Teach Your Children -- with me on PSG

BobG · Post by **BobG** » 22 Jul 2004 8:49 am

A hit of sunshine should do the trick

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Bob Grado, Williams D10 (lefty), Peavey 1000,
Profex ll.

Charles Curtis · Post by **Charles Curtis** » 22 Jul 2004 9:25 am

I think that's great, Bill; keep it up.

Dean Parks · Post by **Dean Parks** » 22 Jul 2004 9:55 am

FYI, Graham says that The Jerry Garcia part was an overdub, and that was his first RUN-THRU. They loved it, but he begged them to let him have a second take, which they granted him... but they used the first take.

-dean-

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 22 Jul 2004 10:09 am

Great job,Bill...it's harder than it sounds,ain't it?I have done three or four different covers of that song on children's records,etc...I don't think I ever got as close as you did...really good.I love the steel playing on the CSNY record...I still think it was brilliant...

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 22 Jul 2004 10:10 am

Hey Bill, this is wonderful! I´ve finally got a new computer thus have been able to listen to it. It sounds perfect - just as if you were channeling Jerry G.! You seem to have captured the spirit of the song, really well. I know because I´ve been listening to that stuff ever since I was 14.

Rock on,

JH

Dean Parks · Post by **Dean Parks** » 22 Jul 2004 12:49 pm

"Earnest": Maybe you should take my "new" Fender 400.

Terry Edwards · Post by **Terry Edwards** » 22 Jul 2004 4:10 pm

Love it !!!

...and just when you think all the Garcia / TYC threads on this forum have been done...

west coast hippie steel rules !!

t

Herman Visser · Post by **Herman Visser** » 22 Jul 2004 5:46 pm

Hi Bill Meet you at the last Jam in San Jose look forward to the next one. Maybe do a little more than sit all day and watch.So far I like your verson as much as I liked JC. I wouldnt chanage a whole lot sounds real nice.

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 22 Jul 2004 5:50 pm

Bill,

Nicely done! I can relate. I got a chance several years back to play that part on a Fruit of the Loom TV commercial and it was probably the hardest thing I have done. Not because it is a difficult thing to play, but trying to match the "vibe" by copping JG's technique (or lack thereof) was a real challenge.

Of course, in the world of jingle sessions, you don't find out what you are going to do until you get there and then you are expected to nail it in 30 minutes or less. It took me about an hour to come up with a reasonable facsimile. Your performance would have been more appropriate for the spot! I even ended up taking my picks off to "adjust" my technique. Just curious, how long did you spend learning the part and putting it on the demo?

TC

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 22 Jul 2004 5:56 pm

Very Acceptable, Bill!

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 22 Jul 2004 6:27 pm

Gosh, I didn't expect this thread to bubble back up to the top again!

Thanks for all the kind comments. (Jim, if anything I do on steel is "acceptable", I'm floored. You're too kind.)

How long did it take me to learn and track it? Hmmmm.... I didn't really monitor that. I did this over several non-consecutive evenings at home after my hi-tech day job, sometimes dog tired. After a band ("SDC") member gave me the steel-less demo track, I downloaded the original from iTunes to learn the steel near verbatim. Then I put the original track into my MOTU recording software and studied it section by section, working out the opening and each chorus to try and get it close (if not note for note). I then swapped over to the SDC track and recorded. I tracked the opening, the middle chorus, the outtro and the two verses, all separately. In the verses, I just noodled, never really figuring out exactly what JG did, except for a few prominent licks that I thought were signature licks that I'd better get right. For each section, I did a few takes so I could pick among them if needed (typical studio stuff these days). However long that took, I dunno. A few evenings. The band wants a more polished track than the one on the demo, so I'll be back at it again in the coming weeks/months. One comment I got from the band is that the verses need to be played more staccato. Ok....

In a funny sorta way, this all takes me back to my high school days when I was in a band (playing organ and rhythm guitar) in which I would be the one to take songs from 45's, LPs, or 8-tracks, and figure out the lead guitarist's part, the drummer's part, the lyrics for the singer, and such, and teach the various parts to the other band members at our rehearsals. So I have a lot of experience at cloning stuff, even if it goes back a few decades. If the TYC demo sounds any good at all, it may have something to do with that.

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?[This message was edited by Bill Llewellyn on 22 July 2004 at 07:45 PM.]

Billy Woo · Post by **Billy Woo** » 23 Jul 2004 5:39 am

'Nice Goin' Bill, who said you can't play at Round robins what with this impressive display of technique, I think your doin pretty darn good. Keep it up, sounds Fine.

Bronco Billy
Zumsteel U-12

Bob Wood · Post by **Bob Wood** » 24 Jul 2004 11:39 am

Bill, ditto with everybody else. You did a bang-up job. Didn't you tell me once that you really haven't gone out and played with a band? If that true, I sure can't tell it! Keep up the good work!

Bob

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 17 Nov 2004 7:15 am

Well, after some inputs from the band, I've redone the track. The 2nd pass demo is at the link below. So far, it's flying better with the band. Here it is for your listening...um...pleasure....(?)

http://www.rahul.net/thinker/audio/mp3/Teach_demo2.mp3

PS: On the very final chord, I flatted the 3rd note (Ab) slightly to make for a more warm, JI kind of sound. Otherwise the ET sound of the chord as it rang out by itself seem to have to much beating going on. Whaddya think? Good idea? Bad idea?

PPS: If you like this (or even if you don't)

let me tell ya....it took a lot of takes, piece by piece, and in spots even a few single note corrections, to get to this point. I wish I could just sit down and actually play the tune end-to-end and have it sound polished.

But being reasonably capable with computers and recording hardware and software has sure helped fill the steel gap.

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 17 Nov 2004 8:14 am

Dang Bill! That sounds great! Pretty thirds too, since you were asking.

What's the guitar, pickup, gear, etc?

Brad Sarno

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 17 Nov 2004 8:19 am

It's a "classic" for sure. I really like your playing on the latest cut...clean, with a little less reverb!

www.genejones.com

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 17 Nov 2004 8:51 am

Sounds GREAT! I'll bet the vocalists did the mixing themselves, though -- whenever they're singing, the steel is WAAAY back in the mix.

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 17 Nov 2004 9:38 am

quote:
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All I did was run my MSA direct. That is, my SuperSustain pickup into my Goodrich L120 pedal, then through a SteelDriver II, through a Lexicon MPX-100, then into my computer. The reverb is a combination of the MPX-100 and the "eVerb" plugin in my recording software.
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I guess you could call this direct, but the signal certainly took the scenic route!

James
Sho-Bud LDG

Dave Frye · Post by **Dave Frye** » 17 Nov 2004 9:41 am

Bill, I am impressed Bill, now, are you gonna give me a few pointers? Good job! Old Dave Frye

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 17 Nov 2004 4:54 pm

Brad, here's a link to my gear (James listed most of it): http://www.rahul.net/thinker/pedalsteel.html

Gene, yes I backed off on the reverb. I used too much the first time.

Tom, I did the mix--and I did it quick. I'll need to tweak that more!

James, you're right! Scenic route. I guess by direct I meant "no amp or mic." That's so I don't bug my wife.

Dave, show you pointers? You've probably forgotten more than I'll ever know about steel!

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?

Cor Muizer Jr · Post by **Cor Muizer Jr** » 20 Nov 2004 5:39 am

Bill,

absolutly top notch what you've done on this track.

sounds really great i like your style pretty much

cor

Jim Hinton · Post by **Jim Hinton** » 20 Nov 2004 7:51 am

I thought you did an excellent job on the steel part, and give you my compliments.

I was curious about the lead vocal though ... it sounds like the lead part is being done as a harmony part?

Maybe the lead part isn't as prominent as the harmony part, and I'm hearing it funny?

Don't get me wrong, I still think the vocals are very well done, but don't seem to follow the melody as a lead, but as a damn good harmony part.

Don't take any of this as offensive ... as I said I'm impressed, just curious if anyone else heard it this way?

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 20 Nov 2004 8:51 am

Hey Jim, no offense!

Yes, the lead vocal is two part harmony. I just checked the original CSN&Y track and indeed they did it that way, so I guess the SDC band in their demo was just following suit.

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?

Jim Hinton · Post by **Jim Hinton** » 20 Nov 2004 5:22 pm

I'm glad to know my ears weren't playing tricks on me Bill!

When the song was originally recorded by CSN, and I listened to it on on an AM radio, I guess I couldn't hear it the way I can on your recording. I'm always glad to learn a few new things!

Dave Ristrim · Post by **Dave Ristrim** » 20 Nov 2004 6:14 pm

Dang Bill, super duper!! Simple steel parts are sometimes the best. Isn't it great that we can learn the steel parts of our heroes and learn from them? I know I am going back to some old Buddy Cage, and other "outside" players for inspiration. I just love the sound of a well played pedal steel. Rock on Bill!!!
Dave