The Steel Guitar Forum

I was visiting the late Herb Remington once at his shop and he mentioned that while he is into a solo he couldn't tell me his name should I ask him. He explained that his concentration is fully engaged in what he is playing and all surroundings are tuned out. I thought of that conversation yesterday when I was practicing and I took a sip of coffee before starting a passage, and when it ended I still had not swallowed the coffee, even though swallowing should be an involuntary reflex. Now, I make no comparisons of myself to Herb, but it does take all my brain to play a solo.
Anyone have similar thoughts. Like when you are into something, a spectator walks up and makes a request?

That's also the reason why it's so hard to play steel and sing at the same time.
Erv

My concentration has always been excellent, but the downside is that I can only focus on one thing at a time.

I can't even play bass and sing a little backup. How the likes of Joe Wright and Sarah Jory do it I have no idea.

Jim Saunders wrote:I thought of that conversation yesterday when I was practicing and I took a sip of coffee before starting a passage, and when it ended I still had not swallowed the coffee, even though swallowing should be an involuntary reflex.

Anyone have similar thoughts. Like when you are into something, a spectator walks up and makes a request?

Same thing has happened to me multiple times with a bite of food.

When I'm playing songs for the first couple times with someone and am trying to find an arrangement that works for it, it's usually less than an hour before my concentration is so expended that even normal conversation becomes difficult.

Evidently, this guy never had that problem...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teiH6IF_M_Y

16 beats to a bar!!!! That was tearing it up!!!!

Donny Hinson wrote:Evidently, this guy never had that problem...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teiH6IF_M_Y

Dayum!

I sometimes catch myself holding my breath, so I hope the solo isn't too long.lol

A couple years back someone posted on here - I believe it was themself they were telling on - concentrating on their break and tuning out the laughter from the band. Turns out they were not laughing at his playing, but at the drunk babe flashing her McGuffies right in front of him without him being aware!

Gary, I too have noticed that I hold my breath sometimes while I'm playing a solo. I started being more aware of it and stopped doing it for the most part, but it still happens occasionally. Don, I had the same thing happen to me with the band laughing once when I was taking a solo, and then was told that a gal on the dancefloor had been flashing the band and I had totally missed it. I think its good to be in your own little world when you are soloing.

Bob Watson wrote:Don, I had the same thing happen to me with the band laughing once when I was taking a solo, and then was told that a gal on the dancefloor had been flashing the band and I had totally missed it. I think its good to be in your own little world when you are soloing.

Bob, I guess the measure of a TRUE steel player is whether you said "Dang, I missed it!" or "At least I didn't see her and mess up my ride!"

I'm not an accomplished player myself, but I have found that practicing and playing what I know tends to be a 100% escape from the world around me. I don't think about anything else. To say that one needs to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time to play a PSG is an understatement.

Don, it was a long time ago and I had only been playing a year or two at the time, so I'm sure it would have caused a trainwreck in my solo, but it was definitely a "dang, I missed it" moment.

It's rare when I can become that engrossed, but it's a goal of mine. Years ago, Reece Anderson pointed out 3 things that make for a good performance. First, he said perfect practice makes perfect. IOW practicing the right things.

From there, relaxation and concentration were things he preached. What I try to do, especially when playing steel shows etc, but not always successful due to getting too excited, I guess.

That's also the reason why it's so hard to play steel and sing at the same time.
Erv

CONCENTRATION? Yes my wife always tells me I can only do one thing at a time... However it is possible to work around this problem and either learn to do 2 things at once or be able to juggle between them quickly enough so that the audience thinks you are doing them both at the same time.

This is my main struggle (being a solo steel guitarist and vocalist) Whenever I review a video of my performances I notice that my steel playing suffers when I sing and my singing suffers when I am playing a difficult steel part.

Playing simple chord backing behind a vocal, I can be free to concentrate enough on singing the correct lyrics in tune, but then I notice I don't hold the note out properly with enough breath support to finish the verse with good tone because I am getting ready to start the steel guitar solo, or hook, or signature lick that the song requires.

However when I discover the particular instances when this happens (by listening back to past performances) I then have usually been able to practice those difficult transitions to the point that I am satisfied with the result. It is never going to be as good as in the studio Isolated with headphones singing to a perfect track... but not bad for a live situation.

The human mind is amazing, we have been blessed with a powerful computer between our ears. It does take concentration and lots of practice, but even the fastest, most complicated licks can be mastered with time and determination. But we do have to ask "at what cost?" Is it worth losing sleep over? skipping meals, hiding away from friends and family for hours on end?

I believe Dom summed it up very well........ er, what were we talking about?

Multi-tasking is a myth. When I try it, I can't give either task the attention it deserves. My wife says that I'm not too good at uni-tasking either. Papa John's steel break on "Look at Us" causes me to turn blue before I get through it.
Walking. chewing gum and breathing is easier.

If there isn’t a puddle of drool on the deck of your steel at the end of a gig or practice session, you need to go deeper. And have towel handy.