The Steel Guitar Forum

What makes someone who happens to play steelguitar a musician?
Education?
Background?
Digging up tons of licks?
Open mind?
Country-music knowledge?
Culture?
The place you were born? Nashville? New York? Being? Amsterdam? Capetown? Bratislava?
Thread to think..

Simply put...the ability to play MUSIC on the STEEL.

L.

<OL TYPE=1>
[*]Talent
[*]Knowledge
[*]Experience
[*]Confidence
[/list]

Having a degree in theory or in performance does not make one a great musician. There has to be that God given aptitude we know as talent. You can't really say what it is, but you know it when you see it!

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Fessenden SD10 - Mesa/Boogie amps

Obsessive/compulsive with no one around to stop them.

Bored with only 12 notes in an octave.

I'd have to say.......at least a mid-range understanding of music/theory; often no necessity to read music; Ability to relate to chord progressions and be able to anticipate them;
a creative flair; an ability to TUNE the instrument and also, the ability to determine oneself when it starts to get out of tune; atleast a better than average short term memory; a long-term memory of standard tunes is also a plus; a TEAM PLAYER; one that can stuff his own self serving ego for the sake of the group; capable of making musical contributions and taking constructive suggestions in a mature manner;
willingness to arrive at the job sober, not smashed with drugs and with functioning guitar, amp, cords and all else that is required. Most importantly, a burning desire to be the best he/she can attain while applying a gracious and humble attitude toward all concerned.

There are any number of veteran steel guitarists that have the majority of those basics and many of them never could nor will ever be able to pick AS FAST AS.....whomever.
What they accomplished was a style-identity
and the respect of their fellow musicians with the final reward being an army of loyal, international admirers.

agility



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TheEarlyDays.com

and appearing regularly...
Jimmy Crawford/Russ Hicks... and Buddy Emmons on Bass! aLotOfSpace.com

OK, add this
Is there a difference between talent for PSG and musical talent?

Johan:
Yes, one of the prerequisites to playing the pedal steel is the ability to walk and chew gum at the same time. If you can't do this, do not; I repeat, do not, take up the pedal steel guitar!
Uff-Da!

Hey Ray, that was pretty good. I like that.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 09 November 2002 at 07:20 AM.]</p></FONT>

I think it helps to have had some experience downshifting a motorcycle through a tight corner -- it's the only other thing I know of that involves both hands, both feet and both knees (at the same time).

Johan,
My thinking is that you need

1) imagination

2) ability

and in that order ....Jim

Jack, I understand your analogy. The only thing I could add is the sinking feeling you have when you realize that you are hopelessly lost on your "break" on the steel....or, your "brakes" have failed on the bike!
www.genejones.com <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 09 November 2002 at 04:29 PM.]</p></FONT>

Gene, I thought I was the only person that ever experienced that [Being hopelessly lost in your steel break]. Did you ever notice that , just when you feel you are really "Wowing" the crowd, and you're really hot when that happens? But if we didn't shoot for it once in a while, music would be dullsville.
Jim

mu·si·cian Pronunciation Key (my-zshn)
n.
One who composes, conducts, or performs music, especially instrumental music.


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[Middle English musicien, from Old French, from Latin msica, music. See music.]
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mu·sician·ly adj.
mu·sician·ship n.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


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musician

\Mu*si"cian\, n. [F. musicien.] One skilled in the art or science of music; esp., a skilled singer, or performer on a musical instrument.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


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musician

n 1: someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession) [syn: instrumentalist, player] 2: composes or conducts music as a profession
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

Sorry...
Couldn't find any listings for "Steel Player".

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Pete Burak on 09 November 2002 at 09:17 AM.]</p></FONT>

I think the difference may be learning a tune by rote from tab and not being able to translate what you've learned to another key or to expand on it thru even simple variations. One might be "playing" but not be a "musician"

even (some) classical players who learn pieces note for note "interpret", subtly changing phrasing etc...

mechanics versus music;; are you playing the machine (it is set up to play some pretty cool stuff) or are you playing MUSIC with the machine?

Where is Being?

Jim....I sure have, more times than I want to admit. Long ago, someone told me that when that happens you should turn around and glare at everyone else to make it appear that they failed to maintain the chord progression!
www.genejones.com

Yes, i agree with you Michael.

Gene,
Hopelessly lost ?? That's what we call
"improvising" round here .... Jim

Please see The Three Fishes Of Music thread.