The Steel Guitar Forum

First guy to play a buzz roll with his picks gets my vote.

One thing to remember, the faster you play, the less important tone is! OR, If you are on a trip in an uncomfortable car that goes real fast, at least you won't have to endure the pain very long.
I wish this meant, "If you play real fast , at least you'll get it over quicker," -------But it doesn't. Speed and beauty go together in a lot of things, cars, airplanes,horses, but not really in steel guitar. I'm thankful to be able to play quickly if I have to, but I'd rather not have to. This statement is being made after being a professional player for over 150 years.( well , close).It seems as though the older one gets, the more mature their playing gets,and the less important blazing speed becomes. I have listened to the incredible Buddy Emmons for over 50 years, and this seems to be the pattern of the greatest. Speed gives way to beauty, tone,execution and taste. Speed is more and more of less and less consequense as playing and players mature. This may just be a steel guitar thing, since it is such a beautiful sounding instrument. If I'd have wanted steel guitar to sound like a banjo, I'd be playing banjo now and telling steel guitar jokes, instead of the other way around.
The moral of this story is, if you are going to play fast, try to make it say something, and not just "run around in circles",(banjo, etc.) Doesn't matter how fast you can play, what matters is WHAT YOU PLAY.
I don't see it as a very good compliment when someone says," Boy, you should hear this new kid! He plays faster than anybody!". To me,--How fast he wiggles his fingers has very little to do with how he "wiggles his mind!" My favorite steel players can't play very fast at all!

Bobbe Seymour

Back to the subject, Buddy can probibly still kick any butt he wishes to on speed, but he has the "mature taste" not to, (unless he has to!). Yep, I'll vote for him,if accuracy and tone are in the equation.

With respect to one of the greatest, <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 28 April 2002 at 05:34 PM.]</p></FONT>

I can certainly relate to what Bobbee says. You're tone is certainly less noticable when you're playing really fast stuff. Another classic by Bobbee...

<SMALL>If I'd have wanted steel guitar to sound like a banjo, I'd be playing banjo now and telling steel guitar jokes, instead of the other way around.</SMALL>

That's a good one, Bobbee!

By the way, those banjo pickers <u>do</u> tell jokes about us pedal steelers, like..."How can you recognize the pedal steel player in a band? Easy, he's the guy with one arm three inches longer than the other!"

Turnabout is fair play, I guess.

Let's read that post that Bobbe wrote again. And just think all that advice is Free! .....al

It's important to be able to speedpick when necessary, but the sounds that draw people to the steel guitar are the expressive sounds.

Below is a Quote from Jerry Byrd that pretty much sums this up. This is from Jack Byrd's post in the No-Peddlers section:

<SMALL>Most players over-play. They leave their heart at home and throw in every lick, every turnaround, every trick they know into every song they play. Don't do that. Play it simply and from the heart. You want your audience to leave feeling enriched by your music. Listen to yourself when you play. Are you saying something, or just playing notes? Don’t compete with other players, be sincere.</SMALL>

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<font size=-1>My Site | Doug's Free Tab</font>

Herby Wallace is definetly my pick! Alot of people can play fast, but not extremely fast and very clean! That is saying alot. He's my pick. Doug J. is right up there!

Jerry Byrd is one of the guys I was talking about,along with Jimmy Day,Lloyd Green,Stu Basore,Ron Elliott,these guys are Rolls - Royce players,not Mustang players. Class , quality,not quite as fast maybe, but they are famous for getting the job done and still making everyone gasp in wonderment! This is how I wish to be known (maybe a little thumbstyle thrown in for good measure). Jerry Byrd, WOW! Yes! Forever!


But I'd love ole' Herby if he didn't even play a note! What a guy!<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 29 April 2002 at 12:01 AM.]</p></FONT>

...i was sitting in some guys basement out in Hermitage, listening to him play his steel guitar the other day...& judging from what I heard then & have heard many times before, I believe this argument was over in about 1955 or '56.. ....nuff said

Like a comic: fastes shooter in the West.
To me it's important how flexible a steeler is, be able to play every kind of music.
With my knowledge, then I have Paul Franklin on a pedestal.
JJ

I've been turned on to speed pickin' ever since the old Doug Jernigan album with the two chicks in bikinis on the cover. He did Orange Blossom Special. As far as I'm concerned he was the master of it then and remains the king of speed today. I've heard all of the hot players but I still prefer Doug's choice on notes, technique, tone, and everything. I believe Jim Cohen said something like "Lot's of players can play fast but when it comes to a ballad that's where the real players shine" of something like that. I've got an opposite point of view of that too! Lot's of people can't play fast. I've heard a whole lot of people play ballads and such but the thing that really turns on a crowd is a good hoedown or uptempo tune. In that respect Doug is still the king!!

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney tuning.

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 29 April 2002 at 05:08 AM.]</p></FONT>

Like Mike Cass I too have been in that BASEMENT!He is right this argument was over in 55 or 56!You just cant top GRANDADDY!

Hey, Jerry, no fair! My 'argument' was already an opposite to the opposite argument, and then you made the opposite argument to my opposite, which put you back at square one (the opposite). Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it (but the opposite could also be said).

* <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 06 May 2002 at 04:20 PM.]</p></FONT>

I have an opposing view.
However, "grandaddy wins", Taste, tone , speed.

Yup, my vote's for Pops too

I think I understand why and all that, but one thing that bothers me is that playing of the highest caliber is relegated to the basement.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

Hey Jim,
I'm in total opposition to what you just said!

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney tuning.

I oppose all the opposing views. I agree with no one. It isn't about how fast you play. ... And it isn't about how slow you play. The best players play in the middle .. somewhere. Yes, somewhere in the middle, somewhere between fast and slow, maybe a little on the fast side, but not too fast, or a little slower, but not too slow ... somewhere in the middle, som....

Moved to "Steel Players" section.

A few years ago when having a weekly get together with some aspiring steelers and trying to give them the little benefit of my knowlege, some wanted to learn to play pretty. I told them if they just worked on pretty, that's their limit. I told them to learn to play fast as they can. That way, the slow ballads would come easier. You never want to play at your limit. Keep trying to raise the standard so your comfort level is in the range you normally play.

I agree with Mr. Seymour. He said it all. They'll never be a better left hand with more style than Jerry Byrd. I prefer pretty to speed although I'd love to have the speed, but I'd rather have execution and tone
and I feel Buddy Emmons has that while Jimmy Day had a great way of pumping pedals as he did on so many records. They are all excellent players and there will always be those who stand out in our minds and memories . . .

Carl West
Emmons D-10

Most of the fast stuff I've heard PF and TW play, sounds like stuff Emmons did 20+ years prior...

And I've never heard anyone play as fast for AS LONG as the Big E.

Now how about the fastest rhythm/chord player? Gotta be Curly Chalker!

After reading all this,im not as concerned
about my lack of speed as i was.i still wanna
play fast but if i never get there i aint gonna worry about it.someone in this thread
said,dont compete with other players and Reece gave me the same advice.I have gone to jam sessions where at least one of the stellers was a speed demon and i really didnt want to play because that intimidated
me.From now on ill do my thing and let them do theirs.Thanks to all you guys,i feel alot better about my playing.The forum,what a great place.The Big E.is the man.

S---K
Wayne Broyles