Here's my best shot at this short tune. I combined a few takes so I could get in at least one clip with a shot of my right and left hands, and so I could experiment a little with Windows Movie Maker.
Any constructive criticism is more than welcome-I've been at the steel for around 18 months now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLwNjtQnsi0
Applejack
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Phil Halton
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Joshua Grange
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Phil Halton
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Phil Halton
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Thanks everybody for the responses. I was hoping for some technical critique, but that's OK--you'd probably just offend me
For those who don't know, its a Tom Brumley tune, (as far as I know) , and I learned it from a Loydd Maines video. Aside from being a cool little ditty, its a good blocking etude, And makes almost exclusive use of the B&C pedals for the chord changes.
I finally discovered a reliable way to find my fret locations without seeing them, by matching chords played open at the nut with chords at the desired fret. For example, A chord with AB pedals down no bar matched to the A chord at 5th fret. That's what you hear me doing at the beginning of each take. Using diminished and augmented chords along with the V, IV and VI major chords, played at the nut, then matched to that chord played at a specific fret, lets a blind player find any fret on the keyboard without guesswork which is pretty cool stuff. The Dim and Aug chords occur every 3rd and 4th frets, and the V, IV and VI chords fill in the gaps.
Its good ear training, and lets me know with certainty exactly where I am on the neck. It's a fun and useful exercise to see if I can end a tune at the exact fret/pitch where I started the tune. Come to think of it, it's probably not a bad method/exercise for sighted players either.
For those who don't know, its a Tom Brumley tune, (as far as I know) , and I learned it from a Loydd Maines video. Aside from being a cool little ditty, its a good blocking etude, And makes almost exclusive use of the B&C pedals for the chord changes.
I finally discovered a reliable way to find my fret locations without seeing them, by matching chords played open at the nut with chords at the desired fret. For example, A chord with AB pedals down no bar matched to the A chord at 5th fret. That's what you hear me doing at the beginning of each take. Using diminished and augmented chords along with the V, IV and VI major chords, played at the nut, then matched to that chord played at a specific fret, lets a blind player find any fret on the keyboard without guesswork which is pretty cool stuff. The Dim and Aug chords occur every 3rd and 4th frets, and the V, IV and VI chords fill in the gaps.
Its good ear training, and lets me know with certainty exactly where I am on the neck. It's a fun and useful exercise to see if I can end a tune at the exact fret/pitch where I started the tune. Come to think of it, it's probably not a bad method/exercise for sighted players either.
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David Wright
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Phil,
It seems you have a system for finding where your at on the neck, That's good, you will fine as time goes on, your ears and left hand will really work together..Your right, even for sighted players it's good to close your eyes and play, but, it will always come back to what your ears hear, and tell your bar hand to do...I fill the right hand is the key to playing, a lot of other things must fall in to place also, I never watch my right hand, in time it programs it self you might say... Keep up the good work, and if ever I can help, fell free to ask....
It seems you have a system for finding where your at on the neck, That's good, you will fine as time goes on, your ears and left hand will really work together..Your right, even for sighted players it's good to close your eyes and play, but, it will always come back to what your ears hear, and tell your bar hand to do...I fill the right hand is the key to playing, a lot of other things must fall in to place also, I never watch my right hand, in time it programs it self you might say... Keep up the good work, and if ever I can help, fell free to ask....
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Joshua Grange
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OK,
So Phil, you're BLIND????
Like as in totally blind or legally blind??
That's amazing.
I thought perhaps by the way you were sort of looking at the steel that it may be the case, but then dismissed it. And the angle of the first shot was very "ARTSY"!
Wow! That's great. As David W. said, it's great even for sighted players to try to play closing your eyes. Really takes you to a whole new level of listening and awareness.
I'm sure you've found that recording a drone in a certain key, like let's say "G", and then playing all the G chords you know, will really help your intonation.
I also noticed by the sound of your open chords that you aren't using a compensated tuning approach. I think that would really help you a lot. I didn't used to do that, but I'm glad I do, for now at least.
There must be a way where someone has recorded a set of notes representing the correct frequencies that you could tune to by ear, as opposed to looking at a tuner that you can't even see. ( If in fact you can't see one).
If that sounds like something you're interested in I could whip up and send you some MP3's.
So Phil, you're BLIND????
Like as in totally blind or legally blind??
That's amazing.
I thought perhaps by the way you were sort of looking at the steel that it may be the case, but then dismissed it. And the angle of the first shot was very "ARTSY"!
Wow! That's great. As David W. said, it's great even for sighted players to try to play closing your eyes. Really takes you to a whole new level of listening and awareness.
I'm sure you've found that recording a drone in a certain key, like let's say "G", and then playing all the G chords you know, will really help your intonation.
I also noticed by the sound of your open chords that you aren't using a compensated tuning approach. I think that would really help you a lot. I didn't used to do that, but I'm glad I do, for now at least.
There must be a way where someone has recorded a set of notes representing the correct frequencies that you could tune to by ear, as opposed to looking at a tuner that you can't even see. ( If in fact you can't see one).
If that sounds like something you're interested in I could whip up and send you some MP3's.
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Phil Halton
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Okay Joshua, let's see,
Blind? yes
Legally? OOPS! Was I supposed to get a permit or something?
Yeah, but more blind than legally--just enough sight to get in trouble now and then.
As far as tuning, I hadn't tuned in a week when I did that video, but I do use a tempered tuning which is basically a some cents offsets I got from the Newman chart and some from Herbie Wallace. I have a software tuner that lets me program in frequencies (cents offsets) and will act like a geiger counter as I tune--clicking faster or slower as I approach pitch. If you've got a tuning chart that you think'd go well on my Carter S10, I'd be glad to see it (string/cents offsets format).
I'm real curious how you could tell anything about my tuning method, and what you discerned?
Blind? yes
Legally? OOPS! Was I supposed to get a permit or something?
Yeah, but more blind than legally--just enough sight to get in trouble now and then.
As far as tuning, I hadn't tuned in a week when I did that video, but I do use a tempered tuning which is basically a some cents offsets I got from the Newman chart and some from Herbie Wallace. I have a software tuner that lets me program in frequencies (cents offsets) and will act like a geiger counter as I tune--clicking faster or slower as I approach pitch. If you've got a tuning chart that you think'd go well on my Carter S10, I'd be glad to see it (string/cents offsets format).
I'm real curious how you could tell anything about my tuning method, and what you discerned?
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Joshua Grange
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Thats cool that you have the geiger counter software.
I could just hear the steel as being out of tune and had assumed that before you recorded the video you had tuned it. But if you hadn't tuned it in a week then that's probably what i heard....
The Newman preset works just fine.
Curious: How do you 'view' the forum..?
I could just hear the steel as being out of tune and had assumed that before you recorded the video you had tuned it. But if you hadn't tuned it in a week then that's probably what i heard....
The Newman preset works just fine.
Curious: How do you 'view' the forum..?
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David Wright
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John P. Phillips
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Hi Phil,
This is your old chatroom
buddy John Paul. Haven't been able to
get in the chatroom lately
due to computer problems but
you have come a long way since you
started.
I have had a few close friends that were sight-challanged (so to speak)
and you guys all knock my socks off with all
your accomplishments. You are
doing things with no sight on that Carter, that I still can't do on my MSA with
two eyes I use both
eyes but I can't seem to get my right hand to hit
the right strings.
I'm left handed learning right but I think part of my
problem stems from the fact that I used to play rhythm guitar and
I learned that as a lefty.Oh well, I
guess that with practice, it'll get better.
Anyway keep up the good work !
This is your old chatroom
buddy John Paul. Haven't been able to
get in the chatroom lately
due to computer problems but
you have come a long way since you
started.
I have had a few close friends that were sight-challanged (so to speak)
and you guys all knock my socks off with all
your accomplishments. You are
doing things with no sight on that Carter, that I still can't do on my MSA with
two eyes I use both
eyes but I can't seem to get my right hand to hit
the right strings.
I'm left handed learning right but I think part of my
problem stems from the fact that I used to play rhythm guitar and
I learned that as a lefty.Oh well, I
guess that with practice, it'll get better.
Anyway keep up the good work !
Just remember,
You don�t stop playing cause you get older,
You get older cause you stop playing ! http://www.myspace.com/johnpphillips
You don�t stop playing cause you get older,
You get older cause you stop playing ! http://www.myspace.com/johnpphillips