The Steel Guitar Forum

Ever notice in almost every crowd where you are playing,about 99 percent won't even notice there is a steel in the band,But there is always ONE will come up and say,I love the steel guitar,and then you KNOW what the next words that they are going to say. DO YOU KNOW THE STEEL GUITAR RAG ? DYK?BC.

Know it, but haven't played it since 1902!

Hey BC !!
I’m not sure I get your drift -- SGR is a corner stone
for some folks and they never tire if hearing it , reminds
them of days gone by

On the other hand ! aint it nice that someone noticed
you were there - - if you play it like you mean it , you win
a loyal fan - priceless

Well, with guitar it's either Wildwood Flower, aka, The Tennessee National Anthem, or Freight Train. So you do it like you love it, and move on.

At least they didn't tell you what a good keyboard player you are.

I'll worry when they STOP asking for it!

Two funny times in my steel playing career was one night we were taking a break and this guy who I had never met walks up and says "I wonder if they have a steel player" and I said I was pretty sure they didn't.

A band called saying they wanted me to come out and Audition but wouldn't be able to pay me as they were not making much so I said sure no problem.

We started playing and this guy walks up to me and hands me $20.00 saying he really liked my playing and could we play this or that song and I said we'd try.

As the night went on he kept handing me more and more money so I had this sizable stack of cash next to my steel so I thought if he liked all those tunes I wondered what would he pay for Together Again so I asked the band if they would do it and he hands me $50.00

By the time I finished my Audition I had made $200.00 from a guy who loved steel but wasn't a musician of any kind.

I usually play steel and guitar when I'm gigging. One night a few years back a guy catches up to me on a break and says, "you guys are great. You know what makes you great? It's that steel guitar. If you didn't have that steel guitar you'd be sh**!" So I suppose that was a compliment of sorts. Apparently he didn't think much of my guitar playing.

When I was going to college in Tempe, I would sometimes sit in with a band on weekends. We were playing a little club in north Phoenix and there was a birthday party going on. The gal who's birthday was being celebrated asked if I could play "Harbor Lights". I laid that on her and she was soooooo happy she cried.
Made me feel real good.

I used to sit on the right end, corner, of the bandstand while all the other musicians stood or walked all around the stage.

The good looking gals used to come up to me, raise up on their toes in order to lay their 'charms' atop a guard rail that circled the front of the bandstand, and then engage me in endless hours of light hearted conversation.

I didn't go home richer as some of you obviously did, however I did go home 'highly enlightened'.
Gee's I loved/miss my job.

We had a couple clear from Guymon in the Okla. panhandle show up a while back at our every Wednesday nite dance come up and said he heard I played the devil out of the Steel Guitar Rag and they drove all the way in to see if I would do it for them, which I was pleased to do. When we finished, they stopped by and said"Boy, they weren't kidding!" They have been back and said they really enjoyed our band. Makes ya glad you can do it.
We are requested to do the SG Rag and /or Panhandle Rag every Wed. nite. We have some cloggers really get with it on the SG Rag.
Tonite's the nite, so will get to play it again---can hardly wait! Ya might say we really have a ball!!!

Jack

If you've heard it once
You've heard it a thousand times
"Play Steel Guitar Rag!"

Bob Hickish,[did'nt want to confuse you with Bob the banjo player] But I LOVE that tune,Have played it a thousand times[hope I get to play it a thousand more] I'm glad I like it,I play some tunes I can't stand. BUT I'm a FIRM believer if you are working and getting PAID, Play what THEY want.Then when you get home in your music room,Play what you like.When someone pays to hear me,I'm going to do my best to please THEM. When I HAVE to play a tune I don't like ,still will play it the best I can. DYK?BC.

Know her? I married her. Sorry, I thought you said nag.

Arch.

For most people, when they request SGR you could play I Love You Because (uptempo),etc... and they wouldn't know the difference. Most real lovers of steel music, don't want to hear SGR again. It's just that they want to request something, and feel a part of the event. For fiddle it's OBS or Devil Went Down to Georgia. Drums are Wipeout, Piano is always Last Date, Banjo Dueling Banjos, etc... I don't look for any of this to change for a long time. If it does change, it will be that they forget about these tunes and don't request anything at all. I don't recall any new instrumentals in recent years that have caught on in the public's ears to replace them.

Rick,that's because there are none,Remember when they used to play lots of instrumentals on the radio.country and rock and pop,and not for station breaks,used to hear Les Paul,Chet,Boots Floyd,The Ventures,Bill Doggett,Dwayne Eddie,on the rock stations later on Billy Preston,Edgar Winter,etc,The last instrumental I heard on the charts was Cliffs of Dover,a long time ago. DYK?BC.

Back in the 70's, I was into the bluegrass thing and played a few gigs at a motel bar in Ocoee, Florida, just outside Orlando.
The two most requested songs were "Dueling Banjos"and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown". I played a duet with a banjo player and we sure did get sick of playing those songs. I guess they were popular because of the recent movies, "Deliverance" and "Bonnie and Clyde".
I dont play six string standard guitar much anymore, but I will not play " Dueling Banjos".

Morgan Scoggins wrote: I dont play six string standard guitar much anymore, but I will not play " Dueling Banjos".

Party Pooper

You know, just last Saturday night this guy came up to me on the break and said, "hey Shorty I see you are still playing that piano, its sounding great" I looked at him and said, Thanks. Now that really makes a steel picker you feel good, Shorty

Shorty,had you just got through playing LAST DATE ? By the way saw Neil's wife the other day,she said he was working with ya'll. DYK?BC.

I'm just impressed that he had a crowd to play for!
Bryant

Charlie,Neil is playing lead guitar and I'm enjoying it, good to have a guitar picker that knows how to play country, Shorty

I always tried to do a request from a listener, if I would fake through it, or know it. It always brings me a warm satisfied feeling inside me, that I am the entertainer, not there to satisfy my own ego. Once at a bluegrass jam, a older woman came up to me,(i was 68, and born in 1939)and asked me if I could play and sing her favorite bluegrass song. She then told me she moved to northern Ohio, when she got married, in 1940. (that's dating her age) When I was going home, my wife was crabbing at me, saying I was flirting with her. I always tried to please the audience.

Playing a solo guitar single gig and get a request for "Wipeout"?? It has happened to me more than once.

They could be so out of touch that they think your
a piano player and request Last Date.