The Steel Guitar Forum

Bill
Blinders used on beasts of burden in days gone by, as well as today, are for the purpose of singularity of attention, lest the animal stray from his appointed task through distraction by an influence unwanted by the tiller of soil.

Some vision-impairment device of that type would be inappropriate for steel guitarists. I personally experienced the benefit of such peripheral vision when, in the heat of musical battle one night, one of my worthy constituents in that talented yet albeit informal combo chose to express his disapprobation with my musical wanderings through the use of a well-known hand gesture, considered by many to be vulgar, whether used in a public situation (as this was) or in one of relative privacy. The message was successfully received by your correspondent, and since the name on the marquee outside the club was the same as my interlocutor, I chose to amend my harmonic journey to one of a more conventional nature.

Inspired, Herb!

Solution:
If one's swelled-headedness cannot be corrected, simply buy a cowboy hat with a Spandex sweatband.

Bill M.,

I'll waste no time going back by checking your former posts. If your intent is to play the part of a teacher, I challenge you to write a paragraph with substance, and allow me to paraphrase your message. Say, one hundred words that will catch any deviations from the norm. Allow the readers to then make their comments. Lay persons get my goat by strutting about the barnyard.

Bill,

I've been a professional writer for 15 years. Happy to send you to a link with all my past articles if you'd like to check them.

My intent is not to play the part of the teacher. My intent is to encourage the use of proper grammar.

Bill McC.:

Thanks for your previous post. Bill's confusing punctuation has irked me for a long time. It's difficult enough to grasp what he's trying to say, but the liberal sprinkling of misplaced commas renders his posts almost undecipherable!

I've never had the nerve to say so!

Bill M.,

Really and truly, seriously, do you for one minute think that I'm not aware of the inconsistencies? The rules of English are much like the written music of the old masters. It is a long way from foolproof. One of the problems that remains up in the air, is the proper use of quotation marks. An English teacher failed to correctly respond to a question that I had posed in class in the nineties, not about quotations, but about a word choice in a sentence.

I really appreciate your civil response. I'll try to omit some of the commas in the future. I know a few tricks to overwhelm a smarty pants English teacher.
Usually, they are great in brushing up on the rules of proper English, but the buck stops there. From there it's back to playing the steel guitar.

Let me see if I've got it; "---lots of manure". Yep Mr. Bill's gonna' make a darn good farmer.




phred

Where's the part about a steel guitar in this subject?

I wear a hat on stage for 2 reasons:
1. It adds to the show, and in our case it's very much about the show as well as the music
2. The same reason I suspect that my people started wearing yarmulkas - to cover bald spots!

I normally get at least a small amount of enjoyment out of these "posts" but this one is just stupid...
I have lived where cowboy hats and "$500.00" boots mean something...not just hood ornaments and props.
but to bag on the people that play in them is beyond stereotype harrassment. And the Faron Young comments... HUSH...you don't know!! If I would have had the op to play for a Faron, Willie, Ernest, or whoever from that era I would have worn the designated attire like a badge of honor. It's part of our heritage that youngins like me got little chance to be a part of. The origin of tis post had nothing to do with the english language. It had to do with swelled heads and cowboy hats and the effects of perifrial vision????I think. I feel like ranting but will close with a quote from good friend from Texas... Phred...Bill you just don't get it.
I normally have fun with you...this time I feel pity.

Fred,

Come out and speak your piece. I gave up touring around barnyards for farmer's wages. You keep mentioning that you want to read more about playing steel. Where might we find that you are a big part of steel guitar resources?

Scott,

Everyone is seeking a miracle; including me! Miracles happen, otherwise there would be no reason to hope for one to happen in your life. The steel guitar has created an enormous amount of hope; each player (like yourself) admitting how far down the ladder you profess to be. I've detected vague wishes on your part to persist in learning your music, in spite of counterinfluences. Earlier comments were very encouraging. Now that has changed.

Well Bill I didn't expect you to get personal but after 62 years of packing one of these monsters around I can probably claim to know where the nut is on the piece of wood. Guess i can't claim to be a steel guitar expert, rationale for asking the question about where the remarks are about the instrument.

I've been in the ranching business since I was born and that was 77 years ago last thursday. Cowboy hats are placed on a youngster's head as soon as he can walk. If need be I can tell you what that does for one in this business and it damned sure doesn't have anything to do with "swellheads". Neither does it pertain to anything that happens on a bandstand. You wear what the band leader wants you to don and that's just the way it is. We do in this part of the county respect the music enough to dress in our culture, and that doesn't include wearing baseball caps backwards or going with the holes in the worn out bluejeans. Sorry, but we haven't degraded our society that far. You want to dress that way have at it, it wouldn't be too well accepted here where I live and that's just fact. Your mastery of the English language and your writing skills are to be admired, why don't you do a book and we'll see how well it sells. Goodbye.

Phred

So it's OK to wear a Derby when you're playing but not OK to wear a cowboy hat. If you're so threatened by swelled heads in cowboy hats, Bill, maybe you should wear a helmet! I don't think anyone really believes Porter Wagoner, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Ray Price did a whole lot of ridin' and ropin' in those fancy suits but who cares? Sit back and enjoy the show.

When I see some of those players, like Bud Charleton, who just look so cool in their hats and suits, it makes me slightly jealous, only because I know I could never pull it off, especially growing up in the Northeast like I have.

Where's the part about a steel guitar in this subject?

I'd like to know too, phred, but I don't believe we'll ever get an answer.

Fred,

Please don't go riding off like an agitated cowpuncher. There's brandin' to be done, and those dogies up in the mesquite need to be rounded up! All kidding aside, I respect you and your contributions made for a better world. I've been practicing between writings. I'd chosen Ricky Skaggs' "Crying My Heart Out Over You" to work on. As Ricky says,"Thats real country."

Cowboy hats look cool! I cant wear one tho cause I feel like a poser doing so.

I like Earnest Bovines headgear in his avatar photo. Now THATS country.

Bill Hankey wrote:Fred,

Please don't go riding off like an agitated cowpuncher. There's brandin' to be done, and those doggies up in the mesquite need to be rounded up! All kidding aside, I respect you and your contributions made for a better world. I've been practicing between writings. I'd chosen Ricky Skaggs' "Crying My Heart Out Over You" to work on. As Ricky says,"Thats real country."

Bill, I think you mean dogies. Doggies are dogs. Even a flat topper who buckles on the outside knows that.

Chris

Chris,

I've corrected the error. The long (O) in dogie differs from the short (O) in doggie.

You are one of my heroes. Thanks for the correction.

Bill Hankey wrote:Chris,

I've corrected the error. The long (O) in dogie differs from the short (O) in doggie.

You are one of my heroes. Thanks for the correction.

Bill, I am hopeful that I remain your hero. The (o) in doggie is not a short (o). The (o) in doggie is one of those (o)s with the teepee lookin' thing on top.

Chris

Dôggie?

My mommy told me they was puppys.The other ones were moo moos.

Ah Bill... Too Shay ( Yes I know I spelled it wrong.)
Yes I believe in miracles as well. Like the one that someday you may prove that you can stop typing dem big words and show us you actually know how to play that thing you're setting in front of. And for the record I never said I hadn't played with a few of those Farons and Willies. You just ASSumed I hadn't. Yes Bill It's a big ol ladder and I see you down there desperately hanging on to your Mel Bay Book for dear life!!! OH please don't think I am upset because I ain't. I just like to, as they say in Texas, Git your goat! Now git along little dogie!!!
And leave Fred alone...He is one of our great American Heros whom I totally respect no matter what hat he has on!!!
Later Buddy I look forward to your next mindful adventure!!!!