The Steel Guitar Forum

Ok, after having discussed this item with BOb I want to start with this:
A steelplayers chalenge!

What will happen?You will get a link where you can download an MP3 file from a recorded countrysong. All is in it, except the steelguitar!

Now it's your mission to add pedalsteel to this song.
You record it, and upload your result on a soundcloud-account as an MP3file.

No matter if you are a bedroompicker or a pro-player, everyone has the chance now to show the steelguitarworld your approach of a song. We all can learn from this , esspecially from the feedback we all can give to each other.

The soundquality is of no concern. You can record in a studio or with an audiocassetterecorder, what matters is your creative approach.

Rules:
*We all work with this song, the writer/producer gave me permission to use it.

*We upload on a soundcloud account. In this thread you past a link to your result.Is that not possible, let me know, I will help you then.

*Everyone can hear the results of your playing and you can give eachother positive feedback.Negative comments are not allowed.

* We all can learn from this. Esspecially from the comments you write at your own recording.Like: Where do I play, where not, use of effects, amps, C6, E9, whatever.

* It's not a game, there are no winners or loosers, no prizes, it's just a chance to exchange ideas about approaches from the same song.

When this will work , we can do this often with another song in another style.

For this first chalenge I choose a modern contemporary countrysong ballad from Tom Cerrigione.
He will be lurking too
Again, because the Forumserver can't handle all the soundfiles, just past a link in this thread from your upload.
Thanks

Closingtime for uploading your playing:
April 26th.And now:

Download this song:
http://soundcloud.com/steeljj/times-gonna-fly

here are the chords:
(I didn't mark intro's bridge or ending, sorry for that)


Add steel, und upload an MP3 on soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/(make an account! )

Past a link to your result in this thread!
Good luck.

Johan

I love this idea.

Great idea and a very nice song to start with. Thanks Johan.

Johan,

I think the chord chart would be helpful.
Can you post it in the thread?

RT

Cool idea, Johan. I like using Soundcloud for this.

I agree with Roy that a chord chart would be helpful. Got one?

Hi Guys and Girls, I made a soundchart with BIAB, see first post. that's all Folks!
Good luck!

Here is already my first try:
I decided to lay the accent on the chorusses.
I doubled the G to C slides (15 to and the intro's 20 string 4,3,1
I used a Roland GP100 and Mesa-Boogie preamp.
Guitar is a Shobud-Fender with BL705

http://snd.sc/guAyOl
Hope you like it

We had the idea a few years ago in No Peddlers using Cold Cold Heart as the template. Nice to see you pedal guys catching up!

bump!

Here's my attempt: http://soundcloud.com/user3264119/time-first-take

This was played on my Rittenberry SD-10, Lawrence 705 pickup, a medium amount of delay, DD-3. The playing is too busy, but I just played as if I was doing it live. Nothing special, but I'm satisfied with it as a first try.

Does anyone know the BPM for this song?

Hi Bob,
I guess it's around 70 BPM I made a little Biab file for it. It isn't the right style, but it works for practise. I will mail it to you, don't know how to upload it on this forum.
regards, Johan

Hi Bill,
shure , your playing is somewhat bussy
but you have a very nice sound and approach!
Wait till some others put their attempts here.
Some posted it in a mail to me,I hope they will post it uphere, please, have the courage! You all do very well!
Johan

oh what the heck...
http://soundcloud.com/gary-lee/time

Gary that was really great tasteful playing - the little theme you came up with for the chorus gave the whole song a lift. Out of interest did you come up with that hook before you played it or did it come from picking around in a certain position?

Johan, this is a cool idea. Is it best to leave comments on this thread or on each soundcloud page - maybe with a message here to say "you have comments" and bump up the thread?

I don't think I could come up with anything better than the posts so far but I'll happily give constructive criticism

Hi all,

After a while I will put all the results in one 'reply' with all the comments, than it's easier to compare.
Please, show all your playing. It's not about technical level, it's about being creative in approach to a song. Everyone can learn from this, that's where it's all about!

The best is to leave the comments here, instead of on soundcloud, it's easier for all of us that way.

nice you like it!
regards, Johan

Out of interest did you come up with that hook before you played it

Jonathan, I found some inspiration after work with some Bulleit small batch rye whiskey, then, noodled a tad and heard in my head what was eventually recorded. Thanks for the compliment!
gL

There you have it, secrets of the modern steel guitarist revealed! Well, I like the less is more approach. And you wisely steered clear of the screaming guitar solo.

steered clear of the screaming guitar solo

There is a time and place for screaming tele solos; beware, don't step on the steel players toes.

I have clocked the tempo at 72 BPM. Also, there's a bar of 2 at the pause (but that's obvious, no?).

Still working on my version.

This sounds like a fun thing to play with ... I really love the idea of this and this is a very nice song to begin with.

I've recorded on songs with this sort of flavoring and instrumentation in the past and some of the engineers had different ideas how they wanted the steel tracks laid ... some wanted the steel very conservative, others wanted the steel to play standard commercial parts throughout while others took the approach that the song was "wide open for dominant steel throughout". I'm still trying to decide which approach I want to take (for the fun of it, though, I may take the "wide open for steel throughout" direction just to see how it turns out).

I'm eager to hear the tracks others have laid down already, but since this is a fun thing to see a steel player's personal approach to the song, I'm not going to listen to any of them until after I've made my attempt.

Gary, nice work!!!:D After listening to your track, I couldn't play the song without either 1) playing that hook in the chorus or 2) consciously trying not to, just to be different. In other words, it's a HOOK! And for a commercial song like this, that's the s***!

Beautifull, tastefull playing Gary!!!

Brint & Johan, thanks for the complements. Say Brint, I'm picken with a swing band named String Theory. We're in Annapolis this Friday @ 49 W, next Saturday @ Germano's, Little Italy Baltimore Md. Our band sports a superb fiddler who hails from Poland, w/accent. I'll put you our Baltimore guest list if you wanna attend, no guests lists are allowed in Annapolis as this place is small, but one of the most intimate listening lounges you'd ever experience.
gL

I'm having a hard time with the Soundcloud thing. I uploaded my file--that seemed to go okay. But it goes to "preparing for transcoding" and just stops.
What am I doing wrong?
Johan?

Oops--never mind. It just transcoded!