Swelled-headedness And Cowboy Hats

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 5 Mar 2010 4:34 am

If you are by chance seated favorably at your steel, with all bandmembers in clear view, take note of those who don their hats at showtime. It's a peculiar tradition dating back to the late twenties and early thirties. Those wide-brimmed white and black hats implied "cowboy" or country music. Everyone with normal eyesight is blessed with peripheral vision. This enables them to catch movements from side to side. Steel guitarists, were caught up in this "swelled-headedness", as they are today. The tradition of implying that I play country, has connected with fans as well. The steel player's peripheral vision should be able to pick up those who may attempt to commandeer a steel player's assigned floor space, before adjusting his ten gallon hat to comfortably fit his swelling cranium. This is an the area where steel related expertise pays off. Developing the skills that become your best defenses amid calloused individuals, is worth working toward in home practice sessions. Nothing that I know of, can surpass a skillful steel performance by a bandmember, in a troubled band.

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 5 Mar 2010 4:58 am

Bill,
At one time I had an ego and managed to always upstage the other guys............then I found out how much I didn't know and how much I couldn't do..........sure changed my outlook.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 5 Mar 2010 5:35 am

Roual,

There is something traditional about sole support. Thanks Roual for those few words that you've written. If no other comments are forthcoming, we have both made strong points concerning confidence levels, and how they vary, from person to person.

To encompass big name entertainers, may be a long "row to hoe."

Arty Passes · Post by **Arty Passes** » 5 Mar 2010 6:31 am

I believe it's "Row to hoe" (as in farming)

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 5 Mar 2010 6:45 am

Bill you, like others, just don't git it.

phred

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 5 Mar 2010 6:49 am

Arty,

I once worked with a highway department. We followed a town grader for miles raking the stones off to the side of the road. Any arduous task brings back memories of that foreman perched high in the cab of the grader. From that day to this, it's been a road to hoe getting that HANDLE on the steel guitar, and reality.

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 5 Mar 2010 7:18 am

What Fred said, You would have to be a real cowhand to understand.
BD

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 5 Mar 2010 7:34 am

Developing the skills that become your best defenses amid calloused individuals, is worth working toward in home practice sessions.

Bill:
(1)How does one develop these skills while sitting at home?

(2)While developing defensive skills at home, you will find whatever chops you had, slipping away. Then you will find yourself defending your clams all night long. $:\$

Arty Passes · Post by **Arty Passes** » 5 Mar 2010 7:55 am

Well, Bill, then it would be a hard road to rake.
And good luck with that reality thing.

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 5 Mar 2010 8:11 am

A lot of these "issues" may just go away if you keep your head down, work hard, try to be as professional as possible, and, most importantly, try to get along with everyone you meet. Life really doesn't have to be all that difficult and steel playing should be fun. Watch Mike Daily backing up George Strait sometime - 'nuf said.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 5 Mar 2010 8:15 am

Barry,

Fancy clothes, Stetsons, and $500.00 boots, are for the most part for show. Much like the claims made by a musician in Faron's road band, play three notes on your steel, and I'll tell you if you are worthy of those fancy boots. Faron's lead players had joked about Northern pickers in such a way, in Hinsdale MA., back in the nineties. I'll just say, they didn't mind receiving the "milk and honey".

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 5 Mar 2010 8:25 am

...and that has to do with my reply, how?

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 5 Mar 2010 8:46 am

Barry,

It wasn't difficult to catch on to your belittling motivations. You have adapted the rewording game by taking things out of context, and have practiced forgetting the actual words, so as to delude readers.

Don Poland · Post by **Don Poland** » 5 Mar 2010 8:56 am

...deluding readers???

THAT is fresh!!!

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 5 Mar 2010 8:59 am

I get it, I just like that western look and want to wear a damn big hat. I'm not a cowhand, so sue me.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 5 Mar 2010 9:02 am

Jeff,

I'm aware of George's hats, and Mike's level of playing. I watched Buddy Emmons play in a cramped music store in North Providence, Rhode Island. I was very close to the action. Are you suggesting that I'll see something better, than I saw in Rhode Island? Furthermore, I resent your comments about getting along with musicians. Clothing artifices can make or break a musician over time, financially and otherwise.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 5 Mar 2010 9:10 am

Bill Hankey wrote:Everyone with normal eyesight is blessed with peripheral vision. This enables them to catch movements from side to side. Steel guitarists, were caught up in this "swelled-headedness", as they are today.

Arty Passes wrote:I believe it's "Row to hoe" (as in farming)

The necessitudes of vita agricola, with its concommitant varied physical exertions... regardless of atmospheric conditions, mind you... can be severely deleterious to one's sense of self-worth, that dependent almost entirely on the success of the harvest of that seed which had been previously sown and soon to be reaped.

And who amongst us would disagree that it seems counter-intuitive that such an ego deflating event as chronicled above would be balanced by the slight swelling of the cranial area, due to heat absorption and perspiration? Hence the need for some manner of device to control both tissue expansion and fluid excretory control. Since a western style hat has both 1) a large brim, and 2) a small leather piece referred to as a "sweat band," such a chapeau would indeed be appropriate.

I do so enjoy steel guitar discussions, though I'm not sure what peripheral vision has to do with anything.

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 5 Mar 2010 9:25 am

Well said Herb, I don't know what it means but it sure sounds great.

Stephen Silver · Post by **Stephen Silver** » 5 Mar 2010 9:30 am

billy squealed out

Furthermore, I resent your comments about getting along with musicians

In hankeyland, getting along with others is not a priority, but always being "right" and having the last word about anything IS the priority.

And Barry, what have you not learned about billys propensity to never directly answer a question?

Herb, peripheral vision is so very important to avoid being on the blind side of billys musings. Don't want to get hit upside the head with a dangling participle or perjorative adverb now do you?

ROTFLMAO

CLICK

Pat Carlson · Post by **Pat Carlson** » 5 Mar 2010 9:33 am

Bill when you bring the herd in off the range to the river for a drink

it is a good idea to dip your hat in upstream of the herd!

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 5 Mar 2010 9:34 am

Given the chose between being a really good steel player trying to look like a cowboy or being a real honest to goodness cowboy, I'd rather be the guy that owns the ranch.

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 5 Mar 2010 9:35 am

Herb,

I can't imagine how your infinite wisdom in matters relating to the steel guitar, would go beyond the bounds of vital statistics. Early American farmers knew all about the peripheral vision, resulting in the use of blinders on their farm stock. Steel players are obliged, by finding peripheral vision depended upon by envisioning steel moves well in advance of making the changes.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 5 Mar 2010 9:46 am

Bill,

As a suggestion (and I only mention this because you are such a prolific poster who also seems to generate your fair share of confusion in the minds of other forumites), proper use of punctuation would go a long way in providing clarity to your readers. For instance:

"If you are by chance seated favorably at your steel, with all bandmembers in clear view, take note of those who don their hats at showtime."

There is no comma necessary between steel and with. It should read "...favorably at your steel with all bandmembers, ..."

"Steel guitarists, were caught up in this "swelled-headedness", as they are today."

Should be: "Steel guitarists were caught up in this 'swelled-headedness'(in the past) as (much) as they are today." no commas needed.

"The tradition of implying that I play country, has connected with fans as well." would be better as " The tradition of (wearing hats) to imply that I play country has connected with fans as well."

"Nothing that I know of, can surpass a skillful steel performance by a bandmember, in a troubled band" no commas please. The commas here do not aid clarity, but create confusion and are improperly used.

sorry...I just couldn't help myself. I write this knowing full well that it will have no impact. Why you write with, what seems to me, such a purposeful lack of proper grammar has always been a head scratcher to me.

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 5 Mar 2010 9:49 am

Hell, If you like wearing a cowboy hat wear one, If you don't then just don't. It doesn't make you more or less of a musician. I do have a problem with the sterotyping that goes along with the wearing of certain things though. Just as I do with the image of country people and [southern in particular]that the t.v. show Hee Haw shed all those years. I sometimes wonder about these young guys that come here to Nashville to make their mark in the world with their nice western clothes and $300.00 hats but can't play 2 chords on a guitar and can marginally sing at best. Do they have their musical priorities in order? But, I'll say this, I'd rather see a guy wearing a real nice western outfit than some guy with holes in his jeans and looking like he slept in his clothes under a bridge somewhere then get up on a stage somewhere in front of a paying public. Those people deserve better than that.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 5 Mar 2010 9:50 am

Bill Hankey wrote:...Early American farmers knew all about the peripheral vision, resulting in the use of blinders on their farm stock. Steel players are obliged, by finding peripheral vision depended upon by envisioning steel moves well in advance of making the changes.

Early American farmers also knew that it takes a lot of manure to get a good crop.