

Well i never had a steel guitar lesson in my life and have played with some of the top country singers, I think the way to learn the steel is to just learn what each string can produce on is own or with a pedal or leaver then sit behind the steel play and play until something happens that you like , That way you will have your own sound not a copy of another players style. I don't think i could play a instrumental all the way through if you payed me , because they don't interest me as a steel player. Put a singer on stage give me the key of the song and i will produce the goods, not a copy of the record . Please don't take this the wrong way i'm not big headed or have an ego . What i'm try to say is Just enjoy the fact that you got a steel guitar and are able to get a tune out of it , most of the punters would not know if you were in tune or not and you only live once...
i'm going to bed now

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 10 Dec 2006 2:45 pm

sorry for the double reply

Franklin · Post by **Franklin** » 11 Dec 2006 7:24 am

Bobby,

Sounds like overload. Your next step should be private instruction. Texas is full of great teachers. If you live near Dallas? call Maurice Anderson. Developing a correct form of practice sometimes takes a little nudge from a teacher. Developing bad practice habits is like trying to drive through a muddy field.

Paul[This message was edited by Franklin on 11 December 2006 at 07:29 AM.]

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 11 Dec 2006 7:46 am

Bobby R

I want you to know I own the franchise on this topic !!
& I have been at it sense 48 ,-- less a couple decades I laid off --

Just hear this !!

There is no such thing a bad Steel ! Some's just better than others !

For some reason that sound familiar !!

Hang in there ! learn a tune and go have fun . you don't
even need a new guitar , you will know when its getting
smarter .

you don't need ego to play steel ! ego is only used on this Forum .
If you don't believe me ! Just read all the replies .

Mark V A
been there done that ! and still do .
Little story !
I had a lady come up to me after a gig , and says I love you Steel
playing !! I was in that -- Aaaa Da&% it all mood - And I rebutted her
statement, that I was really screwed up !! she look me right in the
eye , and said ! I come up here to give you a complement !! and you
tore it apart !!! and walked away .
I never did that again ! No Mater What I felt !

Hick

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 11 Dec 2006 8:39 am

Everyone has several plateaus in their playing.
Sometimes you may get to your final plateau, and that's it, no more. That's your level.

OR it might suddenly happen 5 years from now.

The main thing is.
DON'T STOP PLAYING.
if you can't do somebody's lick... well...
SO WHAT!!!

In the big picture, do you REALLY need it?

JUST GO OUT AND PLAY GOOD MUSIC,
THAT IS THE MAIN THING.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 11 Dec 2006 9:07 am

Bobby,

Boy can I relate! Although new to pedal steel I've been playing drums for 30 years.

Might I suggest you step back and appreciate what you CAN do, not focus on what you can't. (Easier said than done, I know). Once I started doing that my drumming improved and I enjoyed making music much more. In fact, I've been trying to implement this philosophy across the board in my life.

IMO, ego is not you holdup. You've plenty of ego as demonstrated by your frustration. I've found that ability progression is a non-linear curve, that usually after a good level of frustration I rise a bit from my current plateau.

Imagine what your playing sounds like next to mine. I've been playing for all of 5 weeks! That may make you feel better!

(Notice I've edited this twice as I concentrate on what I CAN'T do...spell!)[This message was edited by Brian McGaughey on 11 December 2006 at 09:07 AM.][This message was edited by Brian McGaughey on 11 December 2006 at 09:15 AM.]

Chuck Cusimano · Post by **Chuck Cusimano** » 11 Dec 2006 10:01 am

Maybe instead of using the word..."EGO", It should be "CONFIDENCE".

To me, "EGO" means a form of arogance. I know in my case, I try not to have an ego, but I do try to play with confidence. If I start feeling like I'm in a rut, I dig deep, and try to come up with something new.

I'm certainly NOT A HOTDOG type player, and although I love to hear someone else really turn loose, and play some fantastic, astounding licks, I never could, so I try to play what fits the song. Maybe, I'm playing too safe, but when I try to play over my own head, I get in trouble, and sound (to me)like a fool.

You are a fine player, and all you need to do is like someone posted above, just forget all the technology, and hear the song, and play along.

I would rather hear someone who plays the right notes at the right times, than hear someone who takes a wild ride, and by the end of their solo, I've forgotten what song they were trying to play. Best of luck!

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 11 Dec 2006 11:30 am

Perhaps others have had this experience:
Gigs or sessions where I feel I'm at the "top of my game", playing as well or even better than I'm normally capable of, are the ones where I get no compliments or feedback. But the ones where I'm struggling with the awareness that I'm not playing as well as I can, are the times when I'm "the best player they've ever heard, the playing is perfect for the song" etc. etc.

At first this used to really confuse me, but it's happened so many times that I've learned to distance my own self-judgement from what I'm doing, and just try to get as far into the music as possible.
Sometimes we're a little too close to ourselves, if you know what I mean.
It's hard to be truly objective about your own skills and development, and about best use of practice time. All part of the learning curve!

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 11 Dec 2006 1:17 pm

Bobby. have you taped yourself playing? you may sound better than you think.

whenever I measure myself with another player I get the short end. in my mind I will never be as good.
but when I look at what I can accomplish I end up feeling pretty good and nearly content with what I can do.
I never want to be fully content because the desire to learn more would die.
that can never happen; there is always something else that inspires me.
and speaking of inspiration..there is nothing more inspiring than listening to a good player that has something to say.

we all have something to say. just put it in your own words.

Darrell Owens · Post by **Darrell Owens** » 11 Dec 2006 6:16 pm

I think confidence in playing comes only from years of playing on stage. You can be a great player, but if you only play at home, you have no feedback on your playing. It is good to get out there and make your mistakes and learn from them.

I have noticed a lot of steel players play "licks" all the time, but are not true to the tune. I have found good discipline in practice is to play the melody. Even if you can only find it on one string, be true to the melody. It builds confidence in knowing the song. If you cannot find that particular lick, play the melody. People may think you did it intentionally.[This message was edited by Darrell Owens on 11 December 2006 at 06:30 PM.]

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