The Steel Guitar Forum

I've been exploring klezmer music on the steel for a while. I love that music so much and am really interested in finding ways to make it sing on the strings. Here's a version of the classic tune, Odessa Bulgarish I played at a neighborhood concert last week. A sort of Semitic Steel, if you will

https://youtu.be/VvesVNoDiIY

If you check it out let me know what you think!

I really liked that!

Very cool. You should consider a looper to set up the bass patterns and that would let you play all sorts of klezmerisims over them.

Loved it - very creative!

Nice! Klzmer sounds great played on lap steel. Be fun to hear it in Klezmer band context.

Thanks for the kind words everyone! And thanks for listening.

Bill Hatcher, as for a looper, I've played around with them a bit but never got too far. Part of what excites me about these types of arrangements is the challenge of playing the bass at the same time as the melodic lines. I know it's limiting but I'm eager to see how far I can take it. I have dreams of slidey versions of Chet Atkins pieces

I Googled klezmerisms,didn't find much.
Aloha
p.s. not much Chet plays Klezmer either.
Aloha

Aloha Tom, you're right, Chet never did any klezmer (as far as I know). What I meant was that I hope to one day be able to play bass lines at the the same time as melody lines in the style that Chet did, but on steel.

I was in Carter's Vintage Guitars awhile back a filmed Johnny Bellar doing some alternating thumb bass on a Scheerhorn resonator. Nice stuff!

Johnny Bellar video --> https://youtu.be/pm4okSaSSWo

I've never tried this style of playing but Myk your video has me interested in trying to learn a tune or two in this style.

David, that's exactly what I'm talking about! Thanks for sharing the video. I love that style f playing.

Really cool to adapt this music for steel, Myk. I enjoyed listening. Johnny Bellar is one of my favorite players. His solo steel pieces are beautiful and influence what I try to do.

Thanks for the kind words, Andy! Means a lot.

That's great, classic American video, kind of like Earl Scruggs sitting on his porch picking.

To make alternating bass lines easier, maybe tune bottom 2 strings in 5ths/4ths, taking que from Charlie Hunter https://www.premierguitar.com/artists/c ... le-mission

Hi David. In that clip you posted, is Johnny playing alternating bass there? I have been a fan of Johnny for a long time. He is one super musician.

Hi Gene,

That's actually what I did for this piece. My tuning was EADEGBDE. My usual tuning is GACEGBDE. The 4ths definitely made it easier but I was just playing the A and D strings open.