Young people do play the steel guitar

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 10 Nov 2009 8:41 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sSIY8GmG4c

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 10 Nov 2009 9:08 am

Very talented girl! Nice to see this.

Check out this fine rendition of Little Grass Shack by another female steeler (this one obviously older):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG390_4H ... re=channel

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 10 Nov 2009 9:25 am

Aloha Bill,

This is the same girl on the steel. Yumi performed here at the Hawaii HSGA convention at the Ala Wai Club House.

She is a student of Lion Kobayashi.

D

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 10 Nov 2009 9:31 am

She's picking up a lot from Bobby Ingano as well. The mix of the two influences is going to put her into the upper eschelons of steel players soon. She's already real good. And cute!
Got a younger sister that accompanies her, as seen in the clips, and will no doubt get into steel at some point, if not already.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 10 Nov 2009 10:30 am

That's not a Fender this girl is playing but it still does have a lovely tone. Does anybody know what make of steel that is?

admin · Post by **b0b** » 10 Nov 2009 10:42 am

Very cool! Is that a solid body uke? I've never seen an instrument like that before.

I especially enjoyed My Little Grass Shack. These musicians are a real fine example of how effective a simple duo can be.

Maybe it's a Canopus steel?

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 10 Nov 2009 10:48 am

Les, it's most probably a Canopus. They are made in Japan and the owner is an aggressive promoter.

Josh Cho · Post by **Josh Cho** » 10 Nov 2009 10:51 am

Gerald Ross wrote:Re: Young people do play the steel guitar

...unfortunately only in Japan, it seems....

Josh

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 10 Nov 2009 10:59 am

Ah, but not completely so, Joshosan.
I've seen many examples of younsters getting into it more and more, here in Hawaii and in the madland.

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 10 Nov 2009 11:02 am

Yumi has more than one steel, but the last time she was here in Hawaii she was using a yellow Fender she purchased in Japan.

Post by **b0b** » 10 Nov 2009 11:17 am

What is her full name? What do they call their act?

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 10 Nov 2009 11:40 am

b0b wrote:Very cool! Is that a solid body uke? I've never seen an instrument like that before.

I especially enjoyed My Little Grass Shack. These musicians are a real fine example of how effective a simple duo can be.

Maybe it's a Canopus steel?

I hear a bass line on that tune, and maybe a backup guitar (or it might be the uke).

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 10 Nov 2009 11:53 am

Her name is Yumiko Takahashi.
Don't know what their group name is called.

Here's Yumi at the Hawaii Convention with her Fender steel playing "Beautiful Kahana" with her teacher, Lion Kobayashi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiuo0sGa_TQ

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 10 Nov 2009 1:45 pm

Same steel in all 3 video's, so it's a Japan made Fender she's using.

In the first two video's from Japan, sounds like they are playing along to a backing track.

Yumi also plays jazz tunes and does them very well.
Her teacher teachs steel guitar to many students in Japan. I'm pretty sure there will be more students from him of this caliber soon.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 10 Nov 2009 2:21 pm

Derrick Mau wrote:In the first two video's from Japan, sounds like they are playing along to a backing track.

I think it's a drum machine in the keyboard. I don't hear any bass or piano, just drums and the uke.

Steven Davidson · Post by **Steven Davidson** » 10 Nov 2009 2:25 pm

Hey b0b the uke is a bugsgear solid electric, made in Japan. nice sound. I got one

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 10 Nov 2009 2:41 pm

If you listen good, there is bass that was programmed along with the piano's drum machine, and it's more noticeable on the intro before she sings "E Ku'u Morning Dew".

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 10 Nov 2009 5:25 pm

If any of you followed Derrick's link did you notice the intense concentration the girl put on her left hand. She missed a couple of harmonics but she did great for the rest of it. A nice voice as well.

I also checked out the Canopus steel guitars on their website and wow, they sure are not cheap by any means.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 11 Nov 2009 7:12 am

I'm thinking of throwing my CANOPUS into the nearest river ! Wow, Yumi sure has great control over her steel and she looks so relaxed. Her harmonics on "BEAUTIFUL KAHANA" were a bit laboured, however the following tune "AUTUMN LEAVES" is an absolute knock-out !!! 'Lion' has guided her into playing some great jazz licks. He happens to be a very fine jazz pianist also. We can only wish Yumi much success in her future years on steel.

Yes, the CANOPUS is a bit pricey. However, I much prefer it to my Fender Custom. I have a number of steels ... they are all excellent guitars, and as with people, each seem to have their own (tonal) 'personality' .... agree ? JMHO

Laurent Arams · Post by **Laurent Arams** » 11 Nov 2009 10:35 am

George, you should just throw that Canopus my way. It will have a good home if you did decide to leave it at my house!!!

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 12 Nov 2009 9:38 pm

DREAM ON, Laurent !

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 12 Nov 2009 10:17 pm

George Keoki Lake wrote: I have a number of steels ... they are all excellent guitars, and as with people, each seem to have their own (tonal) 'personality' .... agree ? JMHO

I have been trying to convey that for the past five years on this forum but tend to get shot down. The quality of the sound tone of any steel guitar is in the hands of the person who is making it sing. The Fender has its own tone, a Remington has its own tone and so on.........

b0b is going to be sending me some shiny new strings in about a week so that should change the tone of my D8 again.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 13 Nov 2009 9:23 am

Les writes..."The quality of the sound tone of any steel guitar is in the hands of the person who is making it sing."
* * * * * * * * * *
I think therein lies the great beauty of the steel guitar over (most) other instruments. Everyone has a different 'touch' very similar to a fingerprint. For example, I doubt we'll ever hear another exact duplicate Jerry Byrd or Dick McIntire. Some will come close, but never exact.

To further prove this thought, select one steel guitar, (any brand), then have 10 steel guitarists play it one after the other...it will sound like ten entirely DIFFERENT steel guitars. I'm not overly certain this would happen to a violin, accordion or most any other instrument you can name...(?) JMHO of course.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 13 Nov 2009 11:21 am

Probably the theramin is the only instrument other than the human voice that would challenge the steel in this aspect. But even there, the tone would be generally the same with everybody.

Jackiso · Post by **Jackiso** » 15 Nov 2009 5:23 pm

Hi folks, I cannot help chiming in here as the name familiar to us, Yumiko, is being paid big attention here. What Ron and Derrick said are quite right and it’s amazing that she has already been recognized well in the island, thanks to Lion Kobayashi’s efforts to expose her whenever/wherever possible.

As far as I know as a fellow student of Lion, she came to the Lion’s den a few years ago when she was in teens. She had already been learning steel guitar nearly five years but her firm determination that she will become a pro compelled her to knock on the Lion’s door. Lion told her “yes” but on the condition that she would throw away everything she had learnt by then and start from scratch. So she did.

She has a classical back ground and can read notes on a sheet music with no problem. This is a great advantage over us and she picks up whatever Lion teaches her very quick. The first time we hear her playing before us, we got shock. An island soft breeze blew into the room but at typhoon speed. Her Kohala March was a knock out. These days she plays JB version of Slippery Elms but faster than JB. As you hear on YouTube clips she is not only a quick picker but moves the bar with island smoothness. Here I’m sure Bobby Ingano contributed a lot.

BTW, the name of the band( duo of Yumiko and her younger sister) is “Honey’s”, probably named after the venue they frequent.

The single neck steel she used in the clips is most likely either Deluxe 8 by Fender USA or its sibling made by Fender Japan the one I sold to Lion for her use. I think it’s the latter because Japanese body cuts its edges a bit sharper, which is evident in a shot of beginning of Autumn Leaves.

Mahalo,
Jack Isomura