The Steel Guitar Forum

Is there anything out there like Jeff Newman's Up From The Top for 6-8 string lap steel?

Thanks in advance George Shute

For what it's worth........

I don't believe anyone can use a "back-up" instructional book to learn how to "back-up" a singer properly. Every song is different. Every song has its own phrasing, etc. MORE IMPORTANTLY! Backing up a vocalist is not like learning a few hot licks and inserting them into similar tunes. We've all done it...........no problem.

That is the primary reason I elected to share my vast Jerry Byrd collection of recording sessions so that each of you could take the opportunity to hear Jerry's masterful technique for backing up a wide assortment of singers, country, pop and/or Hawaiian. No two songs are the same. Even when Jerry backed-up several different artists
on the same tune, NONE of HIS BACK-up was EVER the same, just like his solo's.

For variety and a solid basis for playing back-up, I know of no better method to learn how it's done than to study Jerry's playing and then learn to apply those same techniques to a wide variety of tunes.

Until someone can suggest a better way of approaching this important subject, I'll stick to the method that worked well for me.

REMEMBER! It's all in the EARS!!!!

I agree with Ray, and will add: DO NOT play over the vocalist, and especially DO NOT play over a duet or trio that worked many hours to get 'that' vocal blend only to have it obliterated by a blast of a steel.

Play along with recordings and see what simple one note back-ups and then complicated turn arounds, etc. could sound good.

(I never got paid per note. But I could get fired if I played too many notes at the WRONG time.)

Thanx,
Jim

FYI, I recently heard two examples of very bad mixes where the steel was dominating the singer and the band with all of the 'fill-ins and continuous playing'. One was on the Grand Ol' Opry live radio show, another on a 'Tru Country show' on RFD -TV. Oh well, things happen even to the big guys!