The Steel Guitar Forum

Lane is dead right - this could be a technical or an artistic question. But then a good player is technical and artistic at the same time

And how do you turn technique into art?
I'm not sure that can be taught. It either develops over time, or perhaps there's an epiphany.
I was listening to my MP3 collection today, and Buddy's "Kicks to Boot" came on. Talk about making it flow: there's a melody, often single notes, often a harmony line, and often two or three harmonies. What guided the thought process, choosing how to voice it?
Or (for those who like and listen to bluegrass), listen to the late John Duffey's playing. Not because he was excellent, he wasn't. He was wacky, eccentric. But every wacky solo hung together. It's not what anyone else in the world would have put there, but it worked, and it expressed his personality (disclosure for those who only skim my ramblings: my dad was the bass player in two of Duffey's well-known bands, the Seldom Scene and Country Gentlemen).
I apologize for hijacking or drifting your thread, Dawn, if indeed I have. This aspect of the craft of music is the one dearest to my heart.

To me the most magical aspect of Buddy's playing is the voicing - how he projects the melody over everything else that's going on. Piano players have the luxury of two hands to achieve this.

Work on ear training.

Time, nothing more than time. It will come. DO NOT get frustrated! Everyone that begins wants to play like someone who has been playing 20 yrs...not gonna happen. Time, and HAVE FUN!

Getting that sound and tone is a personal journey that everyone really needs to just spend alot of time at their steel and trial and error. That is the best way to really achieve what you find is ideal to you. Listen to as many different steel players as possible from today and yesterday. Play as much as you can and really listen to yourself in the process. Pro players can get make anything sing it's just experience and practice.
Use your ears.
Forget playing anything complicated just simple chords/ lines.

Altho' you're involved with a pedal steel, I believe you'll find the following comments just as applicable to pedal steel.

If I may I'd like to suggest that you give a listen to YOU TUBE's 'JIMMY WAKELYS'.......version of "If Santa Clause comes your way".

It's a terrific example of what steel guitar "FILLS" are all about. They are many varieties....and must ad to the vocalists contribution. Never repeat a 'fill' in one song other wise it gets too simplistic and boring to the listener.

You must learn a number of fills, not from a book but from the song your performing.

Just tho't this might of help to you.

Dawn Phillips wrote: Like... Paul Franklin. I reallllllly want to do that when I grow up.

That probably applies to the majority of us on here!

Dawn, I have been playing only 2 years but here are my suggestions: 1) pull up every post that LANE GRAY has posted on the FORUM. Lane is very bright and he has an excellent way to share information 2) RECORD every time you practice or play. You can then hear exactly what you are playing. It seems "different" when you hear a recording of yourself. It was an eye-opener for me. 3) Have fun

I'd say, when just beginning, make sure to get the basics down. One of those basics (that is a must for fluid playing) is pick/palm blocking. I recommend The Jeff Newman course on blocking.

Also, just slow it down. Practice delivering the "feeling" rather than just playing the notes. The draw for me on the PSG is the feeling it allows you to express.

So just slow down, and get good there, the speed will come.

I think that Jimmy Day once said (about a lightning fast picker)

"I wish I could play that fast. And then I wouldn't"

I believe that quote has become entirely apocryphal.
Mike,I'd say that falls into "learn the instrument until you don't have to think about how to play it."


Thanks for the kind words

Thank you all for taking the time to offer advice. I really appreciate it.

I do love the instrument!! I will continue on my journey and maybe one day I will be where I want to be.

I understand about seat time and practice. I spend as much time as I can. That thing called "work" really does get in the way.

Playing the various chord inversions is something I'm working on. I'm trying to get it as fluid as possible.

I listen to people like Robert Randolph and think.... how on Earth does he play that FAST?!! I suppose it will come in time.

Giving up is NOT an option!!

Thanks again,
Dawn

Paul Franklin said once, and I believe it (and this is a paraphrase, his exact words are lost to me):
Speed comes with knowing the neck and the guitar. Your fingers can move at whatever speed is required of them, but if you have to think about how to the notes in your head, by the time you've worked it out, the time to play them is gone.

Lane Gray wrote:Paul Franklin said once... if you have to think about how to the notes in your head, by the time you've worked it out, the time to play them is gone.

On the other hand, if you play without thinking, you will probably not play anything new and worthwhile.

Earnest, I said "if you have to think about HOW TO play what you're thinking..."
I'll stand by that, while appreciating your thought.
But if you don't have to think about how to play, you're more free to think about WHAT to play.
When I'm listening to people other than steel players for vocabulary, I spend more effort in identifying the notes Sonny is playing than in figuring out where to find them on the guitar

Basics: E chords= Open (no pedals), 3rd fret (A pedal & F lever), 5th fret (Eb lever), 7th fret (A & B pedals), 10th fret (A pedal), 12 fret (no pedals). Work the E chord from these positions and find the chord and note melody. Try to keep the melody note on top of the chord while sliding up and down from these fret positions. Later, get out on a limb and try pedal changes from these positions.
These are basic and you should be able to play a tune from these positions while flowing (sliding the bar) between these fret positions and changing chords along the way.
Sounds confusing, but required to learn the neck. Advance from there.
A good tune for working this theory, "I've Just Destroyed The World I'm Living In." Keep the melody note on top and one harmony note below it. Slide the bar from these positions and pedal/knee combinations. It flows.

Dawn, this might be getting too far ahead, but here is an example of the "flow" on Just Destroyed The World if playing it in key of E.
Start on fret 5 and play strings 5 and 8. String 5 will be the melody note and you only need to pluck the strings once at the 5th fret and let them ring:
Fret 5 strings 5&8 with Eb lever engaged. Release lever and push A pedal, then slide to fret 7 keeping A pedal down. "While sliding" up to fret 10 release A pedal and engage Eb lever at fret 10. Then release Eb lever while engaging the A pedal. Slide up to fret 12 with A pedal still engaged. Slide up to fret 15 as you release pedal A and engage the F lever at fret 15.
This is all one fluid motion with short stops on these frets. This is within the same pattern as I mentioned in my previous post.
I assume this is the "flow" that you are describing? It may sound complicated, but this keeps your melody note on top, harmony on the bottom and good for learning the neck.
This same pattern could be played with 3 notes if you have a G# to F# lever for the 6th string and incorporating the B pedal. More complicated