The Steel Guitar Forum

It's long been my observation that to become a really great world-class player, you must begin at a young age.
Carter, Charleton, Day, Emmons Franklin, Wallace and White are all examples of my theory.

Unfortunately, it doesn't always hold true. . .
I began in 1966 and you ought to HEAR some of the mistakes I make !

Merry Christmas to All

Craig

69 yrs. Started in 1945 at age of 11.

I envy you guys that started playing at a young age when hands and brain al worked in unison. I got my first steel on my 45th birthday and just turned 70 this year so I've been sitting behind a steel for 25 years, been playing about 5,

steve takacs wrote:I'll take the 5th amendment; I'm too embarrassed to say. stevet

Ah! Come on Steve. We already know you are 136 years old.

BoB Gondesen
La Marque Tx

I've been trying to play steel since I was 8 years
old , now I am 83 , and still learning {75} years .

Wow! When I see these posts where they have been plying 60, 70, 80 years, it just blows my mind. I remember a conversation I had with Bobby Black where I asked how long he had been playing. He told me he had been playing (at the time) 35 years. That totally floored me. I couldn't comprehend anybody playing any instrument for that long.

About 46 years. Graduated college in the spring of 1968. Landed a job by the fall of 1968. Bought a car first thing and an Emmons PP D-10 the 2nd thing. Played guitar from age 13 until college graduation. Played Banjo in college during the 60's Hootinanny craze.

When somebody asks me how long I have been playing, I don't want to tell them the truth for fear their next question will be "After 46 years of playing, why aren't you a lot better than you are?" Good question and the answer is "I don't know but I am beginning to suspect lack of talent." I am slow to catch on sometimes.

Craig, I recall several years ago, I read about a Swedish study involving the top musicians and athletes in the world. They were trying to find a common thread among them as to why they were successful. According to their study, the great one's all started before they were 9 years old and had 10,000 hours of practice. Base that 10,000 hours on a 40 hour work week. They have practiced 250 weeks or 4.8 years of practice. This is actual practice in real time.

Wow, are we all old fartz?
I know I am. We're like wine with age men.

I'm past the "getting better with age" wine slogan. I am now in the "falling apart with age" stage.

I've been playing lap steel about 3 years, pedal steel about a year and a half. I'm just getting to the point where I'm starting to suck.

Not enough!

Keep your replies coming. Here's some of the British guys comments.
http://www.thebritishsteeliessociety.co ... f=7&t=6259
There's a lots more of you out there who must have worked out your steel playing time.

Happy Christmas all.

I first started on pedal steel a little over 5 years ago, at the age of 27.

Marcus

35 years. I'm starting to figure it out.

55 years.....Egad!!

I started playing guitar at the age of 12, studied jazz-guitar at the age of 20. I got interested in Lap-Steel and Dobro playing in 2009 and i got my first pedal-steel in April 2013. I'm 40 years by now and completely fell into it...

I'm just a slow learning beginner. Started in 1978

I am 53 and have played guitar for 41 years. Just started learning pedal steel a little over 1 year ago.

started steel 1950 plus or minus ayear. Hard to remember. I turned 78 today.

50 years on 6 string guitar and 40 on pedal steel.

2 1/2 years on PSG, 29 on 6 string and vocals.

I used to be the "young kid" and while still not as old or been playing as some of you on here, I'm not usually the "young kid" anymore.

Andy

Playing in church, a young lad of 9 yrs of age, plus quite a number of other instruments, drums, Standard guitar, Bass guitar, piano, Bb Cornet ( I thought I was Louis Armstrong), Organ, and of course Steel guitar (Lap at first, and Pedal Later) and now I am 72 years young, and I`m still at it. To tell the truth, I dont know if I`ll ever get the hang of any of them (Haha) I`m having a good time though! Glad you asked Dave, and Merry Christmas everybody!!!
Ron BTW It has been 62 years of musical bliss!

Six string guitar 72 years and pedal steel for 45. I'm work'n real hard on em.

Started in 1949. Will be 66 years next month on my 79th birthday.

It'll be 30 years next year. Started in 1985 at age 24.

Kind Regards, Walter