The Steel Guitar Forum

So as a beginner player that's stepping into being intermediate, I was reflecting on my days as a six string player and found some interesting differences and similarities. As I played six string I'd often listen to things by great players for inspiration. For example, Brent Mason. World class player. He has quite a bit of instrumental material, which is outstanding, but as a player I gained much more insight (stole more ideas) from his countless appearances on major recordings. His playing showed me how fills were constructed and timed, how solos were played over changes in a contemporary context. That was the key. I didn't really get much out of listening to "Hot Wired" or stuff like that.

Similarly, Paul Franklin plays a similar role. World class player, but I gain the most when I look at how hes played in an Alan Jackson or Martina McBride song where his genius has to be distilled and focused.


Am I making any sense at all?

For 99.9% of us, our lot is to be 1 part of a supporting cast for singers in pop cover bands. Learning how to fill and comp and take a 12-second solo is the way we get gigs.

Listening to players of the caliber you mention play their own material and take extended solos on instrumental tunes provides a different kind of illumination of their style, and insight into their versatility. You can really begin to understand where the ideas come from when they are asked to do a session. I have no doubt they can find inspiration in a poignant lyric, but the riff they choose for the song is probably one they have played before.

I know what you mean though. I am able to grasp something like the Paul Franklin intro to George Strait’s “Nobody In His Right Mind”, but can’t do anything with Doug Jernigan’s speedy improvisation except be baffled and pleasantly entertained by it.

The other side of it is, if we learn to jam and improvise in our own meager way, eventually we will come up with ideas of our own, or at least ones that aren’t fashioned directly from a superpicker’s style.

I went back and worked out some instrumental material. You're right, it's not always applicable to every day use, but it sure helps connect the dots.

Same as Fred. I am happy with what God has allowed me to play at my own pace.