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Topic: What percentage is country? |
Roger Edgington
From:
San Antonio, Texas USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2002 8:14 am |
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| I would guess most of us play country music, but pedal steel is slowly finding it's way into other fields. When you go to a large steel show this becomes very clear. I think it would be interesting to keep tabs at a show like Dallas for example what percentage songs are country,pop,rock,jazz,religous and others. |
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Bob Carlson
From:
Surprise AZ.
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Posted 2 Feb 2002 8:37 pm
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I play pure country and listen to the same. BUT....I feel when a person reaches a point where he has gone as far as he can with country, he then will start playing differant types of music to keep his desire to learn content.
BC.
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 3 Feb 2002 1:02 pm
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Although I enjoy the conventions, I think they misrepresent what Steel is really being used for.
If a person's only exposure to Steel was the conventions, they'd think C6 and instrumentals account for a large part of Steel playing.
The opposite is true. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 3 Feb 2002 2:50 pm
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Joey....I believe you made an exceptionally fine observation. Naturally, at a convention we go to hear the artists do their own THING...which IS solo work.
But when I attended the St.Louis Conv. many, many years ago, I could have come away with the mistaken belief that "The Girl from
Epanema" (sp????) was the only song ever written. Virtually every steel player did his rendition of that tune. Today, I hate it!
I've always enjoyed playing country ballads, with western swing tossed in for flavor but today, I'm really pursuing Hawaiian music but.....I've always loved middle of the road pop tunes so I am attempting to branch out more and play less S--- Kicking stuff.
Learn to play well....and then play what YOU and your public will enjoying listening to. Beyond that, the skies the limit. |
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Marty Holmes
From:
Magnolia ,TX USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2002 4:03 pm
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| I was talking to my goodfriend Jody Sanders, and he was telling me that Paul just cut a record with nsync.I don't care for pop,I'm just a country boy,but it is good because for the simple fact someone may wonder,what kind of instrument is that playing on nsync.Advertisement sure would help us out. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 3 Feb 2002 6:57 pm
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There's no question that steel shows are really designed to appeal primarily to steel players. Though I've never played one, I've been to quite a few, and all the ones I've attended have an audience that is about 80% steel players! Other performers, be they singers or players of other instruments, are just not particularly concerned with the world of steel. And though we may not like it, the steel's just another hired hand (to them).
My own personal observation (don't slam me here) is that the audience likes to hear really great players of any style, but they prefer that the mediocre (average) players stick to Country Music. And like one of the previous posters, I've heard too many "average players" (like myself!) try to impress others by doing a rather mundane version of "Girl From Ipanema". By far, the most heard criticism at a steel show is still "They didn't play enough Country Music". I've never heard anyone say "I wish they had more Jazz" or Rock, or Hawaiian, or Pop, or Religious music.
Now, my take on these shows is that they are a kind of "vanity show-off" deal, and most of the steelers are just trying to "strut their stuff" in front of other steelers. Heaven knows, we get little enough chance to really "star" (be a very big part) in most of the music that's been popular in the past 20 years, and I think this is probably the reason that the attendance has grown so much at the steel shows...there's a lot of people out there that are STARVED for steel music.
It's just a shame that most of them are steelers!  |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2002 8:57 am
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The Dallas show has more western swing than other shows (duh!).
I don't think that the music played at steel shows is representative of what's being played on bandstands and in recording studios, though. For example, a lot of the rock steel that you hear on records is just not advanced enough musically for an audience raised on Emmons, Green and Day. I enjoy the fact that steel gets exposure in rock, but the parts that you hear on records are usually things that any of us can play. That's not what we go to steel shows to hear.
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 Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6) |
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Johan Jansen
From:
Europe
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Posted 4 Feb 2002 9:55 am
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| Quote: |
| I enjoy the fact that steel gets exposure in rock, but the parts that you hear on records are usually things that any of us can play. |
The Columbus'egg?
On Steeldays we see it as our goal to get the Stetson from the steel, we appreciate the alternative use of pedal-steel, next to country-music.
That's why we have a.o. Joe Wright, Dan Tyack, Jim Cohen, BJ Cole, Nils Tuxen, Lionel Wendling and a big surprise act When I visited St Louis, my guess about the average age of the visitors was 50, on Steeldays it was and is about 30. I love being in StLouis, and 90 % of my heroes is about 20 years older then me, those masters made and make my roots! And I love talking with the visitors upthere, that know so much about the steelguitar, and enjoy it and have open minds for all that has to do with steelguitar. But those youngsters:This is a next generation, that finds its way to steelguitar through other fields then only country-music, and I'm proud of getting them awake and let them experience the sound that stole my heart .
JJ
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my web-site
my bands CODand TSC[This message was edited by Johan Jansen on 04 February 2002 at 11:13 AM.] |
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Bob Knight
From:
Bowling Green KY
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Posted 4 Feb 2002 10:16 am
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B Bailey Brown
From:
San Antonio, TX (USA)
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Posted 4 Feb 2002 2:36 pm
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I happen to agree with both Donny Hinson and Bobby Lee. Steel guitar conventions are there for one reason. To entertain other Steel Guitar players. For the life of me, I have no idea why the average music fan (country or otherwise) would even go to one. Would I go to a convention of Astrophysics?! No!! I don’t even know what those guys do, nor do I really care!
As Bobby pointed out, “bandstand” playing is a totally different thing than playing “conventions”. They don’t even really relate to each other, as you are talking two different “animals”. As a musician I like to hear a lot of different things played on a steel guitar, but that is just my appreciation of the instrument. Good grief, if I was ever asked to play a “convention”, and showed up and played the things I play on a bandstand…I would probably get tossed out the back door of the hotel! And I hate it when people drag me through the kitchen with my instruments following behind me, and set me out on the loading dock!! The cooks all laugh and snicker!!
B. Bailey Brown
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 12 Feb 2002 8:21 pm
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Good point, Bobby!
| Quote: |
| For example, a lot of the rock steel that you hear on records is just not advanced enough musically... |
And though I took it slightly out of context, it's true nevertheless. |
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Dave Robbins
From:
Cottontown, Tnn. USA (deceased)
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Posted 13 Feb 2002 7:46 am
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Bobby Lee,
truer words have never been spoken!
I have been trying to find the words to say just that for some time now. Thanks, you said it for me. 
Dave |
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Paul Graupp
From:
Macon Ga USA
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Posted 13 Feb 2002 9:27 am
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I've got to side on with b0b's comment as well. If I played what they play at the shows, I'd be doing those shows and not Bull & Dees Sports Lounge. The truth is, I'm actually playing my music instead of trying to impress someone else with things I may not even like. Our band leader was not a steel guitar fan and got so obnoxiuos about it that we fired him this weekend. He would say things like: Sleepwalk and Harbor Lights are both a bunch of SXXX!! The crowd always asked for those songs but he hated them because it featured my Carter. Now we're back to normal; playing OURmusic.
Regards, Paul |
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