Steel player Bobbe Seymour shows some cool thumbpickin'

Stuart Legg · Posted 5 Feb 2008 1:53 pm

Bobbe what tuning do you use to Travis pick and do you have a course on this?
That Thumb pickin the Steel is without a doubt the coolest thing I've ever heard.
Bo plays the heck out of Chet on his Gretsch Tenesse Rose but will never try it on the Steel. He says it just won't sound right and he says he would have to get a Steel with at least 14 strings. I don't know how he has missed Bobbe's thumb pickin and it looks like Bobbe does it all on 10 strings.
This has been ask before I'm sure but I couldn't find it in the forum search. I ask this here because I think everyone would be interested in the answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaSe3vMvPdQ

Stuart Legg · Posted 5 Feb 2008 3:05 pm

If you Know anything about this topic join in. I need some info.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Bobbe is a whiz at thumb picking,think he has a course on it.DYKBC.
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KENNY KRUPNICK · From: Columbus, Ohio

Bobbe plays the thumbstyle on C6th. Very Happy

I like to hear him play Bells Of St. Mary. Very Happy

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

He's quite capable of playing thumb style on either E9th or C6th. If you visit Steel Guitar Nashville he'll glady show you.

Doug Seymour · From: Jamestown NY USA (deceased)

When are we goin' down??! Did you ever do a double case for a sunburst Fender 400??

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Doug, I was just there last weekend for Duane Marr's funeral. Yes I can do Fender 400 split cases. Tweed with gold hardware or black Tolex.

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

It don't matter which tuning. Bobbe's the man! Maybe one day I can sit down and jam with with ole Bob! I'd like to steal a few licks and bring'em back to MS.

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

Bobbe Seymour is one the best all around players!Next, he is one of a handful of steel players that I have heard in my 30 years + that really can Thumb Pick the Steel.

Another great Thumb Style Stel Player was the late Bobby Garrett Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Member. He had an album titled "Thumbs Up!" I have it L.P. form someplace. He autographed it for me when I bought from him at the St. Louis Steel Guitar Convention back in the 1990s. Sadly, I regret never going to see him at Branson, MO while he played there a few years later with Boxcar Willie. He was the Master on Thumb Style Steel Pickin' and Bobbe Seymour is as close to him as anyone I ever heard.

I think Mr. Seymour has a steel thumb style course. Check out his store in Nashvulle or website his out.

Good luck,

Terry Wood

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Bobbe does most of his on C6th as far as I can tell. I've been doing thumb style on guitar for many years and do a couple of things on steel but they have to be done either on C6th or E9/B6 Universal. Merle Travis' "I'll See You in my Dreams" is fairly easy to do if you have the style down on guitar and also "Alabama Jubilee". I do mine on a Uni. A ten string E9 doesn't have the proper bass notes to play most of the thumb style things.

The guy in the video with the ball cap on holding the camera is Joe Turner from South Carolina. Joe's a great steeler and also is very good at playing Travis style on guitar but I've never seen him do it on steel. He plays an extended E9 SD-12 Marlen.

I don't know who played it but years ago Ferlin Husky had a record called "I Hear Little Rock Calling" which had a great thumb style break on it played by someone. Also it's occasionally done on Dobro. Josh Graves did some Travis style things years ago when he was with Flatt & Scruggs except at times his thumb stopped after the fingers started pickin".......JH in Va.
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Howard Tate · From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.

Bobbe is a great player in all styles. Roy Thomson also has a course on thumb picking. Roy Nickols was good at it on dobro, I never heard him play a steel. He once told me the difference in Atkins and Travis styles, I hadn't realized there was a difference, I knew they sounded a little different.

Stuart Legg · Posted 6 Feb 2008 11:18 am

Thanks guys for this info. Keep it coming.
This is the way the styles sound to me. The Atkins style seems to be palmed bass note and then a slightly blocked strum the thumb goes like bomp chic, bomp chic, bomp chic etc. as aposed to a Travis with a palmed bass note and then a single dead string like bomp tunk, bomp tunk, bomp tunk etc. Jerry Reed sounds a little like Primus, romp tum taaaa, romp tum taaaa, romp tum taaaa etc.
Remember Martha Carson's "Satisfied" love to hear it Travis style on Steel

Alan Kendall · From: Maury County Tennessee

I don't mean to hi jack this thread,but I was at a steel show in Florida a couple of weeks ago where Bobbe Seymour was supposed to play.I was told by one of the organisers that he wouldn't be able to make it because he was having heart problems. I'm surprised I haven't seen anything on the forum about it and was wondering how he is doing.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

The main difference between Atkins and Travis was that Chet used all the fingers on his right hand for picking and Travis used only his index finger and thumbpick, even for rolls.

Also Chet's bass notes were always exactly what should have been played for whatever chord or note he was playing and Merle's choice of bass notes was sometimes a little erratic.

All that said, Merle was my favorite, mostly for the tone he got out of that old Super 400 Gibson. He had a lot of "drive" in his playing too....JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Randal Smith · From: Nashville, TN, USA

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

Seems like I might be the one to ask, I have had heart problems for several years, It has finally become strong enough that I'm told not to travel. The steel guitar club meeting was only a mile from the store and home. This hardly qualifies as traveling.
I'm to keep all strain and pressures from my daily duties. Pills?" Legal ones too. And still more than I can afford. ($$$$)
Not asking me about these things could start a lot of bad rumors, I don't want that. I'm fine, as a matter of fact wonderful, as long as I do exactly what the Doctor says, but then, aren't we all?
No pressures, no strains, take the pills, weekly checkups, and I'll be wonderful. Check with me if you need to know something and don't second guess. Lord knows I'm the easiest player in the world for another player to get a hold of.
Thank you,
Bobbe

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

And on another foot, I'd like to thank all of you that care and most of all Mr. Danny Bentley, he is running the "Steel Guitar Nashville" store. Without him now, there would be NO store. His long tireless days, brilliance in doing business, attitude and overall steel guitar talents are beyond compare. I'm not at the store as much, I get in late and go home early, but Danny, Larry, Mechell, Jill and Vic do a job that is better than I can do anyway.
I asked Danny today when it would be convienient for me to leave to go to the post office, his reply was "GO!", we more done when your gone anyway"! Probably true. He is the life of the store for the time being..
Best way to get me personally is by email. sales@steelguitar.net

Thank you all

Bobbe

Ron Brennan · From: Orlando, Florida, USA; Formerly, Edison, NJ

Dan is one of the most helpful people to speak to/with, anywhere!! He sure is everything Bobbe says he is.

I have spoken with him many, many times and you can tell he's an overall good guy. Don't forget to ask him about his Steel Guitar playing.... Cool

Moreover, I can tell you every one of Bobbe's crew is so polite and make you feel right at home. They are all genuinely happy to help you anyway they can!!

I figure they trained Bobbe fairly well, eh? Winking

Be well Bobbe and God keep you strong!! Smile

TX

Rgds,

Ron
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Stuart Legg · Posted 9 Feb 2008 12:24 am

Hey Bobbe do what the doctor says and take care of that thumb too. We'll do the driving and come down there.
Maybe I'll just come down by myself and leave my father Bo (the forum terrorist) at home...He's too much stress for anybody.

Bo Legg · Posted 9 Feb 2008 1:38 am

Great to hear your OK Bobbe and you have a good plan to stay that way.
Well here I am back on that C6 neck (the bass notes are just not low enough on the E9 neck)…It took me three hours just to learn how to tune C6 again. Stuart showed me that Bobbe Seymour thumb pickin youtube and now I hooked. I know it sounds strange to you that I had never heard of Bobbe…but when I was touring (lovingly referred to as sh.t tours). I was also working for a entertainment agency and an Insurance Company…believe me I had no time for anything else until I recently retired (from all my other jobs except pickin and that only on weekends) so I could take care of my son Stuart who has health problems stemming from an auto accident he had when he was in high school. I can take my Gretsch Tennessee Rose out of the closet and pick you some pretty fair Chet Atkins. I never thought you could pick it where it would sound as good on a pedal steel. Mr Seymour you changed that thought.

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

Glad to hear from "BOTH LEGGS", and in such a complimentary way. I thank you both!

The answer to the questions: yes, I do all the thumb style playing on the standard C6th setup (High "G"). No tricks there, and have just recently started playing some tunes on E9th, at my store managers proding (Ole' Danny). I told him this style wouldn't work on that tuning, he said , "how do you know if you don't try it!", He was correct, another lesson in life!

Bo and Stuart, yes, I do have a video out on this style of playing, it is by myself but has a cameo by Bob Saxton in the middle. I've had several folks say it was worth the money just to watch, even if they didn't learn to play the style, but I feel anyone can do this with a little time and devotion.
Thank you Bo, for this thread and the wonderful things said.

Bobbe

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

www.youtube.com/bobbeseymour

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Hey Bobbe - does this mean that you will be giving the Dallas show a miss this year? Is it also true that your doctor told you not to carry your wallet so as to reduce the weight you have to carry around?? Very Happy

Hope you have no further problems - you are a great player and good guy.

Ken

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

Bobbe you make that all look so easy. Isn't that Great guys and gals! Just super Bobbe!

GOD bless you!
Terry Wood

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