The Steel Guitar Forum

He can shred in G tuning.....

http://www.youtube.com/user/nakosmarker

As the fish said when it swam into the cement wall:
DAM!

Thanks for the link HR. His other vid has incredible tapping. Without the vid I'd think I was hearing a Floyd Rose equipped standard guitar.

His profile says he's 18.
Maybe nobody told him that G Major tuning is only good for B'Grass.

Dobro players are getting crazier by the minute!

Very cool--man, when you're in your teens you have nothing to do but go to school and pick. I remember those days well.

Here's his other vid......we've got to get this guy on here.....


http://www.youtube.com/user/nakosmarker ... eNQ7dW6QB8

Oh to be young again. If I tried to headbang to this I think I'd pass out.

There's a whole album of this guy's stuff, which you can download for free from:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/69179

From what I've heard so far it's, er, interesting, to say the least. May take a few listens, but it's certainly different.

Chris

Holy smokes, can he play. So amazingly fast.....with his fingers (like Johnny Winter, but on lap steel)........and using a steel. Much of his shredding sounded vaguely similar to the Steve Vai part when he went up against Ralph Macchio in their guitar duel at the end of CROSSROADS.

Smokin'!

Mike Neer wrote:Dobro.

Ha!, I just discovered this guy on YT after bailing on this thread after the word 'dobro' last week...

Impressive to see it on steel, but how much of the 80s can you still stand?
I'd definitely like to hear him work other (less about chops) styles with more melody and soul.

I did a bit of fishing around and found that he was a dobro player (plus I think it's pretty easy to see). I could tell by the strap, too.

The guys right hand is scary fast. He may play a dobro also but I can tell this guy is an old Yngwie fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb5DXL8jWzM

His hand takes a figure that reminds me of crabs running sideways from the ocean up the sand in the south pacific.

Blistering fast playing and playing with feeling are two different things.

I actually got impressed for around 45 seconds which is about 1/4 of what Robert Randolf did for me.

I'm sure he's a swell fella and he sure can play fast, but I just don't like that flurry of poorly articulated hammer-ons, pull-offs, and tapping sort of thing so popular these days, the proverbial Now sounds of the Now Generation coming to you at the speed of Now. Alas, all so often this superfouous form over substance spectacle.

Rant over.

I actually got impressed for around 45 seconds...

I know what you mean, Danny. He's a fast picker, but after about 15 seconds of shredding I'm ready to change the channel.
This issue of Flash vs. Feeling has come up on this forum before. I think "flash" is great to have when you need it, but a little bit goes a long way. I find that audiences respond more to the sweet, singing voice of the steel guitar, and an occasional cluster of fast notes. Or maybe a cluster*#@!...? oh, never mind!

Now matter how you slice it, it's still very impressive to see that kind of determination to pull that kind of playing off. I know I can't do it!

Where's the videos?????!!!!!

That channel has apparently been removed some time in the last four years since Mike originally started this discussion. Search for "Nakos Marker" to find any other references for him.

I met Nakos a couple of years ago. He came by for a lesson. I must admit, there wasn't much I could show him about right hand technique! So we talked about tone and phrasing and, if I remember correctly, I told him his real challenge is to figure out what kind of music he really wants to play. He certainly had the ability to go in any direction but, as many here know, it sometimes takes awhile to truly find your musical identity. I haven't heard from him since then, but I hope his life and musical journeys are making him happy. Dude can play!

I think "flash" is great to have when you need it, but a little bit goes a long way.

After playing something or another for about 62 years I know that the "flash" number is what the audience remembers you for, and evaluates you by. I hate that fact but I have many times lowered myself to do it. It's like hitting a mule with a two by four while training him; first you need to get his attention.

I would rather have chops to burn and use them at my discretion than to not have them at all. To get chops requires serious effort, which should be lauded not condemned.

Every musician hears things differently. Some people may not hear the soul in Allan Holdsworth's playing or in John Coltrane, or in Arnold Schoenberg's piano music, but it speaks to me. I work hard everyday at trying to build my chops and find the perfect balance to satisfy myself.

Chops have their place but are usually way overrated, especially these days when emotional playing is largely ignored in favor of whatever else. Impression by expression comes immediately to mind as I'd rather hear somebody place chopless but movingly any day. Jerry Byrd wasn't a chops guy, his forte was his left hand, the one closest to his heart and where he made his fame and almost fortune because it caused true listeners to listen even more attentitively and stirred something deep inside, much more than just the head, or worse... booty. The steel guitar is ideal for slow playing, Jerry said it's harder to play slow than fast because you have to dig deeper and actually say something meaningful, there's no room to hide. Speedy is another high profile example where everybody thinks acrobatics and such about when talking about his playing, yet listen to his harder to find slow stuff and he becomes much greater. The guy could really emote.

Ron Whitfield wrote:Impression by expression comes immediately to mind

Impression by depression!

The steel guitar is for slow or fast playing, as proven by countless players. It is ideal for playing slow, but that is not enough. I see no benefit in tethering the instrument to any particular style, either.

Nakos is primarily a dobro player. Tell me dobro is for slow playing....

Like I said, everyone hears music differently. If it doesn't float our boats, do we have to deride it?

Anyway, Nakos introduced himself on this thread: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=259960
It's rude to talk about him like he's not here.

Mike Neer wrote: It's rude to talk about him like he's not here.

Maybe I missed it, but I don't think anyone's talked directly about Nakos - except Orville, since 2010, just opinions on their preferred style. No doubt this young guy has put in a ton of time to excel at his passion.

Mike Neer wrote:Impression by depression!

The steel guitar is for slow or fast playing, as proven by countless players. It is ideal for playing slow, but that is not enough. I see no benefit in tethering the instrument to any particular style, either.

Nakos is primarily a dobro player. Tell me dobro is for slow playing....

If it doesn't float our boats, do we have to deride it?

Ooops, now we're talking pedal steel!
It's all good, I'd never really deride anyone's music if it's from the heart or even remotely palatable to me. Variety is the spice of life and the fast playing of Elvis' gang, Berry, Cochran, rockabilly et al and then Dick Dale is what really set me off on music in the first place.
But eventually I realized that playing real slow means whole other aspects of a musician have to surface, like Jimi's slow stuff showed, those tend to be my favorites, and not that many even try.

Dobro? I don't think I've heard a slow'bro player. Probably another reason why I don't listen to it other than Josh Graves.
I mentioned to Byrd how I thot the old steel marches were just an opportunity to show off, and after mulling it he agreed. But if a fast player has the goods, I like them too if only because I'll never be that good on the right hand and get amazed.

Oh and, no offense to Nakos (hope you're still out there), I just didn't think of him when replying.

Ron Whitfield wrote:
Dobro? I don't think I've heard a slow'bro player. Probably another reason why I don't listen to it other than Josh Graves.

I have a few slow dobro arrangements you might like Ron...maybe...
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Wichita Lineman
Corcovado
Christmas Time Is Here
The Christmas Song

Greg Booth wrote:maybe...

I struggled thru the first cut, only because my 'puter is unhappy and fribitzing out on vids, but it was real nice, Greg. Hoping to enjoy the rest.
Dobro, the new mellow?