The Steel Guitar Forum

Joan Cox wrote:I have been playing at church for years. Since moving to Texas almost 8 years ago, I was confirmed in the Catholic Church in 2008. I play at Sunday morning mass every week...It sure is rewarding to me to do this, and I know steel guitar is not a normal instrument seen in a Catholic Church, but it's nice to be accepted.

I play at a Catholic Mass every Sunday, too. I can relate to all you points in your post. Our choir director makes sure that no musicians or singers direct attention to themselves but rather enhance the Mass by way of the music.

It's the best hour of right hand finesse touch and intonation practice I get all week. I work with about 10 to 12 voices, an acoustic guitar, electric bass and piano. It's been about 3 years now and steel has been well received.

Our choir director makes it a point to thank me every Sunday while I pack up...I always respond "no, thank YOU for the opportunity!"

I was asked to play an instrumental at our church one sun. ,Southern Baptist. They liked it so much I have been there a year, every sun. morning. All for HIM, Larry J.

My church has a more contempory service on wednesday night and I play my PSG with that praise band. Lots of fun and the congregation loved it. I played in the Sunday service at another church and afterward some people asked if I was playing a dobro. Whether they know what it is or not, they know the sound and they like it and it can be an integral part of worship really filling in where there is no organ.

Fred,
When I play in church I usually use an organ effect on part of the song I'm playing.

I have a H&K Rotosphere for the Leslie effect. Erv do you use something like that or chorus?
I need to get some more tabs from you,Erv, I have been enjoying the ones I got some time ago.

Fred,
Yes, that's the same unit I use. I have tried several other Leslie sims but always seem to go back to the H & K. Now if I really want to go full blown organ, I slip in my POG 2, that together with the H & K will blow your socks off!

Erv
Can you post a YouTube of the H&K with the Pog 2?
That is an expensive add-on, but would be worth it if the sound was what was desired.
Maybe a demo of the H&K alone.
I know this is a lot to ask.
I'm hoping you may have already produced one.
Thanks for all you do!

I have the opportunity to play two services one
Sunday a month in Fargo plus the preceding wednesday. Its the highlight of the month.

Erv I play in church [ Southern Gospel] but had unique experince last fall when our pastor\piano players mother-in-law passed away and i was asked to play [Solo] while the people exited the building. it took a while so i played Amazing Grace, Something About that Name, and Precious Memories, and I had several
people come up at the Graveside and remark how much they injoyed the steel some heard it for the first time live. I might Have started something new.LoL

I play steel at our church every 5th Sunday for the past few years.I am lucky they let me bring in my own people, so we mostly do country gospel, an southern gospel. The people in the church just love it an look forward to us playing. Normal music at our church is the new praise music. I also play at a Cowboy church quite often on Thursday nights all of this is very good experience, an not bad for the soul.

Jerry

Gary,
You can do a search on YouTube to hear how the POG 2 sounds. The H & K gives you the Leslie effect and you can dial in the POG 2 for the organ sound. It really works well on gospel music. When I play in church, I usually play a song one time through with just the straight steel sound and then on the repeat I add the organ effect and close again with just straight steel. It really adds to one's playing.

Erv,
Would it too much trouble to let us know the settings you use on the H & K, and the settings on the POG 2 to get your sound in Church?

Gary,
I think it varies quite a bit with many variables including the guitar you're playing and the sound system you are running it through and so on. My rack setup is primarily Tube Works stuff and I connect my H & K in a stereo effects loop. Running the H & K in stereo enhances the effect. The POG 2 is connected after my volume pedal and before the rack. If you do try the H & K and the POG, you just have to play with the controls until you get what you like.
Do a search here on the Forum for Greg Cutshaw. He has some sound bites for the POG and the H & K.
Those will give you a good idea as to what the combination sounds like.

JERRY THURMOND wrote:I play steel at our church every 5th Sunday for the past few years.I am lucky they let me bring in my own people, so we mostly do country gospel, an southern gospel. The people in the church just love it an look forward to us playing. Normal music at our church is the new praise music. I also play at a Cowboy church quite often on Thursday nights all of this is very good experience, an not bad for the soul.

Jerry

Youre lucky Jerry, I feel obligated to use the staff piano player as backup and she can only read sheet music. SO I have to play in what ever key she has the music to I get the feeling that whe would be offended if I dednt ask her and she has been playing the poiano at that church for many many years. It can be challenging when you have to play with someone like like, especially when they arent used to playing gospel style or anything other than the sheet music in the hymm books. I just make the best of it, I never thought that I would be able to play my steel in church service.

I need to find a book with gospel tunes in "regular" keys with the paino sheet music. Does anyone know of any good books llike this.

Quentin,
Whenever I tab out gospel music, I always tab it out in the same key in which it is written in the hymnal. You can go from hymnal to hymnal and church to church and the same song is always in the same key.
By writing the tab in the same key, there is no problem playing along with the church pianist or organist. Sometimes it gets a little tricky, though.
I have tabbed out hymns in 5 and 6 flats. Keyboard players like flats, guitar players like sharps.

I hope nobody takes offense to this, but this thread reminded me of one of my favourite scenes in the Canadian television series Trailer Park Boys. The PSG content is within the first minute or so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNn0cCpkMWo

I have to warn that the clip is laced with obscenities - not the least of which that the actor on the steel isn't actually playing!