The Steel Guitar Forum

Whether you are a steel guitar performer, armchair performer, play another instrument, listener, steel guitar craftsman, critic, or you really cannot stand the music, you will have had one or more defining moments in 2007.

This might have been: listening to a tune, discovering that magic chord sequence ( the lost chord), playing a new tune, playing an old tune a different way, being at a performance and getting goose-pimples or chicken skin, playing at or being at a jam session,or...you get the drift..

So, stand back awhile and reflect. Which was your defining moment or moments?

Happy Holidays!

Occasionally, I experience flash-backs to how GREAT it once appeared to be. Those were moments to reflect on. I cherrish them.....

In 2007 I aquired my first steel with 3- 8 string necks. A brown '56 Stringmaster. There is so much more ahead of me than I knew about before. I have been playing guitars for 40 years and can see that I will never be bored.

Well, for me as a steel guitar beginner, it was when I came to the conclusion that I need to own and play one of those things.

Now I own one and I'm working on the playing. It'll take a while, and it's a challenge, but I've started making baby steps and I think taking up lap steel is one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. I'm loving it.

when I actually practiced for 17 minutes.....

When I sat in on lap steel with Hazmat Modine (amazing band from New York City) at their show in Wuppertal, Germany. Great musicians and great people!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-dT1rlV9Ng



Happy lap steeling 2008 to everyone!

Fred

What a question! I'd say mine might have been learning about behind the bar pulls. I still have difficulty making them work, but the technique opened up some interesting doors for me. The real big moment came after my stroke in February; I gained a new perspective on what I want to do as a person and as a player, and started me down the path to getting really serious about reaching my potential as a player.

Kay...I got nothin'

hi Kay!
Nice question to reflect on. A couple come to mind that I'll remember for a long while. Both were from the HSGA events this year.

At the Hawaii event in April, LT Zinn played guitar for my set - which was really fun. After the set, he asked me if I wanted to play in St. Louis in the Fall! I felt honored he'd ask. Alas, I had a gig booked with Kershaw so couldn't leave town. Also Lion gave me a nod of approval - and I take that as a big compliment. I admire his playing. So it made me feel like perhaps I'm getting somewhere. I have lots more to learn however!

Next was Joliet HSGA - I just got to see all you crazy guys again

let's do it again next year!!!

ttfn,
chris

For me it was a moving experience. Yep we bought a new house with lots of room and I now have my own music room. No more laying the lap steel on the kitchen table. The console is plugged into the tube amp and one of the lap steels are always laying on the secretary/stand plugged into the Peavey Envoy 110 ready to be played. The resophonic is hanging on the wall and the Oahu acoustic is standing the the corner. Nothing hid away in closets or under the bed. Everything and I mean everything, banjo, acoustic guitar, fiddle mandolin and half a dozen harmonicas are withing arms reach. Oh course the computers in this room too. My wife has her own music room with her pedal harp, grand piano, and violin so obviously she understands the need to practice. The cancer is behaving itself so I'll have to say 2007 was a very good year.
Jude

My most defining moments happened EVERY SUNDAY IN 2007 when our little band arrived at one of the biggest Veterans Hospitals in the state of Texas and performed for the guys who made/make it all possible. During this time of year, especially, everyone should take the time to thank these guys/gals by at least just showing up and let them know they're appreciated. It's a hell of a sight folks. I guarantee you'll be a lot more thankful for your health, bad or good, and your heart will sadden somewhat, but you'll feel better. You don't think that's possible??? Try it.

Phred

2. Attending ISGC for the first time.
1. The day the UPS man brought me this:

I got my first invitations to play with professional caliber musicians. I hope to be included in a couple of small CDs and and a few sit in gigs in 2008. Must perservere.

For me, it was finally feeling like I had reached that point of total bar control, both for more accurate single-note work, and for my vibrato. As a bass player for 30 years, I had a hard time developing a decent vibrato with my bar hand. I finally broke through that wall around last spring, and really feel like I finally 'get' it.

Of course, I still have a long way to go in a million other aspects of the instrument, but this was a biggie for me.

TJW

So many this year...

Discovering this forum!

Playing a string of professional shows on Brampton Island (Queensland Australia) with Matt Zarb.

Forming a new band with regular gigs twice weekly - I have been told by VERY talented professional musicians that the best way to improve/learn is on the bandstand...

Recording my first Instrumental CD (dobro/mando/guitar - available for download on my website)

Acquiring my first 8 string steel and hearing how the slants and behind the bar pulls I had been working on with dobro sound even sweeter on the steel! (still much work to be done however!!)

And finally, I have tried to stop agonising over my limitations, and enjoy the process of playing, learning and growing. We can be our own worst critics, and I am remembering that the real joy of music is to share it with others.

Thank you all for sharing on this forum.

Peace, Aloha and Happy New Year

Deano

I'm with Stu....after over 35 years of playing, lately there have been more "puzzling moments" than "defining moments"...

Aloha Kay,
After some serious thought, there have been 3 of them.
1. When the doctor started me on Parkinsons medication, and I was able to hold my Red Rajah again.
2. When I was on the stage in Winchester again, and playing in front of all of my friends.
3. When I introduced my brother on stage in Winchedter, and he was playing guitar with me.
And oh ves, one more thing, I met Rick Aiello and got to know him as a friend.
Thanks for asking this question,
Mahalo Nui Loa
Phil

A lovely cross section of blogs, some moving, amusing, all sincere! Thanks for sharing them on the forum. I am on holiday in sunny Italy, and do not have regular access to e-mail (yes there is steel guitar interest here too, I will be jamming with friends). But...keep 'em coming and add your second thoughts or new ones...

Some of mine...

- hearing Mike Scott play in his unique plaintive Hawaiian style while compiling the Steel Guitar Quiz and getting chicken skin (as my friend Jeff Au Hoy would also attest to)

- hearing "Bali Hai" and "Some Enchanted Evening" at the Hollywood Bowl and then coming home and "stitching" them together in a steel guitar version (available elsewhere in this Forum)

- the Jolly Joliet Jams

- hearing Terry's fantastic lead with great chord changes at Joliet

Let's hear some more and from others in the Forum...

My most defining moment in music in 07 would have to be my Friday night set at the Tulsa Steel show. I played my D-8 and me and the band was hitting on all 8 cylinders. The next night John Hughey said, " After last night I don't know if I want Scotty following me or not!" ( I love that man!) Many thanks to Roy Rossetta,Larry King, Paul Polish, Dewayne Bowman, and John Terry. What a night of great music and magic. We are always looking for that magic and sometimes it finds us.
Other than music, coincidently the same weekend, the birth of my granddaughter Lizzy, and in April the graduation of my son from medical school would be the other biggies. Everything else is just gravy.

PS. NIce looking stringmaster Micheal!!

I'd have to say that playing with Erik Hokkonen for the past year has helped my playing tremendously, and I had the luck of sharing the stage with Johnny Gimble, and got lot's of encouraging feedback from him on my steel playing. And meeting Herb Remington, discussing our favorite Hawaiian steel players, and getting feedback from him too was very inspiring

Not having enough gigs is my year in review.

I actually made the switch over to playing console steel exclusively. I don't regret it one bit.

Picking up a couple weekly gigs playing my 8st Ricky panda. One is with a great western swing/early jazz band and another is playing ragtime blues. I just picked up another night playing Sinatra tunes on my lapsteel.

The biggest revelation has been slowly learning how to play simple and direct in the old blues stuff.

Also transcribing a few Bob Dunn solos opened up allot for me.

getting goose-pimples or chicken skin,

A moment I will never forget, happened at a session a few weeks ago. I was hired to add Steel parts to some original 'Alt Country / Folk' tunes by an artist in Niagara Falls. This was his second self produced CD.

He had a home studio setup in a spare bedroom of his house. The tracks were mostly done days before. There were only the two of us, me playing Steel and the artist handling the engineering / producing role.

One of the songs "My Only Son" was quite sad. It told a story of how an 18 year old son told dad he just became a soldier, and 10 months later was killed.

The song wasn't anti (or pro) war. It was just a father's lament about loosing his child.

I commented on how moving the song was. I was told it's a true story, and the studio we are sitting in was the boys bedroom, for his first, and only, 18 years.

I agree with John Dahms, only for me it was when I received my 1956 D-8 Stringmaster. I finally got a guitar that was older than me (by 5 mos.) and thanks to the seller here on the group, I was able to get it at a reasonable price. I love it and will be playing it with my band (I am also a guitar/keys player) in 2008. The guys in the band love the sound too!
Blaine