The Steel Guitar Forum

I want them to think about intoneation 1st, tone 2nd and licks 3rd. To many times players seek the hot licks first which I can identify with, but if you are out of tune and sound like a cat in heat your band mates might not be as encouraging to let you play very much.

Last night Loren Depping asked me where my tone came from, me or my amp. The toneality comes from my amp settings, the timbre comes from my guitar, the soul and emotion comes from me, the attack of the string comes from my right hand. TOGETHER THEY ALL ADD UP to what you hear.

I never teach licks, I try to get the student to first grasp simple pockets and moving from one to another using different grips as he is so moved to do with expression and remembering to BREATHE. One well placed note is worth more than a handfull of misc note just scattered around.

I could go on and on here but will add more as this thread grows.

Call me, let's talk steel
Larry Behm
503-722-7562

I never teach licks

Larry,
Rudiments and basics are obvious building blocks but you really need to supplement your students enthusiasm with a bonus. Yes, a hot lick or two, nothing cheesy. That little extra will do more than you can imagine.

I've never heard TONE explained any better!

I was never happy with that saying that 'tone comes completely from the player'. Now I have a definition that I can live with. Quite an obvious analysis when you re-read it a few times but I never came up with it quite so nicely phrased. Yes, I can live with that version of what tone is.

Regards, Allan.....

the soul and emotion comes from me, the attack of the string comes from my right hand.

Odd to me, that you would separate these two.

When I first started studying percussion, back in the mid-1960's, we had to learn (memorize) the "First Thirteen" rudiments, which were common "licks" that were played on drums. Next, we moved to the "Second Thirteen" rudiments. Back in those days these were the 26 basic rudiments, or licks, that were used in writing and playing drums. That number has now increased:

Click Here

These were the licks we had to learn, along with proper placement of the drum(s), posture, holding the sticks properly, stick control, etc.

Lee, from South Texas

HANDS; HANDS; HANDS.

To me the emotion of my playing is what I elect to play, how long I hang on a note before I strike another, the sliding from one fret to another "sneaking up on a note" to push and pull on the melody line thus creating something interesting for the listener vs just the straight melody over and over and over and over again.

My hands are directed by my brain, how hard I play a note, how soft, how quick, how many strings played together, how far apart (3 & 5) (5 & 8 ) etc.

This is not ment to be a thread about "tone comes from the hands" but is just showing how I approach young player helping them to establish a priority to work toward. Bad intonation, not blocking, your amp treble on 10 may not get you working as fast as you might like.

Gary, when the time is right I will show them every lick I know, yes both of them. But if they cannot block, if they cannot hit the strings they want to because their hand is out of position, their volume pedal sounds like the tremelo is on full, their bar is shivering to death, their picks are flying off, their pedals are hitting the floor, well you get the idea. We must learn where the gas and break pedals are before we hit the freeway.

Larry Behm

Well said Larry, wish I had been around you when I started..