The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey gang,
I broke my left wrist about a month ago and after it started to heal and clear my mind of the heavy pain meds I began setting down at my guitar again and when I did, I had to take it slow and easy. When I took everything slower I was able to think deeply about what I'm doing.
A house cleaning so to speak. I decided what was worth keeping and what should be tossed.
I decided I need to play more deliberately especially when improvising. Rather that just play so much at random, I should try to make phrases that are logical.
I reasoned that this can be done on lap steel as well as pedal steel. Although I suffer the absence of the extra 2 strings available on the PSG the 8 string lap, it's not a disaster. I experience a "dysphoria" But when I concentrate on melody it seems to alleviate this. Maybe I'll get a 10 string lap someday.

https://youtu.be/VwljfyFyHUM?si=vyk7CI4iON-du8uu

So good, Rich! Sounds like you've achieved your goal. Please post more of your playing. What is your tuning?

Sounds great Rich.

Superb!

Rich, that was a great Mack the Knife! Sorry to hear about the wrist, but in slowing down a bit in recovery along with your rethinking maybe it helped you to keep sight of the melody since it is so recognizable to millions of people.

That's lovely. Thanks for sharing it.

I thought the first half was some of the best playing I've heard you do. The self editing, creation of melodic lines, and phrasing was a breakthrough. Maybe pedal steel was what you needed to break out on straight steel. Good thing you didn't sell the D8

I agree with the others. Your phrasing makes it sing. Thanks for sharing!

I don't think you missed a beat Rich. Watching and listening to a lot of great C6 pedal steel players, it seems to me that most don't really use pedals so much for fast single note stuff. Pedals just get in the way and seem to be more useful for chord solos and comping. E9 Is a whole different story obviously and seems to be all about those whole tone bends. This is just an observation and I could be wrong. Anyhow, I find your playing on non pedal WAY more interesting than most pedal steel playing I have heard.

Joe Cook wrote:So good, Rich! Sounds like you've achieved your goal. Please post more of your playing. What is your tuning?

Thanks.
I'm tuned...
D
B
G
E
D
B
G
E

Mike Neer wrote:Sounds great Rich.

Thanks Mike. I'm tickled you listen to it.

Brooks Montgomery wrote:Superb!

Thanks!

Mark Eaton wrote:Rich, that was a great Mack the Knife! Sorry to hear about the wrist, but in slowing down a bit in recovery along with your rethinking maybe it helped you to keep sight of the melody since it is so recognizable to millions of people.

Thanks Mark. I appreciate it.

David Irving wrote:That's lovely. Thanks for sharing it.

You're welcome David.

Bill McCloskey wrote:I thought the first half was some of the best playing I've heard you do. The self editing, creation of melodic lines, and phrasing was a breakthrough. Maybe pedal steel was what you needed to break out on straight steel. Good thing you didn't sell the D8

Thanks Bill.
The PSG has been a great addition toy heard and worth every penny I spent on it. Mostly because it's been intellectually stimulating. My wife is a teacher and says to get children to learn they have to first be stimulated. I suppose it works the same way with adults. I'm not finished with the PSG but I use it for different reasons than the D8. I'd like to try to play a solo Christmas music record with the pedals. I'm thankful you encouraged me to get on the PSG. It's what was needed.

Brad Bechtel wrote:I agree with the others. Your phrasing makes it sing. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks!

Tim Toberer wrote:I don't think you missed a beat Rich. Watching and listening to a lot of great C6 pedal steel players, it seems to me that most don't really use pedals so much for fast single note stuff. Pedals just get in the way and seem to be more useful for chord solos and comping. E9 Is a whole different story obviously and seems to be all about those whole tone bends. This is just an observation and I could be wrong. Anyhow, I find your playing on non pedal WAY more interesting than most pedal steel playing I have heard.

Thanks Tim.
I think you are right in a lot of ways. The PSG is a different tool. For full blown lizard brain improv the non-pedal works for me. I use the PSG for building chords and exploration.
Other people have a different experience. This is just mine.

Tim Toberer wrote:I don't think you missed a beat Rich. Watching and listening to a lot of great C6 pedal steel players, it seems to me that most don't really use pedals so much for fast single note stuff. Pedals just get in the way and seem to be more useful for chord solos and comping. E9 Is a whole different story obviously and seems to be all about those whole tone bends. This is just an observation and I could be wrong. Anyhow, I find your playing on non pedal WAY more interesting than most pedal steel playing I have heard.

Thanks Tim.
I think you are right in a lot of ways. The PSG is a different tool. For full blown lizard brain improv the non-pedal works for me. I use the PSG for building chords and exploration.
Other people have a different experience. This is just mine.

Rich Arnold wrote:

Mike Neer wrote:Sounds great Rich.

Thanks Mike. I'm tickled you listen to it.

Of course man! You have chops to die for.

Very nice, Rich! Great tone and very fluid playing. I love the diminished runs and your phrasing... the way you leave space between the riffs. That holds the listeners' attention more than a constant cluster of notes. Well done.

Mike Neer wrote:

Rich Arnold wrote:

Mike Neer wrote:Sounds great Rich.

Thanks Mike. I'm tickled you listen to it.

Of course man! You have chops to die for.

I don't think I have great chops but I'm flattered you think so.
I feel that way about you. That Sleelonous record you made was freaking epic!!!!!! Everyone out to have in in their record collection.

Doug Beaumier wrote:Very nice, Rich! Great tone and very fluid playing. I love the diminished runs and your phrasing... the way you leave space between the riffs. That holds the listeners' attention more than a constant cluster of notes. Well done.

Thanks Doug.
My mind has started to think ahead. Like instead of thinking only about what chord I'm soloing over I think about the next chords that are coming up.

I got invited to a jazz/ bebop jam tomorrow and they are under the false assumption that I play armpit guitar. This has never happened before.

Rich Arnold wrote:I got invited to a jazz/ bebop jam tomorrow and they are under the false assumption that I play armpit guitar. This has never happened before.

Blow their minds Rich. I’m sure you will.