The Steel Guitar Forum

I am at a stage of PSG learning (almost 2 years) that is getting me confused...How to practice for max learning...
To be specific: I have lots of material and find myself bouncing around a lot during a practice session. Would I be better off focusing on just one or two pieces of material or techniques, until I have them nailed, or keep bouncing around taking more time but covering more things?
How did/do you practice?

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Allen Harry
Emmons SD10
Mullen D-10,
Nashville 1000

You might set aside the first hour to focus on learning one or two things, then perhaps reviewing what you already know, then for a change of pace, bounce around a bit. If your practice is unfocused, it's a good bet that your playing is unfocused.

I've found recording to backing tapes very helpfull. It's easier to judge how well you play your licks and exercises. rob

I'd work on a couple of song until I got my tone, vol pedal, blocking, rolling my bar, not sliding it back an forth, but keep adding new stuff that don't make much sense now, because later it will all come togather.

Bob.

Bob, You don't grip your bar and ARE sayin you let it roll between your fingers to move from fret to fret. Kenny Ray

Noooo, for your vibrato.

Bob.

Allen, I think it's a good idea to get a song down pat. Then when you are working on your technique and tone you can consentrate better on that. After you feel comfortable with the song and your technique you can try skipping around and seeing where those licks and progressions fit into other songs. It's important not only to learn the song but to understand what you are playing as well.

sgm

Allen, as you can see there are many idea's and formats for practicing and I prescribe to all of them mentioned above. One thing that I do is I have a monthly checklist of the items that I want or need to practice, it includes scales, chromatic riffs , knee lever excersices , songs and follow up of items that I want to improve. I use the list specifically so I do not wander off into a practice session in which I may not accomplish anything! I check off the practice session for the day and in this manner I actually have a log of what I am doing , when I did it ( if at all) and how often. This doesn't mean I don't wander off because I do..but at least I am doing the items I need to with regular consistency. I change the list all the time by adding stuff, but I rarely take things off the list other than songs. Regular disciplined practice makes a difference for sure.
good luck
tp

I agree with Chas that practice time should be a mix of discipline and "bouncing around", unless all you want to do is duplicate others to build up your chops as quickly as possible. For sure Buddy Emmons and other pioneers had to do a lot of noodling around to find their styles - ear training is important, because then (eventually) you can play what you hear, not just what's written.

I'm like you Allen, I haven't got the formula yet.

I had a false start at learning steel years ago at Don Edwards shop in Denver.

I remember a guy who had been taking lessons for about six months and he was in the store playing one of the floor model guitars that were set up.

He sounded pretty good for no more time than he had been at it. I told him he sounded good and he said..."Well, I don't know much, but the stuff I know, I really know"

There was something about his statement that stuck with me.

Kenny Foy,

On second thought, your reply to my post didn't even deserve an answer.

You don't say what you do for a living in your Profile. Your reply makes me wonder.

Bob.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 11 September 2002 at 10:36 AM.]</p></FONT>

Do you have a teacher or are you learning on your own? For those that take lessons, I have a suggestion. Many newer digital cameras have a movie mode that allows taking 30 seconds clips with sound! Each time my teacher shows me a new lick, I just record it. At home, I have my computer and steel guitar hooked up through an inexpansive Eurotrack 6-channel mixer. Thus, I can playback the clips to refresh my memory and then play along to reinforce it. This really helps me to get the most from my lessons.

Thank you all for the sincere replys. I especially like the comments by Bob Carlson, Steve Miller, Tony Prior and David Weaver. Gary, yes I do have a teacher, Dick Meis.

David, I bet Dick was at your house when you posted this. Bet he got a kick out of my post.



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Allen Harry
Emmons SD10
Mullen D-10,
Nashville 1000

Allen, here is how I practice. I play along with songs so I can learn them. Usually, I play along with songs on CDs or tapes. I think the best thing to do would be to play along with different songs so you don't have to play along with one particular song. What you need to do is experiment with different songs, whether the songs are on rhythm tracks or on a tape or CD with somebody singing. Brett Day, Emmons S-10

Since my band plays alot of top 40 covers I usually spend about an hour on my "Sabine Backtrak" breaking down "signature" steel parts to various songs. Than I usually work on figuring out the songs chord progression and getting comfortable with it.
After that i'll turn on my BOSS DR5 ,throw a progression on and doodle until I get tired.
I dont practice using an amp. I run everything through my Yamaha 4 track recorder
and use headphones.
It's the only way to tune out the wife and kids
What I dont do,but should,is take time out to work on theory.
Reading some threads on the subject (hello Jeff), and scratching my head trying to figure out what they're talking about,
have definately made me realize my shortfalls in this area.


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Bob Grado, Williams D10 (lefty), Peavey 1000,
Profex ll.

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by BobG on 11 September 2002 at 07:52 PM.]</p></FONT>

Allen

<SMALL> David, I bet Dick was at your house when you posted this. Bet he got a kick out of my post. </SMALL>

Naw, I posted it after we had lunch together over at the Casa Pasta...

You gonna be able to come to one of our little "newbee" steel jams over at my place? May be the middle of October some time...

BOB, WONDER WHAT??? Nearly self taught by what I know on steel the way I get vibrato IS roll my bar.Not a pro and don't claim to be I am just startin on the steel and lookin for any info I can get on how to play. "rolling my bar, not sliding it back and forth"---left me with the impression I had done picked up a bad habit rite off the get go on going from fret to fret. BTW I updated my profile so check it again. So THANKS for your reply and look forward to any other help you could offer.AGAIN THANKS Kenny Ray <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kenny Foy on 11 September 2002 at 10:07 PM.]</p></FONT>

Besides all the other good suggestions offered on this post, I'd like to suggest learning one melody every time you sit down to practice. It can be a simple one. Hunting & pecking is ok. Make a mental note what interval the melody starts on in relation to the key of the song. For example, "Happy Birday" starts on the 5th of the tonic. Try to learn it in other places on the neck. Learn it in more than just one key. If you have a double neck, learn it on both necks. This little trick will ultimately make you a more melodic soloist...more than just just running scales or licks all the time. I'm always amazed when even some flashy players can't play a song like "Happy Birthday" on demand. Good luck Allen!
p.s. Tell "Uncle Dick" hi from me.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rick Schmidt on 12 September 2002 at 12:54 AM.]</p></FONT>

I have found it helpful to start simple and get basic moves together. One of my favorite methods is Joe Wrights. If you do what he says you will improve quite a bit and very fast.

One thing I do is sit at my steel and sing a short phrase. Then I try to visualize it on the neck and then I play it. Its really hard for me to get it right but its a great excersize.

I almost never practice or learn other steel players licks. I concentrate on more basic scales,chords,melody type stuff. The way I look at it is if I get all excited about some cool riff there is a danger that I will play it ! Just because a lick sounds great on one tune from a particular situation does not mean it will make much musical sense in another. I try to hear something in my head first and then play. Most all of my practicing is with the goal of being able to play what I hear.

Bob

I agree with Tony Prior. I have a list with warmup exercises and some goals that I want to accomplish. Lately I have been using WINAMP on the computer with two add on's called "loopmaster" and "Pacemaker". I can then play a commercial song and loop parts of it until I get it. I can also slow the song down and change the song's key.

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When alot of you 1st started, did you use a lot of tabs or did you have some other musical back ground. I unfortunately don,t have any, except Harmonica ,and I follow steel tab pretty good BUT know there is a day I have to get away from them. Seems like you guys have past the tab stage and are very fortunate. Readin your feedback tells me you are way beyond tab or of what you are speakin, are some of you using tabs n your practicing? Once I have the tab licks n my head I don't need the tab to look at to play. THANKS ,Kenny

Something else that's fun to do is take some of that Ray Price stuff and mute the channel that has the steel. (Or flip your balance control to one side.) I know it somehow sounds blasphemous, but you can eliminate most if not all of the steel from the mix, depending on how the steel was panned. One that works particularly well is CD #10 from the box set. You still have Ray, the bass, and acoustic guitar left on most cuts. I play along and sound just like Jimmy and Buddy....(Durante and Hackett)

Sorry Kenny Foy, I thought you were some wise guy trying to stir it up.

But if you think about trying to roll your bar as you moved from fret to fret....be kind of hard to do.

And you bet I use tab. Like you said in your latter post, you learn things you can use while learning other songs. I feel the more songs you learn from tab, the more you will learn about that vibrato and the other things we talked about above.

Sounds like you're off to a good start. And i'm no pro either, just going through the school of hard knocks.

Bob.

THANKS Bob for the reply. No I stay away from the stir-ups. I'm just an older feller tryin, n my latter years, to learn to play this beautiful piece of firewood. But may have waited too late n life. So far to go and so little time to get there. Glad you brought my attention to the ocupation thing because when I 1st got on the forum I was so hungry for knowledge for the psg I overlooked the profile deal and then forgot all about it. Sorry to all who looked at the profile and it wasn't updated. Always loved the sound of the steel on the radio when I was a kid but we just didn't have the money for a steel. Probably buy a horn of some kind reasonable, but buying a steel, that was a hi dollar item.Also no steels within a hundred miles. And still no steel dealers within a100 miles. Enuff chasin rabbits from the original topic. THANKS again BOB and anyone else who replies. KENNY RAY

Allen I have been learning to play 5 and 1/2 years now and I was told to play one song at a time and keep on it until you get that one mastered then do another. I did that for a long time and I get tired of the same song so I jumped around a little. Now I have a song that I really like it is on a CD.It is a song on Mike Sweeneys CD and I have the Rythum track also.I found that I can play the song better by playing the CD with Mike playing than I can with the Rythum track. When I do this I play louder than the CD and I hear only my steel.It sounds real good and i'm right on the money.
Sam White