Battle of the Axes

James Cann · From: Phoenix, AZ

I'm always drawn to the threads about lead vs. steel animosity in the club scene, and this theory, hardly expressed, always comes to mind: is it nothing more than simply envy when lead and steel players can't get along one way or another?

I may be wrong, but in the threads, I can't remember a case of steel player envy; the other way around seems the norm. Is it simply the clash of sounds or does the steel's sonic distinction get on the Telecaster (or insert your favorite) player's nerve so that he hogs rides in defense? Does any band begin to get comments when a steel player sits in or joins that weren't there before?

How about stage position and necessary space, is it an issue?

I can easily see any of these as conclusive, but I've been out of the club scene for years, and based on what I read here, I'd have several questions to ask were someone to call me for such a gig.

Comments welcome, naturally.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

If each song you do has a definite arrangement and the guitar and steel player knows when to play and most of all when not to play,then nobody is playing over the other one.That's so simple,compliment each other instead of butting heads.If you take this approach your music wont suffer.If you don't and every one just jumps in and plays over each other,just total crap.

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

What's just as bad, if not worse, is a band with two guitarists who can play lead and one tries to outdo the other. The electric guitar is a wonderful instrument, but it can also be an ego machine.

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

I have always felt like guitar players were overrated. I realize there are some great players but the steel players like Paul Franklin and some of the others are just as great on their instruments. I hear many guitar players play the single notes but I never hear many of them play jazz chords. I personally have never been in a situation where I had to battle a guitar player or another steel player. I guess if I had my choice I would rather hear a great steel player than a guitar player any day. I can find guitar players everywhere but I cannot find steel players everywhere. We are definitely a rare breed.

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

I found it helps if the guitar player and the steel player are next to each other on the stage. This way they can communicate as to who plays where on what song. It can be done with a nod or eye contact. It also helps keep the volume down with some players.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Guitar Player magazine incessantly runs articles on "How to Play Steel Guitar Licks on Your Guitar." The last one I recall was by Jim Campilongo, but there've been others by Johnny Hiland, etc. etc. - it seems like that's pretty much what country guitar players DO, besides chicken'-pickin'. There are several books out on it too. I've never seen any instructional material on "How to Play Guitar Licks on Your Steel" - maybe it's simply too obvious, well duh, you play the notes?

Given the parallel development of solidbody electric guitars and steel guitars, and the involvement of both Bigsby and Fender in the development of whammy bars, you could really even question whether the entire modern style of bending light-gauge strings and using a whammy on standard guitars isn't just a tragically misguided case of "steel envy." Too bad Hendrix chose the wrong instrument, huh?

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Our regular lead play never gets in the way of the steel. He only steps out to do a lead when it's his turn; other than that, it's chunk-chunka Luther Perkins style. It's just great. Me and the fiddle player add some flavor to the verses and we're all good. However...when a sub takes his place occasionally, the battle begins. I think that a lot of lead guitar players do not know how to deal with the presence of another lead instrument. They're so used to having to fill in every hole that they get carried away and overplay. It's a real annoyance, and it seems to hinder the steel's role more than anybody else's. A lead player needs to know how to play in a band with a pedal steel; it's more about musicianship, experience and consideration than anything.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

My long-term background is as a lead guitar player - pedal steel is relatively recent. Especially those of us who play Teles have been weaned on doing steel licks - that goes back to Roy Buchanan, James Burton, Roy Nichols, and so on. The problem is that this often clashes with a steel player. Two instruments playing similarly in the same exact range doesn't tend to sound good. When playing guitar with a steel player, I play in the low range when they're out front and up on the neck, if I play at all. Similarly, if I'm playing steel while the guitar is out front, I tend to use the low strings on my steel - one of the things I really like about the U12.

Of course, many guitarists outside the trad country realm have never played with a steel player, so they just don't understand what works. I think one listen to a live board recording should fix that up toutes suite, if they have any ears at all.

Egos come with all instruments. Some guitar players do exhibit some steel-envy, but I think some steel players get frustrated that the lead guitar gets a disproportionate share of the spotlight because they can also act out all the crazy moves and tend to do the crazy loud-distortion stuff that gets a crowd's attention.

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

It doesn't matter what instrument you play (guitar, psg, fiddle, piano, harmonica, to name the most popular instruments in Country music) a pro knows when and how to comp, fill, and solo. No matter how good someone's technique is on they're given instrument, if they don't have the skills I mentioned up above, they aren't good players. I can understand a guitar player using psg licks on a gig when there isn't a psg on stage, but, IMHO, they should use them very sparingly when they are playing with a steel player.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

well my take is that if two players, whether it be two Telecasters, a Tele and a Steel, two trombones, two Harmonica's, two Bagpipes...etc...can't get along musically in a band..

it's not a band and they shouldn't be in the same band.

As bandstand players, we spend an entire life learning the tunes, learning how to play with style, any style, and with some personality.....

then we get on the bandstand one night alongside an XXX player..and we throw it all right out the window...

we've all been there, we've all done it..

hopefully we have moved way past it..

I know I have...( but..there are moments I suppose)

I can safely state this after being on the bandstand for 40 years...if you are still playing in a situation where the WAR occurs...you only have two roads of recourse...Suck it in and lay back,play less..or QUIT...

One of you has got to recognize the situation...and respond appropriatley...

I am fortunate, I work alongside a very young HOT Tele picker..who gets it....sure there are times we step on each others toes, not often though, and not on purpose...

There are a few phrases I play, Matt copies them and plays them on Tele as well now..I actually find that as a compliment, it means he is listening and liking what I play...enough so that he has added several of my phrases to his arsenal..

David above is right on the button about playing Guitar licks...being a guitar player too..I now take some of my stock Tele phrases and place them on the Steel...sometimes I play them in Harmony or as an echo to Matt...

and at that point we look at each other and laugh.....

"Hey, thats my lick "

" Not anymore "....

"It WAS your lick"....

IF we look at this Instrument as a PEDAL STEEL GUITAR and place it in the catagory of playing PEDAL STEEL GUITAR licks only..we have overlooked that the Instrument is a GUITAR....

Playing in a pretty good band is not easy...playing in a band where there are 4 or 5 stars is REAL easy...If the players do not have mutual respect for each other with Instruments still in the cases..it aint' ever gone get better on the Bandstand after the 4 count...

remember the old guitar joke..

How can you tell when a Guitar player walks into a club..?

The Bandstand Guitar player starts playing his favorite hot licks immediatley...

This topic is not limited to Guitar players...

I recall a few years back we went to see Paul and Brent at 3rd and Lindsleys..I think it was a sort of R+B ballad, Brent was comping some chords underneath..for some reason he stopped playing and changed Guitars..well..Paul just picked up where Brent stopped, he comped the same chords in the exact same phrasing and R+B style...

I'm not sure how many folks listening picked up on that, but I know I did....

These guys SHOULD be in a band together....

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

James Cann · From: Phoenix, AZ

Thanks, gents. Good ideas here, to be sure . . . however . . .

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