The Steel Guitar Forum

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 6:22 am**

Most of the intimidations associated with playing the steel guitar can be reduced to almost nil. This flashy stuff seen by wanna-bes, can be shown to be reduced to simplicity by a good pedal and knee lever arrangement, and changing the modes of string attacks. Most of what appears to be difficult, can be performed with much less effort. The left leg is the most critical and necessary involvement in making playing steel look easier by far. Singers allow very short intervals of steel breaks. The approach to offset the clamor of band setups can be reestablished by doing away with flashy turnarounds.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 7:04 am**

In bygone days, one could easily tell the upcoming song to be played on radio/CD by the introduction that was typically played by the steel guitar or fiddle. Usually the last 8 measures of the song itself.
Nowadays, it seems all intro's are orchestral or production "Hollywood" movie type intro's.
I feel something was lost.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 7:50 am**

myths about the pedal steel I encounter frequently:
-it cant possibly stay in tune
-it must break ALOT of strings
-that thing must be hard to play whereas a lap steel must be pretty easy to play
-its gonna sound country or "whiney" no matter how you play it
-since you play pedal steel, you must have nothing better to do and are so eager for any opportunity to play that you must be willing, no... honored, to come spend hours or even days helping me record my vanity singer songwriter demos for free right? what ? you want pay for that? you (and therefor all steel players)must be a real conceited jerk!

I dont care what other people think about me or my instrument any more. let em have whatever phantasies or prejudices they will about it.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 8:23 am**

Ben Jones wrote:myths about the pedal steel I encounter frequently:
-it cant possibly stay in tune
-it must break ALOT of strings
-that thing must be hard to play whereas a lap steel must be pretty easy to play
-its gonna sound country or "whiney" no matter how you play it
-since you play pedal steel, you must have nothing better to do and are so eager for any opportunity to play that you must be willing, no... honored, to come spend hours or even days helping me record my vanity singer songwriter demos for free right? what ? you want pay for that? you (and therefor all steel players)must be a real conceited jerk!

I know, Ben. This is a brutal presumption on behalf of others, and it drives me nuts. That's why when someone calls for a steel session, I charge a flat rate of $200 and $100 a song thereafter. And I demand the cheque up front. My goal, of course, is to deter them. I'm not a big fan of the studio, especially now that most people are recording themselves in the basement, where something is always going wrong with the computer and the session is beyond frustrating due to incompetence. I know.....I'm a ray of sunshine, right?

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 9:22 am**

so chris, does that mean you get $300 for one song? that's pretty good.....and a deterrent that would probably always work in my case...i think i'll try it!

ben...i love the free vanity recordings..that's funny and so true.

bill...that picture in your avatar makes you look like a normal person.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 9:44 am**

Chris, I will actually do two songs for $200, but even if they want one song, I still charge $200. The loading of the gear alone warrants that. As we all know, we don't get paid for playing. We get paid for loading gear, dealing with weirdos, and...well, dealing with more weirdos.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 9:58 am**

If there is going to be intimidation and I have to use knee levers, I’m going to pack up my crap and leave. Who needs all that stress.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 10:01 am**

Bill Hankey wrote:"Most of the intimidations associated with playing the steel guitar can be reduced to almost nil."

No it cannot. The instrument itself is complicated. To reduce the intimidation is like playing with a rattle snake. When you are no longer intimidated by the snake then the snake senses that and bites you when you let your guard down. You will let your guard down because you are no longer intimidated.

"This flashy stuff seen by wanna-bes, can be shown to be reduced to simplicity by a good pedal and knee lever arrangement, and changing the modes of string attacks."

No it cannot. "Flashy" stuff is not simplified by just moving a knee or a pedal or picking differently. Flashy stuff is difficult. There is no simple Flashy stuff. Flashy stuff also does not come with some sort of visual filter that makes it seen only by "wanna-bes". It is seen by anyone with vision. Flashy stuff will get you chicks so leave it alone. Chicks do not see non flashy things, as they have a visual filter that only allows the flashy stuff to excite them. Thank you Mother Nature.

"Most of what appears to be difficult, can be performed with much less effort. The left leg is the most critical and necessary involvement in making playing steel look easier by far."

No it cannot. The effort that goes into playing with less effort is even more difficult than playing difficult with more effort. There is no need to send your left leg to Charm School to make it look like you are playing easier. If you can get it played then it matters not.

"Singers allow very short intervals of steel breaks."

No they do not. There is not back room secret handshake agreement between singers as to what they will allow or not allow the pedal steel player to do.

"The approach to offset the clamor of band setups can be reestablished by doing away with flashy turnarounds."

OK you are saying to dumb down the turnaround..the only place the steel might get a shot at being heard....that is dumb. He will get no chicks as a result.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 10:50 am**

Bill Hatcher,

I didn't write as a means of dealing with short turnarounds to dumb down! I beg your pardon! On the contrary, depending on a bandleaders moods and preferences, I'd be more apt to say, give him both barrels when he gives the nod. This can be done more effectively, by omitting the flashy stuff, and laying in some pretty chordal changes that require the least amount of bar movement. Shorter glisses will stump the critics, and offer new hope to wanna-bes.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 10:53 am**

What's that got to do with chicks?
Don't mention the word "shorter" around them....

Use a phrase like "more REFINED glisses".....

Refined gets more chicks.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 11:04 am**

Bill Hatcher,

I'm afraid that steel players are distracted by the sweetest of females. I know the feeling. Unquestionably 100% accurate statement on your part. I have a saying for anyone bringing up the subject in my presence. I simply reply, you'd best leave her be, I'm sure she's spoken for. It is an ongoing problem. If you meet certain qualifications, they will swarm all over you to show their appreciation.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 11:13 am**

Bill Hankey wrote:Bill Hatcher,

I'm afraid that steel players are distracted by the sweetest of females. I know the feeling. Unquestionably 100% accurate statement on your part. I have a saying for anyone bringing up the subject in my presence. I simply reply, you'd best leave her be, I'm sure she's spoken for. It is an ongoing problem.

And a fine problem it is Ollie!

You know maybe the reason steel players are chick magnets is because if you think about it, here we are with this round tubal object waving it at them as we go up and down the strings and surely this causes some harmone "flashy stuff" to go on inside of said chicks.

It sure is an ongoing problem.....

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 11:17 am**

chicks don't distract me...i distract them....then i watch them rip each other's tops off fighting over me.
...everything bill hatcher said is true

.....hey...hatcher/hankey....hmmm...could it be?...

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 11:25 am**

I charge 30 dollars a string, and I count from the bottom, so if they only want to spend 100 dollars they had better like blues.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 11:31 am**

Chris,

We must never lose sight of giving preferential treatment to the ladies. Don't allow them to thirst or be held back from things that they desire. IMO, it would be the wrong thing to do.

Speaking of distractions, I hope to peel back several myths that have been carried out for a half century by serving only to intimidate the beginners taking up the pedal steel guitar.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 1:07 pm**

From my vantage point, the majority of steel players rely on foot pedal action in making tone changes, while the knee levers in comparison, are used very little. There is something out of sorts - could the reason be that the knee levers came after the floor pedals? This may account for the fluff seen in many players.

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 3:26 pm**

no go alongo with you on that one, bill-o...

my experience is that most people and myself seem to use more knee lever action than left foot action..or at least as much, hence our charming yet somewhat unexciting left leg leaping appearance...then again, look at what the basic concept of what changes developed on the e9 tuning...from the first most obvious changes on two pedals..on.. outwardly spiralling into the universe...to the outward edges of the solar system, to the next...and so on...like a cosmic hankey thread...and then back, like a finely interwoven fabric of reality...or not!

Posted: **24 Sep 2009 4:07 pm**

Chris,

I'm not concerned about the contradiction, in as much as I've questioned players who do not use all of the knee levers. It's surprising to learn that they are unable to explain which strings are affected by at least 2 of the levers. This lends credence to the suggestion that the majority of players are pedal oriented. The little used 3rd pedal of the E9th neck is not to be left out of each search for designated areas, that may account for the excessive fluff that is becoming commonplace. Among those who are thwarted by the juggling of picks, I'd say to them, resist the comedic fluff. Ostensibly, in keeping with a tradition dating back to the 30's of the last century, the steel player should be mindful of those whose performances have left a trail of memories as far as the eyes can see. You might say that I've been procrastinating on issues that pertain to making changes. After many years of using the "HUF" fretboard, my line of critical views have become wider than ever.

Posted: **25 Sep 2009 1:44 am**

Bo Legg,

You are playing the role of the badger in the woodpile. What is it that changes your concepts when knee levers becomes the subject of interest? Would you be willing to discuss knee levers, and not drop the ball?

Posted: **25 Sep 2009 5:22 am**

Bill, I feel that this otherwise great discussion is being turned towards judging a player on the basis of knee lever usage or lack thereof.
That is not right.

What about the player who doesn't even have the "up to date" setup in amount of levers? You know as well as I that 5 knees these days seem to be the standard minimum. What then about Lloyd Green who has only 4 levers? We all know that Lloyd doesn't even need that many levers. His superb bar slanting makes up for missing levers.

A player should be judged on his using ALL the tools available on the steel guitar. Let's not home in on paltry details like that. Let's not make an otherwise interesting thread get lost in your insistence on discussing knee lever usage.

Posted: **25 Sep 2009 6:58 am**

Bent,

We are long overdue for a systematic steel guitar revitalization which could be accomplished by a system of revisions in standardized practices. Namely; extended efforts of cluing shop owners and managers to get on the ball in musical outlets in the practice of promoting the steel guitar. Their lack of knowledge should not block sales. A knowledgeable representative working on sales commissions might produce revenue from a source previously untried. It would be a mixture of ingenuity and ambition that by all conceivable notions, would set the stage for a new dawning in suppliers throughout the industry.

Bent, knee levers give many clues about their owners personal preferences. Lloyd Green's knee lever arrangement defies all others, His music is known the world over to be from a class of impeccable self-styled steel guitarists.

The knee lever issues, could fill page after page of pros and cons.

Posted: **25 Sep 2009 9:09 am**

Bill, I only use three levers on my E9.
I decided instead of adding levers if I wanted more I would just jump over to the C6 neck. I don't jump over on the C6 because If I have to tune all them strings before a gig I'll just pack up my crap and leave. Who needs that stress?

Posted: **25 Sep 2009 9:43 am**

Other than the E strings i dont even know the names of the strings on my guitar. too many strings, too many sharps, no good acronyms and I just never bothered to learn em.

what does the A pedal do? I couldnt tell you.
I know that my E levers move my E strings. couldnt tell you if its a half step or whole

rock on

Posted: **25 Sep 2009 10:06 am**

Bill Hankey wrote:Bent,
The knee lever issues, could fill page after page of pros and cons.

Well then, Bill, make sure you don't get into all the cons. In other words don't steer the thread to make it appear that it is all about using knee levers. It is more like what I said about the player being assessed on his abilities though ALL the tools available.

You have to remember the bottom line.... To quote our mutually respected teacher, Jeff Newman: Who cares how and where you find the notes as long as it sounds good!
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Posted: **25 Sep 2009 11:54 am**

bill...please explain how lloyd's very basic knee lever set-up defies all others...!! i would have to say you sound like you're nuts with that statement..ha ha..

hey bo..watch out for black widows down there in the woodpile..

The Steel Guitar Forum

Peeling back the myths of the pedal steel guitar

Peeling back the myths of the pedal steel guitar

just a word..................

Re: Peeling back the myths of the pedal steel guitar