The Steel Guitar Forum

Played a gig last night, where the fiddle player was trying to take me out with the bowing elbow!! Now I have a black eye and maybe a concussion thanks to orange blossom special

Your sitting too close to the mic.

Last Sunday I went to a farewell to a muscian, I was in High School. His ashes were sitting atop the mixer as blaring rock music was played obnoxiously loud. Anyway, I noticed that the stage was barely large enough for the standing band members. In that case a fiddler would have a difficult time not injuring anyone.

Try sitting to the left of a bass player every night on a small stage

Just a suggestion,

Before the 1st set, pass the steel bar around and let everone heft it. Then just say, we aren't going to hurt each other, are we?

tell me about ithttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0eDgWM14SU

I agree with Bo,Sitting to the left of a Fender P-bass player can be deadly. But not NEAR as annoying as sharing a bandstand with a cute little dudedette female singer with either castanets,maracas,and the worst of all a tambourine in her paws. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

You got to be more careful about letting the dang fiddle player set on your Pak a Seat.

Aaron Wayne wrote:Played a gig last night, where the fiddle player was trying to take me out with the bowing elbow!! Now I have a black eye and maybe a concussion thanks to orange blossom special

The fiddle player actually played the OBS? Has he no shame?

I like the OBS about as well as bob likes the banjo. Actually when i first learned it at about the age of 10 i liked it about the first 10,000 times i had to play it.

Do you know why a fiddle player's fingers are like lightning...???

They rarely hit the same place twice....


Joe Rogers

Tracy, you wrote the last part, I didn't....


Joe Rogers

[quote="Joe Rogers"]Tracy, you wrote the last part, I didn't....

I saw that also Joe. This stupid computer is acting up,,again. Tracy

Hahahaaaaa, no problem my friend!!

If you think you're having problems, I am offshore in the Gulf of Mexico watching the storm building up around me!! Hoping to get out tomorrow!!!

Joe

[quote="Joe Rogers"]Tracy, you wrote the last part, I didn't....
I know Joe and hope this isn't a double post. This computer or the server seems to have a mind of its own tonight. I also had problems on another forum. Tracy
BTW. stay safe.

Joe Rogers wrote:Hahahaaaaa, no problem my friend!!

If you think you're having problems, I am offshore in the Gulf of Mexico watching the storm building up around me!! Hoping to get out tomorrow!!!

Joe

Send that storm on up here. We need it and if i remember correctly it is called rain.

My truck is parked at the heliport, it is below sea level, and they are predicting 20 inches of rain over the next few days!!! LOL!!

Oh well, better get back on topic before we get bumped off.

Have a good one !!

Joe

To be serious about this matter: People don't consider that unlike a steel player, guitar, bass, etc..... a fiddler needs about twice as much room to play as he does standing still. This is not about the squirming Mac McGahee style of playing, it's simply that the movement of the bow arm takes that much space.

OBS is pretty much boring fiddle music to a fiddler. It's a very simple song to play if you have a good rhythm section. Without a good rhythm section, it's almost impossible to play..... and sound good.

I have the utmost respect for ANYONE who plays fiddle. For me it is the most un-natural position requiring total contortion of my arms, shoulders, and neck to play it. I have been told by some that it is possibly I am not utilizing proper posture. I do try my best. But I will also say that one of the top studio fiddle players of the 90's agreed with me, he dealt with all sorts of muscle issues much in the same manner I do when I play it a lot.

Pedal steel has its own set of muscles that get worked, but in my case steel is sooooo much easier.


Joe Rogers

I have the utmost respect for fiddle players (who can play).... I've played mandolin for over fifty years now and can get around pretty good on one, actually better than I can on steel. They're tuned exactly the same so you'd think I'd be able to play fiddle but it's that d@med bow thing! I can't seem to get the bow to respond no matter how hard I try and vibrato, you might as well forget that!

I'll never forget one day when my kids were still in grammar school and I got out my fiddle to practice a little. My kids ran into the kitchen to their mother and say "Mom, dad's playing the fiddle again! MAKE HIM STOP!!!!!".........JH in Va.

Jerry, I was in college when I learned to play fiddle. My roomate had one and I would grab it and saw every time he would leave the dorm. I could hear banging through the cinder block walls and voices yelling, "Shut that d**n thing up!!!"....and I am NOT exaggerating!! Hahaaaa!!!

Joe Rogers

Back around 1947 or 1948 Bob Wills did a one night appearance at the old 97th St. Corral. Joe Holly, Bob's premium fiddler was taking a ride. He had one lick where he would crouch down and then jump up in the air. Well, when he jumped up and hit his big lick he lost his grip on the Bow and it went flying out into the audience like an arrow. Luckilly it didn't hit someone in the eye. The audience retrieved it and sent it back to the Bandstand. Johnny Gimble was was playing the other fiddle and Herb Remington was on Steel.

When I learned to play fiddle I had an old dog named Mutt.I would practic on the front porch.He would come up and lay down and put his paws over his head like Duke would on the Beverly Hillbillies.We have a fiddel player so Im sitting, she has to bow over my head,thank God.

Billy, your flying fiddle bow story reminded me of something that happened when I toured with Larry Stewart (lead singer of Restless Heart). Our drummer George Lawrence NEVER gave out drumsticks much less threw them out in the crowd. When the gig was over, he always packed up and went to the bus. This one particular show was close to the end of our tour season. The show got rowdy and this drunk guy in the crowd kept hollering at George the whole show saying, "Man, please throw me a drumstick.....PLEEEAAASE!!!" Last song rocked the house, we got a standing ovation, and this guy was still hollering at George. I guess George figured what the heck, so he ever so gently underhanded a drumstick in the direction of this guy.

Physics took over, gravity and momentum came into play, the stick hit the stage floor, the tip broke off, flew end over end, and the jagged edge landed in this guy's cheek. Blood is flying everywhere, the guy's wife is screaming in fear....then screaming lawsuit, the guy could have cared less. His liquor intake made the injury painless and he felt honored to bear a war wound from a "famous drummer". After a heated talk between the promoter and the guy's wife, things finally calmed down and we went to the bus howling about the whole incident.


Joe Rogers

Saw Hank Snow almost lose his rug to a fiddle bow once. Also heard a guy ask Bobby White (who I worked with MANY times) if he could play Steel Guitar Rag to which Bobby replied "Yeah but why would I want to?" I also heard that perfect pitch is when someone pitches a banjo in the trash can and it hits an accordian.AND YES, P-Basses CAN give you a BLACK EYE!!!