The Steel Guitar Forum

Have you ever been playing a gig and suddenly found yourself playing over your head? I mean playing well beyond your usual level for some strange reason. This is something that has happened to me on a few occasions and I'm not sure where it comes from but it must be born of spontaneous inspiration and carried along by adrenaline or something. Whatever it is, it's a blast but it's temporary, at least in my case. Still, perhaps a bit of it lasts in the form of increased confidence. It leaves you with the knowledge that you have the ability within you, even if you can't always summon it up.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has experience with this.

I haven't had this particular phenom happen. There have been times when I have been away from the steel for a period of time and coming back I seem to play better than previously. It's like the break has helped my ability...I don't know. The mind is a strange and confusing "computer".

No, but I'm ready any time for that to happen! I ain't gettn' any younger!

Rex Mayfield wrote:No, but I'm ready any time for that to happen! I ain't gettn' any younger!

Old jazz dudes called it being sent. I’ve only played one gig so far but sometimes when playing along to backing tracks, it seems like little bits of knowledge I’ve gained from lessons, come straight out of my befuddled old brain and on to my guitar without any effort. It definitely helps if tuning is spot on. I really hope it happens at a gig sometime in the future. I’ve played in a band in the olden days when once or twice it happened en- mass leaving all of us grinning and wondering why!
A big thanks to all on the forum for help getting going on this wonderful instrument,

Well in case anyone isn't clear, I don't mean that all of a sudden I can play like Buddy Emmons, it isn't as dramatic as all that. It's more like I'm having a good night, not many clams and so I start stretching out, improvising and going for some different licks on the fly...and find myself amazed that that's working out too. It may be stuff I haven't even woodshedded but it's falling in place. This isn't at a level that would impress any really good steel player but it's above my pay grade for sure. I just wish it happened more often.

I was half expecting you to say "....and then, halfway through my turn, it leaves me just as fast as it came on!"

I was half expecting you to say "....and then, halfway through my turn, it leaves me just as fast as it came on!" Laughing

Those kind of nights can happen too Don! But the other kind are so much more memorable.

Rarely, but yes. Wish it were more often.

It usually happens to me just before someone comes up and says, "You sound a little off tonight....."

Yes, I have had that happen. Rarely, but more often than I deserve, and less than I would like.

The same thing happens playing cards. I got pretty good playing against my granddaughter. She's 7. But last week, no matter what I did, she kept saying "Go Fish."

I don't know where it comes from but every so often I'll experience the feeling that I can execute any single-note line that I want. It comes out clean and in the pocket.

But that deserts me if I think too much; then I'm back to wondering if I dare try something with people in the audience.

Who knows what happens?

Same as Roger here!!!!!!!! It is interesting when it happens....

Dan Robinson wrote: The same thing happens playing cards. I got pretty good playing against my granddaughter. She's 7. But last week, no matter what I did, she kept saying "Go Fish."

"Go Fish" is probably a good description of my approach to improvisation.

What's best is when it happens to the entire band. Every now and then, maybe on leap years.....

Our band played a live recording show at the end of last year. We did our full set and was then asked to do an encore!
We just grabbed a song we had never played in public and went for it. I was very nervous as I have had little experience recording.
When I heard the rough recording mix I was blown away with my Pedal Steel sound and playing. I was playing in in my car when a person commented that they thought it was the original. It, to me, was the greatest compliment. We wern't going to use it on the CD because the singer stuffed it up, but It has since been fixed and apparently sounds good.
I felt I was playing from my 'inner self' and was surprised with the result. I have read about the Sub-couscous in artistic areas and now believe in it.
I wish I could turn it on at will, then I would play that well all the time, not just on occasions.
Sandy

Barry Blackwood wrote:It usually happens to me just before someone comes up and says, "You sound a little off tonight....."

yep!

I have on rare occasion also experienced “the music is playing me” phenomena The band has to be sounding good and tight, tone has to sound great to me, I have to not be thinking or caring about having the right effects settings or hitting a clam or who is listening or not dancing, and the moon has to be waxing nearly full...

Full moon, Fred - that's the answer!!!

I spent 35 years on the bandstand and maybe 3 months total out of those 35 years at home practicing (I was forced to learn some of the singers hits just like the record was the reason for that) so for that reason I can't think of anything to play at home and totally lack inspiration. On the gigs (good gigs with good players) I usually impress myself as well as others. I think I feed off the audience. If the crowd is into it so am I. I also play for fun. The more money the more fun.

This is an excerpt from the last gig I ever played about 5 years ago. I knew it was gonna be a good night because I was in my hometown playing for the friends I grew up with and knowing it was my last night and also my first gig with my fully restored 1972 Push Pull that Bryan Adams had built for himself before he passed away and the crowd was mostly friends and family. That thing had 10 polished knee levers and played like butter. I'm only using 1 knee lever on this tune. I think old country sounds better without an exhibition of knee levers. I had always wanted an Emmons and never owned one my entire career. I had sold my API recording console and had $35,000.00 to blow so I finally bought that Emmons. I played junkers nearly all my life. Typical musician. Lol! I had my fun and sold it right away.
A few years later I went back and listened to George Jones record of this and there was hardly any steel on it. Everything I play is spontaneous off the top of my head so it's easy to play things you never played before. In my mind I could hear steel guitar all over it. Brent the singer here didn't won't his band listening to the records because he was afraid it would cause us to get "dried up". That's my bud Wes Hendrix on guitar. He played for Ty Heardon about 9 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKi5waMqEn4&t=113s

Seen it happen a lot to entire bands on their farewell gig. I've experienced it a number of times myself, but it's happened often enough that it was followed by leaving the particular band(my choice),so anymore when it does happen I figure I've likely made a decision I don't yet know I've made.

I call it being in the Zone, The Groove, The "What the Frig Was that?" LOL. I have experienced it a few times with the help of some Jack Daniels.

Yes, I know that feeling,, Its surreal isn't it??..
Like you are a true "master" of the instrument, and can pull off anything you would like to, any time you want..


then, sadly, next gig comes up and once again you are relegated to "bar hack" status.. It IS nice while you are in that zone though.... Its common in musicians, and common in pro athletes as well... bob

I have experienced it a few times with the help of some Jack Daniels.

I know what you mean...been there on occasion too. But the danger with that is your own perception of sudden prowess may not be what the sober people are hearing.
On the particular occasions I was referring too I could tell by the reaction of band mates and the audience that it was real while it lasted.

I used to have this happen on occasion when I used to play regular. Sometimes it would happen with the whole band. I've never been a very spiritual person - not that I wished it to be so. I assumed this was a spiritual thing, as it's the only real spiritualism (for lack of a better description) I ever knew. The more regular We played (4 or 5 nights a week for a year at a time or better), the more it happened.