The Steel Guitar Forum

Can you remember the first song or styles you gave up on because it seemed like it was way beyond your abilities? It has just been lately that I have retried picking some of the oldies but with a new approach. I just put my simple style and get the primary melody with a few comfortable improvising licks and it works for me and the band.

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Rick
Kline U-12, Nashville 112 and 1000, Hilton Volume Pedal

Too many to even list,
both styles and songs.

Sometimes I just had to come
back to them later.
But I bet I play more styles
than most people at this point.

"The Cowboy Waltz" -- accordion lessons, 7 years old. Just couldn't get it.... I don't remember the tune, but I remember enough of it that I still hate it. Almost quit lessons just because of that song.

Four Wheel Drive by BE. Still don't have the intro like it's supposed to be!

Billy, my advice is: don't think in terms of "supposed to be". Most of us can't play like Buddy Emmons. Many, including myself, prefer to develop our own unique licks, which we CAN play well.
Why not play an intro that YOU can play well. Believe me, it will sound better than using someones elses intro that you can't play well. Wouldn't it be great to have someone listening to one of your recordings and say "that sounds like Billy Carr"?

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www.home.earthlink.net/~johnd37

Well, actually John, I wound up putting my own intro to Four Wheel Drive which is similiar to the original. I think it was probably the phrasing that I had trouble with. I just never have been able to get it in my head but the song itself is easy. I'll probably work on it in the future sometime. I like to learn intros, etc. like this and incorpate some of it into what I play sometimes. I get licks,etc. off of everybody.

Yep.... I will never forget the great line I heard that was attributed to B.B. King: "I never could play like anyone else, so I just played like myself".
I had the opportunity to jam with Haggard one night. I was playing steel and Merle was playing my lead guitar. We were going to play an old Bob Wills song. I made a remark like "I'll play the Billy Bowman licks on this and you play like" ....... Merle cut me off short and said "I'll just play like Merle Haggard". ............. JD

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www.home.earthlink.net/~johnd37

Well, I haven't given up yet, but Mike Smith's 'Jesus Loves Me' is a real puzzle!

Actually, I've got much closer on E9th than I have on the C neck (where he did it), but I continue to address this piece from time to time...

It's great stuff!!!

RR

Elvis costello's "Allison". At the time, the chord proggression seemed to be light years ahead of me. Maybe I should give it another chance after all this time....