The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey guys,

I made a post a few months ago about getting my GFI Expo, it being a bit broken, and got it fixed.

Just thought I'd share some exciting news.

I've been asked to join a band. The band (Derek Hall & The Possibilities). We'll be playing a mix of originals which I'll play pedal steel on and some rock covers which I'll either play pedal steel or 6-string for.

I've had one jam session so far where I learned a couple originals, and didn't get run off but a more formal rehearsal is next friday. With more songs to learn.

We'll be working on the following:

• 1)Savin Money (Derek Hall)
  2)Roll the Dice (Derek Hall)
  3)G in Jeezus (Derek Hall)
  4)Rivers Move On (Derek Hall)
  5)Yer So Bad (Tom Petty)
  6)Mama Tried (Haggard)
  7)I’ve Just Seen a Face (Beatles)

Any tips or pointers would be appreciated. I'll be playing pedal steel on everything but Yer So Bad (it's too fast). I actually found Mama Tried on this forum, such a great place.

What I've been doing is taking his chord charts, translating them to Nashville Numbers, and then I use that to figure out the chords.

The gigs will come assuming COVID takes a bit of a break. Kind of a nice thing cause I'll have more time to practice.

I guess it's time to finally get a Steelers Choice seat instead of using my 60 year old fold up chair.

Anyway, just thought I'd share the exciting news! Take care everyone.

Any tips or pointers would be appreciated

"Melody; Melody; Melody"
Ricky

I like your attitude.
I was already playing lap steel in a band when i got my first pedal steel.
I took it to rehearsal the first week,and for 2 months only used AB pedals.
I aint got much advice; but you"ll get better quicker playing in a group like you are doing.
Record yourself with the group,helped me alot.

Something I see a lot with new players in a band, remember not to overplay. Its ok to ease off the volume and just move some air in the background, but its real easy to catch yourself playing all the time and overdo it.

Congrats and have fun!!

Same as Larry and Ricky.... Relax and have fun....

Good on you. Good to see another steel player willing to tackle all styles of music.

I've Just Seen a Face is on the list at the jam barn. I do just fine with the chorus, but haven't found the right stuff for the verse. Maybe you can offer this old timer a tip or two when you get to it.

My advice is to record your rehearsals and live gigs. The first time a friend recorded a live gig I played, I learned so much from just hearing it once... things about dynamics and volume that you don't pick up on until you hear the whole band from a distance. I became a much better player by doing that.

All of the above, plus the best way to learn is on the job. The other guys will be so mystified by your instrument that you'll be able to do no wrong. (My band think I'm a genius when in reality I'm just about adequate )

Congratulations Blake, Good Luck on your adventure.
Glad I could help you get your guitar problem worked out and enjoying your new challenge. bj

congrats ! have fun and don't forget to record every gig ! Zoom H2 will become your best friend. And don't share the recordings, they are for your educational purposes only.

keep it simple ! support the vocals, less is more, play to the tune ! congratulations on the gig !

I joined a modern country band (Country Roads) this past June with 3 years under my belt, great advice here. Don’t overplay, less is more, insert tasty licks. My PSG playing has advanced rapidly since joining the band.

Way to go! The advice here is solid: relax, listen, and don't overplay.

Get recordings of the songs (without Pedal Steel on the recording), and play along with them on your own time, and figure out the general pedal/lever/fret/string(s) playing positions you are going to use.
Record everything you play with the band, and go back and listen and check your string/pedal/lever tuning, and bar-positon in-tune-a-tion, to ensure you are in tune with the group.

Congratulations, Blake!

You're likely to progress rapidly. I was also fortunate to join a band early on. I discovered that six nights on the bandstand were worth six months of weekly private lessons, and that's not a knock on the exceptional players I took lessons from. It was infinitely more enjoyable playing along with other live, warm, breathing bodies, than it was playing along and practicing with a cassette (remember them?).

Pete Burak wrote:Get recordings of the songs (without Pedal Steel on the recording), and play along with them on your own time, and figure out the general pedal/lever/fret/string(s) playing positions you are going to use.
Record everything you play with the band, and go back and listen and check your string/pedal/lever tuning, and bar-positon in-tune-a-tion, to ensure you are in tune with the group.

I have even recorded the band I was playing in without me and used the recording to find my parts. A simple live recording can be very useful for days between rehearsals. This might be what Pete was saying. If so, just do what Pete said! Haha

Rick Abbott wrote:

Pete Burak wrote:Get recordings of the songs (without Pedal Steel on the recording), and play along with them on your own time, and figure out the general pedal/lever/fret/string(s) playing positions you are going to use.
Record everything you play with the band, and go back and listen and check your string/pedal/lever tuning, and bar-positon in-tune-a-tion, to ensure you are in tune with the group.

I have even recorded the band I was playing in without me and used the recording to find my parts. A simple live recording can be very useful for days between rehearsals. This might be what Pete was saying. If so, just do what Pete said! Haha

Yes!
Also, Can you tell us what the other instruments in the band are?
For example, in my experience, the only instruments that should play from the beginning to ending of every song are the Drums, Bass, and Acoustic strummer if there is one. Try to establish a musical conversation with the Lead guitarist. You play while I lay out, then I play while you lay out. It's not a conversation if one person is talking all the time.
Try not to play Rhythm-Steel. It often makes the whole band sound out of tune.

As others have said, play simple. Don't try to get fancy. Play more single notes than chords, and more two note chords than three note chords.

Don't venture much above the 12th frets. It's too hard to stay in tune in the upper register when you are new to the instrument.

Trust your ears on intonation. Don't just play the fret lines and think you are in tune. Really pay attention to intonation. If it sounds out of tune, it is.

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I'm doing lots of padding mostly with two strings. Nothing fancy cause I've only been playing for a couple months.

Highest I'm going is 10th fret to play in D key.