The Steel Guitar Forum

Early influence...Buddy Emmons, no one could make two notes sound better...Tom Brumley, Lloyd Green, John Hughey, Paul Franklin...More recently Mickey for his willingness to share his knowledge and teaching gift...where were ye when I was a lad???...

...and Dicky Overbey.

Yesirreee....... without a doubt....

Dicky Overbey's and Jim Loessberg's neat notes are top shelf stuff....

Anyone who played on top songs that contributed so much soul to the song but never knew who they were, pre-internet, though I knew of Buddy and Speedy, Tom Brumley years ago.

Being a late starter on steel but an avid admirer for the instrument and those who wield it, wanting to learn how, it was Wayne Dahl who got me off my duff with his Martina McBride's Help Me Make It solo watching the CMA's that year. Now that I work backwards, and learn about Ralph Mooney, Paul Franklin, Dan Dugmore, Randle Currie, even Jerry Garcia, whom some may not take seriously, and the many I hear on the latest country hits today but don't know their names, it's nothing but epiphanies of "so that's who played those haunting tracks on that song."

Mickey has helped me make sense of the instrument and his very patient online video clips are still a go-to for me while I listen to songcraft on country hit radio. Dave Hartley as another audio-visual guide. This forum is a constant source of inspiration without a doubt.

I'm mainly interested in putting steel tracks on original music I record for younger artists, although guitar and Hammond organ are my more polished accomplishments.

Wishing to learn more about the players and the instrument, besides the technique there still is the music and what makes a steel part. The songcraft.

With Wayne's solo, the counterpoint and the ability of the steel to present a different approach for counterpoint is what hit me, even if I was hearing steel for years off of records, it was that moment's solo that woke me up. Now every time I hear a great solo or backing tracks, from the many greats, I hear even more parts. While the technique these session players use is still a mystery to me, the music they play sounds so right. The ending of Ralph Mooney's I'll Go Back To Her with Mike Headrick just blows me away.

This is what I must investigate.

Mooney!

Jeff Newman.....Robby Springfield......Eddie Lane

I've gotta add Steve Hinson to the list since he played steel on records by one of my favorite female artists, Danni Leigh.

To be 100% honest, I don't want to practice when I hear great steel players.. I have been playing as long as some of them, even longer in some cases, yet I never progressed much past the level of
"honky tonk journeyman". Instead of becoming inspired, I get dejected by my ineptitude.

I wish that weren't the case but its true... I do practice quite a bit, but its more to stay sharp as opposed to "learning new stuff".
Actually, I find myself playing along to lots of stuff without a steel in it... bob

i know what bob means. i'm kind of the same way. so many guys are incredible now...white, palousek, paul,etc,.that i know i won't reach that potential so it's kind of a turn off.
but then you'll hear a stylist with fun licks that have personality but aren't mind boggling mathematical formulas. as bob says..honky tonkers that grab the spirit....though he's a master, jaydee maness will inspire because it's cool 'and' i might have a clue as to where some of the notes are.
unique individual tones also inspire.


i went to newman's june jam in 1995 and heard lloyd, hal, jeff, john, randy, paul ..maybe tommy..and others playing the same advanced great jazzy versions of everything. after a couple hours it was a big wash of sound with no distinction...though incredible.

i didn't mention buddy....though he is beyond all belief, his tone and notes and spirit 'will' cause me to practice a little. usually to learn a 4 or 5 note phrase that i can throw in here and there.
many others are incredible, but buddy 'says' something with his!!

Right now there are five. In no particular order :

John Hughey. His style just slays me,just his way of playing. Lost in the feeling and sweet memories are prime examples.

Sonny Curtis. This former Jones Boy is not only a great player but, he is also a great friend. His tone on Paycheck's version of A-11 is to die for ! Definitely a HOF caliber player.

My teacher Gary Preston. Another great friend who always plays each passage with every bit of soul he has. Every time I visit him he provides me with the inspiration to find my own style and not copy anyone else.

Phil Perry. Always a great player who gives me tons of encouragement when we meet up at jams.

Mike Daly. Just got his CD "Rock Of Ages". He pushed the envelope with his arrangements of classic rock tunes. He got me thinking of some different things I'm going to try.

Along those same lines.... You Mickey ! I love all the stuff you've done on YouTube and reference it often. I REALLY like the Stairway To Heaven rendition you worked up. ......."Stairway.....Denied ! " (a little Wayne's World humor there)

Well, I'm going to mention that area I pick a lot of licks from and transpose them into fast pickin', classic country and rock & roll. It sounds crazy but the info is there. R & R guitar pickers! That's right. Some of these guys can pick things that can be transposed over to steel. I listen to all steel players. I'm a fan of all of the guys like Hughey, Rugg, Emmons and everybody. What gets my attention now are guys like Joe Wright, Buddy Cage and even Robert Randolph. Add to these a lead man, Don Rich. He played some fine licks that can be easily done on steel. J.D. Maness is another picker I like to watch play. Add Gary Carter and the late Big Jim Murphy and I'll stop there.

Maurice Anderson..

Just about everyone I hear play.

For me, lately, it's been Jaydee Maness - certainly one of my favorite steelers, and the Bakersfield Bound album he plays on is one of my favorite albums. Fortunately, every song he did on that album has been tabbed out here on the forum, so I've been working through them, trying to develop some faster, West Coast style picking and figuring out the hows and whys of his technique. For example, I've found that instead of moving the bar on chord changes, he often moves the bar to get a different inversion of the same chord, then finds the next chord at that same position.

I'm still pretty new to this - previously I could do little other than "paint by numbers". I'm not yet ripping any outstanding licks on the fly, but I am beginning to find some things I like that are not merely what someone has tabbed out. Mostly, though, I still steal my steel licks - but I steal from the best!

Bob C.: that's exactly how I feel!

I do sit down at the steel even when not working because whatever touch I have will desert me if I don't pay it some attention.

I've had a long - and enjoyable - lay-off with no gigs at all over the last two months (I don't accept one nighters these days) doing little else but work on my golf game. But I'll be busy with music again soon so some seat-time is called for.

Inspiration? Well, Paul, Tommy, Buck, Steve P and a handful of others are so far beyond the level I can aspire to (in terms of technique) that I'm not even sure I enjoy listening to it any more (if that makes any sense).

Buddy Emmons? He's a tiny bit different and I've watched him play maybe a dozen times now over the years. I come away wanting to play!!!! It's as if he reminds me of what real musicality is and how, just maybe, I too could find something magical in a handful of well-placed notes. I really believe it's something almost spiritual about his gift for communication.

I know it's happened for me in all the years I've played for my living - it's rare, but it has happened and, if one plays music, it's always just within reach on occasion.

This, of course, is not to impugn the incredible virtuosity - and musicality - of the players I've mentioned (all of whom I love and respect enormously). It's just that Emmons seems to urge me to at least try it for myself.

The other Buddy, Defranco

Emmons,Franklin,Chalker,Hughey,Green,Rugg,Jernigan, Mooney, Joe Adams , many others.

Everybody mentioned, of course. But Tommy White has been knocking me out of late. That cat has some chops, seriously.

the trouble with tommy is he makes 'difficult, complicated' look so effortless!! there's no conceivable way of attaining that for me at this point.
he's too good.

i feel the same about doug jernigan. he's been blowing my mind with his expertise since before 'hillbilly jazz' and that's a long time.

he will inspire you to try a fiddle tune or two.

Let me add Al Brisco as an inspiration.

I feel, how many can aspire to be exactly like Malmsteen or Oscar Petersen, Keith Emerson?

If you can soothe your soul getting any level of proficiency, it was worth the journey. If not keep at it till it happens one day and you may just even get a fleeting glimpse of joy. Even our heroes have their ups and downs.

I like the ability to say something within a song that pulls at your heartstrings. It could be something simple like Dahl's Help Me Make It. or on Tim Mcgraw's Better Than I Used To Be which if I'm not mistaken is Dan Dugmore.

For myself, if I hear something in my head, try to get it out through your hands and feet. If we try and play what others thought up only, we are not being ourselves, we are trying to be them. Yes steal a little, channel a bit, but then add a whole lot of yourself in there as well.

Watch how Zane King emotes what he hears in his head. I wouldn't doubt Zane has an extra pedal or lever that attaches to your heart. He's definitely "being there."

Zane sings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXxMW3PFhAc


Recording yourself and listening back is key for improvement.

This might sound like "kissing up to the forum", but the truth is that when I grow up I want to be as tasteful as Doug Beaumier...

No overplaying, great note choice, & enough to fill out without resorting to gymnastics, a pleasure to listen to.....

Greg Cutshaw, David Stewart, and others on this forum are also an inspiration to me. Nothing against all the ones that are up on a pedestal, they are there for good reason, but I am a normal player with normal goals to get better, and you folks in the Non-Pedal section of the forum give me the kick I need to do this.

Thank You!

I like Greg's playing and recordings as well. In fact I asked him once about a few things.

Years ago I would go to a show and it made me want to quit ! Miss those days with Hal, Buddy, Jeff, Herby, Maurice and others.

First I'd say was a fellow who'd known me since birth, ( Babe) Leon Tackett. Next would be Jack Smith, his daddy was the pastor of my families church.
Then Mike Headrick, great friend and inspiration.
Right up there is another great I call my friend, Norm Hamlett.
I've been blessed, I'm only 44 but I have had a wealth of inspiration.