This post is not intended for “polished” players; it is intended for those of you who are relatively new to the steel guitar. The older guys may think it is trite, but I don’t care. I just want to do what I can to help the younger generation. The world needs steel guitar players, and you younger people are the future of the music world.
My case is an extreme one, but I believe it serves as a good illustration of the importance of practice. I decided to post my “story” for the benefit of any up-and-coming young steelers who have to force themselves to sit behind their instrument for hours at a time.
I played steel professionally for about 17 years, surrounded by excellent musicians on other instruments. I practiced at every opportunity, although a lot of time was on the road going from one gig to the next. I became moderately proficient and built up a relatively fast right hand during those years.
Then I quit music and rarely even touched an instrument for over 40 years. When I retired from my “day job” in May 2003 my wife bought me a D10 8+4 and a Nash 1000 amp and I began trying to get my hands back in shape. For the first few weeks I couldn’t even get through “The Waltz You Saved For Me” without major mistakes – mostly associated with manual dexterity. Most of my music knowledge still resided somewhere in the back of my brain, and came back pretty quickly as I brushed away the cobwebs. But execution (especially with the right hand) was a major problem. I have been saying for months that “I can still remember all of my hot licks; I just can’t get there in time.”
But I have been determined to recapture the joy of playing steel with real bands and real musicians. So, I have been practicing for 2 to 4 hours each day – including Sundays and holidays. I still can’t do the “speed picking” stuff like the real pro’s of today’s world, but after just seven months I can hold my own at jam sessions and steel guitar shows. I can see the practice starting to pay off big time. So, the benefit of regular practice is very clear to me. Hank Garland, an old friend of many years, was a teen ager when I first met him, and was playing some nice stuff on lead guitar -- but he wasn’t setting the world on fire. But he practiced eight hours each day, and within just a few years had become one of the best guitarists in the world. Even the great George Benson was a follower of Hank, and Hank wound up in New York playing with the super jazz jet set such as the legendary Charlie Parker. He didn’t get there through any magic formula or short cut; he got there by practice, practice, practice. Don’t ever underestimate the value of practice.
When you practice, don’t just keep going over the stuff you can already do, spend at least half of the time trying to reach beyond your present abilities. Push the envelope. Pick a lick you “wish” you could play and keep at it until you can play it. Then still keep at it until you can play it flawlessly. Then move on to another lick. Learning to play like the pros is like eating an elephant. You can do it if you take one bite at a time.
The best advice I can give young steelers is the advice I used to give my students: If you enjoy playing but don’t enjoy the learning process, you will never become great. You have to enjoy learning – and you have to enjoy practicing. There is no substitute for practice.
The importance of practice
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
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Rick Schmidt
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Wise words Roy... Practice is everything for any level of player! After gigging for years, the best thing I ever did for my playing was to finagle a way to buy a second steel that I can always leave set up in my music room. Sure you can discover things on the bandstand, but you can make them your own in the woodshed.
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Dr. Hugh Jeffreys
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Very, Very well said Roy. In retrospect, I sometimes think it took me 10 years just to learn HOW to practice. I've known so many "good" players (of other instruments) who just quit practicing because they had a 6-night a week gig. What a falacy! What one knows DOES NOT COUNT! It's pushing the envelop that brings one over the hill. The "picking muscles" are located primarily in the forearm (for steel players); they are exercised when the associated tendons cause them to flex and/or relax. Grasp your right forearm with your left hand. Make a fist. Stretch your fingers. You can then feel the muscles of the right forearm contract/relax while others are engaged in the stretch reflex. Practice should always involve a pre-concieved GOAL. ie, what will I have accomplished after this hour? As per Charlie Parker, it is said that he practiced 11-13 hours/day. I, as you, Roy, hope that these words will help to further elevate the psg. Hugh
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Joe Miraglia
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You might think this silly,but when I worked at Cummins Eng. I would assemble parts using cap srews Working my fingers. Thinking that I was playing steel. Turning the srew I would think- thumb-index-3th. finger over and over like picking strings. Using different fingers. Joe<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Joe Miraglia on 09 January 2004 at 04:36 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Gene Jones
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Very well said Roy. When I was a full-time musician I seldom ever practiced.....my rig went in the trunk of my car after a gig and didn't come out until the next gig, and I eventually became so frustrated with it all that I quit playing entirely.....for nearly 15 years.
...then when I decided to play again I was so far behind that I had to "practice" continually and it was nearly two years before I felt comfortable on a bandstand again. It was a luxury to have the time to both play and practice! I would have been a much better player if I had taken the time to practice when I was a full-time musician.
www.genejones.com
...then when I decided to play again I was so far behind that I had to "practice" continually and it was nearly two years before I felt comfortable on a bandstand again. It was a luxury to have the time to both play and practice! I would have been a much better player if I had taken the time to practice when I was a full-time musician.
www.genejones.com
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Jack Dougherty
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- Location: Spring Hill, Florida, USA
Having heard Roy play, I can attest to his playing ability. I had not realized he stopped playing for all those years. The several times I did see and play with him proved his theory correct. The thought of practice and the art of practice are two different ideas. Having a goal when one does practice can do more in fifteen minutes then hours of "FOOLING AROUND" So for all the "newbies",
practice with purpose and seek professional help when able. Even million dollor PGA pros take lessons. But most importantly have fun!!!
practice with purpose and seek professional help when able. Even million dollor PGA pros take lessons. But most importantly have fun!!!
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Chris Lasher
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- Location: Blacksburg, VA
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Thanks very much for your words of advice, Roy. They are a confirmation of what I feel to be true.
There are two schools of thought that, after having encountered them, I now have to wrestle in dealing with both of them, because I believe both to be true. "There is no substitute for hard work," is the first school of thought. "Work smart, not hard," is the second.
I read your post as falling under both schools of thought, for you state that it is not just the fact that you practice, but how you practice. I'd like to append some of what I use as food for thought, and some of my reflections.
Larry Carlton, who is a fine six-string player, is well known to not pick up a guitar for three or four months straight. He comes back to the instrument refreshed and with a new vitality that keeps the fire in his playing.
Another fantastic guitarist, Ron Thal, aka "Bumblefoot" restricts the number of hours he practices a day to no more than three or four. In his opinion, he reaches a certain point where he no longer concentrates 100%, and it is important to him to stop then. This follows the concept of the "law of diminishing returns": as you increase the amount input, the increase in the amount output decreases.
Steve Vai, on the other hand, practices religiously, and has been known to play for periods in excess of twelve hours. Perhaps one of his greatest works, "For the Love of God" was performed and recorded after spending one full week fasting and playing fourteen hours every day.
I consider all three of these players excellent musicians. I could conceivably argue that Steve Vai could play the music of the two former guitarists, as he possesses amazing technical proficiency, yet at the same time, to state something like that would be a waste of energy, because Steve Vai does not and should not play any music but what Steve Vai needs and wants to. The same goes for Ron Thal and Larry Carlton.
I apologize for using six-stringers as examples, but I am very, very new to the world of pedal steels, and I must work with what I know. My point is, however, isn't practice just one of the many ways we distinguish ourselves as musicians, and as human beings, ultimately?
To me, it boils down to asking, what do I really need, as a person, to feel content?
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>
Technique is what enables us to articulate with efficiency and clarity. But first we must have something to say. Sometimes a player with crude technique has more to say than a player with impeccable technique. Whose song is more uplifting?
Acquire the tecnique you need, and no more...
--excerpted from Zen Guitar by Philip Toshido Sudo</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I do my best to remember this whenever I talk about something that I've done. There is always the burning desire in the back of my mind for me to excuse what I find to be faults in my playing by saying, "I'm sorry, I just don't practice enough." This is a lie. Obviously I do practice enough to play at the level that I do, because I have made the choices that led up to my capabilities now. These choices are manifestations of my contentedness with my playing ability. Obviously if I was truly not content with my skill level, I would practice. This could apply to many things in life: dieting and excercise, earning professional promotions, finding a soulmate and starting a family. When something bothers me enough, then obviously I will do something about it, and if I don't do something about it, then obviously it doesn't bother me enough. Since there is not enough time to do everything in life, life comes down to the choices made of what to do with that time that I have been blessed to have.
When I decided to go out with a very good friend last night, I also made a decision about how well or poorly I will play pedal steel guitar. At the same time, I really enjoyed her company, and I feel like I gained a lot in life, and that was the right decision for me. When I returned home and I pulled out my classical guitar and dug out of my memory old folk songs that I had nearly forgotten, I made another decision that will affect my abilities on pedal steel, but at the same time, I reconnected with musical memories from my past and expressed something that I obviously wanted to hear. At the moment, I am typing this rather lengthy post, rather than playing my pedal steel, and likely after that, and from there I may or may not play one of my instruments. In fact, I may not touch my pedal steel until two or three days from now. Despite this, I don't want live my life feeling regret or guilt for this, because I made my decisions, and they are good enough for me.
When I do finally sit down to the pedal steel, I will not be able to light it on fire with my playing, but perhaps with some time I will begin to actually make some noises that aren't too offensive, and maybe, just maybe, even stumble upon, for a brief moment in time, something that I really feel came from inside, through my fingers, and out those strings. It is then I remember why I even bothered at all. In following what Mr. Sudo wrote, I am learning pedal steel guitar not because I want to say "I play a pedal steel," but because all of the sudden, for reasons I don't even know yet, what I heard coming out of Paul Franklin, Sonny Garrish, Dan Dugmore, Mike Johnson, and Randle Currie struck a chord in me (ha! get it?), and made me feel a need to touch those sorts sounds.
Through my own experiences of learning to play the six string guitar, I have developed a profound appreciation and knowledge for what it takes to be skilled on any instrument (which is worth so much on its own). My own playing on that instrument pales in comparison to my inspirations, but at the same time, I have not followed their paths, and so I can't expect to play what they do. I can already see that pedal steel is the same mountain, just another side. I can not expect to play what any of the inspirations that got me to the instrument in the first place do, because I do not follow their paths. I do not practice nor play the instrument, either instrument, or both instruments, for hours each day.
But I have to be okay with this, because I have made my choices and I continue to make them. I have also made the decision that I agree that music is about life, not the other way around. And I have also decided that I am, as another person here has stated before, a true amateur: one who does it for the love of doing it, nothing more. And I think that by the time I die, I may have finally learned to play my own uplifting song, and so I know I will have practiced all that I needed to.
Maybe I should have just left this for my personal journal. I'll bet Eric West is thinking of telling me the same thing right now...
Now for something I'm wondering. Roy, out of curiosity, why did you leave music completely, and how were you able to just let go of it? I am amazed by that. Letting go is sometimes an act of love, and I wonder if it has brought you closer to the instrument. You, yourself, have a peculiar practice schedule: make a living playing, stop playing, return to playing with a vengeance. Isn't Lloyd Green in the same boat? Both of you have Larry Carlton beat out, I think
Well, that's certainly enough out of me. Maybe it's time to go practice...
Great topic, Roy, and thanks again for the advice. I will remember it.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 09 January 2004 at 05:14 PM.]</p></font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 09 January 2004 at 05:22 PM.]</p></font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 09 January 2004 at 05:29 PM.]</p></FONT>
There are two schools of thought that, after having encountered them, I now have to wrestle in dealing with both of them, because I believe both to be true. "There is no substitute for hard work," is the first school of thought. "Work smart, not hard," is the second.
I read your post as falling under both schools of thought, for you state that it is not just the fact that you practice, but how you practice. I'd like to append some of what I use as food for thought, and some of my reflections.
Larry Carlton, who is a fine six-string player, is well known to not pick up a guitar for three or four months straight. He comes back to the instrument refreshed and with a new vitality that keeps the fire in his playing.
Another fantastic guitarist, Ron Thal, aka "Bumblefoot" restricts the number of hours he practices a day to no more than three or four. In his opinion, he reaches a certain point where he no longer concentrates 100%, and it is important to him to stop then. This follows the concept of the "law of diminishing returns": as you increase the amount input, the increase in the amount output decreases.
Steve Vai, on the other hand, practices religiously, and has been known to play for periods in excess of twelve hours. Perhaps one of his greatest works, "For the Love of God" was performed and recorded after spending one full week fasting and playing fourteen hours every day.
I consider all three of these players excellent musicians. I could conceivably argue that Steve Vai could play the music of the two former guitarists, as he possesses amazing technical proficiency, yet at the same time, to state something like that would be a waste of energy, because Steve Vai does not and should not play any music but what Steve Vai needs and wants to. The same goes for Ron Thal and Larry Carlton.
I apologize for using six-stringers as examples, but I am very, very new to the world of pedal steels, and I must work with what I know. My point is, however, isn't practice just one of the many ways we distinguish ourselves as musicians, and as human beings, ultimately?
To me, it boils down to asking, what do I really need, as a person, to feel content?
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>
Technique is what enables us to articulate with efficiency and clarity. But first we must have something to say. Sometimes a player with crude technique has more to say than a player with impeccable technique. Whose song is more uplifting?
Acquire the tecnique you need, and no more...
--excerpted from Zen Guitar by Philip Toshido Sudo</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I do my best to remember this whenever I talk about something that I've done. There is always the burning desire in the back of my mind for me to excuse what I find to be faults in my playing by saying, "I'm sorry, I just don't practice enough." This is a lie. Obviously I do practice enough to play at the level that I do, because I have made the choices that led up to my capabilities now. These choices are manifestations of my contentedness with my playing ability. Obviously if I was truly not content with my skill level, I would practice. This could apply to many things in life: dieting and excercise, earning professional promotions, finding a soulmate and starting a family. When something bothers me enough, then obviously I will do something about it, and if I don't do something about it, then obviously it doesn't bother me enough. Since there is not enough time to do everything in life, life comes down to the choices made of what to do with that time that I have been blessed to have.
When I decided to go out with a very good friend last night, I also made a decision about how well or poorly I will play pedal steel guitar. At the same time, I really enjoyed her company, and I feel like I gained a lot in life, and that was the right decision for me. When I returned home and I pulled out my classical guitar and dug out of my memory old folk songs that I had nearly forgotten, I made another decision that will affect my abilities on pedal steel, but at the same time, I reconnected with musical memories from my past and expressed something that I obviously wanted to hear. At the moment, I am typing this rather lengthy post, rather than playing my pedal steel, and likely after that, and from there I may or may not play one of my instruments. In fact, I may not touch my pedal steel until two or three days from now. Despite this, I don't want live my life feeling regret or guilt for this, because I made my decisions, and they are good enough for me.
When I do finally sit down to the pedal steel, I will not be able to light it on fire with my playing, but perhaps with some time I will begin to actually make some noises that aren't too offensive, and maybe, just maybe, even stumble upon, for a brief moment in time, something that I really feel came from inside, through my fingers, and out those strings. It is then I remember why I even bothered at all. In following what Mr. Sudo wrote, I am learning pedal steel guitar not because I want to say "I play a pedal steel," but because all of the sudden, for reasons I don't even know yet, what I heard coming out of Paul Franklin, Sonny Garrish, Dan Dugmore, Mike Johnson, and Randle Currie struck a chord in me (ha! get it?), and made me feel a need to touch those sorts sounds.
Through my own experiences of learning to play the six string guitar, I have developed a profound appreciation and knowledge for what it takes to be skilled on any instrument (which is worth so much on its own). My own playing on that instrument pales in comparison to my inspirations, but at the same time, I have not followed their paths, and so I can't expect to play what they do. I can already see that pedal steel is the same mountain, just another side. I can not expect to play what any of the inspirations that got me to the instrument in the first place do, because I do not follow their paths. I do not practice nor play the instrument, either instrument, or both instruments, for hours each day.
But I have to be okay with this, because I have made my choices and I continue to make them. I have also made the decision that I agree that music is about life, not the other way around. And I have also decided that I am, as another person here has stated before, a true amateur: one who does it for the love of doing it, nothing more. And I think that by the time I die, I may have finally learned to play my own uplifting song, and so I know I will have practiced all that I needed to.
Maybe I should have just left this for my personal journal. I'll bet Eric West is thinking of telling me the same thing right now...
Now for something I'm wondering. Roy, out of curiosity, why did you leave music completely, and how were you able to just let go of it? I am amazed by that. Letting go is sometimes an act of love, and I wonder if it has brought you closer to the instrument.
You, yourself, have a peculiar practice schedule: make a living playing, stop playing, return to playing with a vengeance. Isn't Lloyd Green in the same boat? Both of you have Larry Carlton beat out, I think Well, that's certainly enough out of me. Maybe it's time to go practice...
Great topic, Roy, and thanks again for the advice. I will remember it.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 09 January 2004 at 05:14 PM.]</p></font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 09 January 2004 at 05:22 PM.]</p></font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 09 January 2004 at 05:29 PM.]</p></FONT>
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James Morehead
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John McGann
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Jim Phelps
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Mark van Allen
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Practice seems to be a very personal thing as far as direction, desire, and results. It took me some time to learn how to practice to get the best results for myself. When working with students I try to explore the ways they learn and retain information to help them discover what practice routine (and how much) will deliver the most progress. It's different for everybody. (There is also an enormous difference for people who put in lots of time on the bandstand compared to those who only play in the practice room. There's just no substitute for live playing experience.) As for myself, like Chris, I've made concious choices to enjoy many facets of life and relationships beyond just Steel guitar. I am very aware of how much better I'd be if I devoted more time to practice... but I greatly value the other interests and experiences I have. I think for most players it is a choice- to be truly "great" requires a great amount of sacrifice, as far as time and effort.
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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
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Walter Stettner
- Posts: 5744
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Roy,
This is a very important post and you said exactly the right words!
Practicing is the key for your playing ability, without practice you're not getting anywhere!
For me, I love to practice! I have two different ways: If I want to learn a new lick, solo, intro ending etc, I'll play it over and over again until I get it right. Sometimes I just sit at my steel, put a CD in the player and simply try to play along, with my own style and ideas. I also love to play to songs I am not familiar with, for me that's a good training for anticipation and the sense for melody and rhythm. This is important if you are playing with different musicians, often without band practise, it's like getting thrown into the cold water!
Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf
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This is a very important post and you said exactly the right words!
Practicing is the key for your playing ability, without practice you're not getting anywhere!
For me, I love to practice! I have two different ways: If I want to learn a new lick, solo, intro ending etc, I'll play it over and over again until I get it right. Sometimes I just sit at my steel, put a CD in the player and simply try to play along, with my own style and ideas. I also love to play to songs I am not familiar with, for me that's a good training for anticipation and the sense for melody and rhythm. This is important if you are playing with different musicians, often without band practise, it's like getting thrown into the cold water!
Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf
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Chris Lasher
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John Floyd
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I played Bass for over 40 years, 2/4 , 3/4 and 4/4, didn't worry about anything else I'm country to the bone. Thats about 10 years per string. Never had to do much practicing, it just came natural to me. I always wanted to play a lead instrument and had attempted to play guitar several times in my lifetime without too much sucess. In Sept of 2001, I got the Ax from my job at age 60. Not too many jobs out there for a 60 year old man. I bit the bullet financially, lost everything I owned. I went on Social Security Early retiremnt at 62. All of that is unimportant what is important is that I was able to do something I always wanted to do and that was to become a good Guitar player. The Lord provides us opportunities in Strange ways, sometimes we fail to realize that an opportunity has been put in front of us. To make a long story shorter, I practiced all day long every day for 2 1/2 years now and its become a regular routine. Its the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night. some days I have sat and played for as much as 14 hours. I started out wanting to do a 45 minute Solo gig at a Masonic Lodge ladies night dinner and realized I didn't have 45 minutes worth of material, but somehow I made it through that one playing only instrumentals. about a year later. I started one morning at around 8 o'clock and played until 12:30 without doing the same piece of material twice. That was a milestone for me.
Practice is of paramount importance, but its not the whole answer. Stage time is necessary to round out the proficient player, there is no way around it. You have to have that experience of playing with other musicians and to gain the confidence you need to get thru the rough spots, working with bad musicians, hams, etc. Always try to play with Musicians better than you, if you don't, you ain't learning much. Thats not much of a problem for me, almost everybody plays better than me.
The one thing that I had to do was make a clean break with playing bass and not look back. People try to control you, I didn't want to play bass anymore yet that was all the musicians I knew wanted me to do. I gave up a lot of paying gigs when I really needed the money to hang on to my principles. Sometimes, thats all you have left.
I gave in twice, Once at a benefit for a friend who has cancer and once to Honor a man I had played with in the past at an event where they rounded up as many musicians as they could who had worked with this man in days gone by. I had a heck of a time convincing people to let me do what I wanted to do.
I never had stage fright when I was a bass player, have played some fairly large gigs.
Put a guitar in my hands in front of an audience and my mind goes blank. Its just going to take plenty of stage time to get past this. One thing that helps, is when you are ready to take a ride, know in advance what you are going to do and stick with it. In other word, have aplan for each and every song. Don't change the plan and try to get creative too soon, it will come with more experience. Don't get hung up on anyone particular player and try to be his clone, There has already been a Chet Atkins, A Curly Chalker, a Buddy Emmons,a Bill Stafford, a Paul Franklin and so forth and so on
I have days where I hit a dead spot and make absolutely no progress, If I put it down for the rest of the day, the next day I learn something new, so I believe in the saturation theory.
Like Roy said, there ain't no easy way, it takes work and practice, plenty of it but it takes experience too on the instrument you are working on. I have had plenty of experience with music and being on stage, but its not much help on a new instrument.
I've almost become the guitar player I always wanted to be, but I'm not there yet, still have the Stage time thing to get thru. I probably never will be completely satisfied with my playing, I certainly hope I don't, because it will mean that I'm fooling myself and my learning has come to an end.
You never get too old to learn!
John
BTW, I think I'm about ready to try steel too. I always wondered why my good friend Malcolm Kirby, a great guitar player, wanted to take up steel, now I know, its the Challenge and the love of the instrument.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 10 January 2004 at 03:59 PM.]</p></FONT>
Practice is of paramount importance, but its not the whole answer. Stage time is necessary to round out the proficient player, there is no way around it. You have to have that experience of playing with other musicians and to gain the confidence you need to get thru the rough spots, working with bad musicians, hams, etc. Always try to play with Musicians better than you, if you don't, you ain't learning much. Thats not much of a problem for me, almost everybody plays better than me.
The one thing that I had to do was make a clean break with playing bass and not look back. People try to control you, I didn't want to play bass anymore yet that was all the musicians I knew wanted me to do. I gave up a lot of paying gigs when I really needed the money to hang on to my principles. Sometimes, thats all you have left.
I gave in twice, Once at a benefit for a friend who has cancer and once to Honor a man I had played with in the past at an event where they rounded up as many musicians as they could who had worked with this man in days gone by. I had a heck of a time convincing people to let me do what I wanted to do.
I never had stage fright when I was a bass player, have played some fairly large gigs.
Put a guitar in my hands in front of an audience and my mind goes blank. Its just going to take plenty of stage time to get past this. One thing that helps, is when you are ready to take a ride, know in advance what you are going to do and stick with it. In other word, have aplan for each and every song. Don't change the plan and try to get creative too soon, it will come with more experience. Don't get hung up on anyone particular player and try to be his clone, There has already been a Chet Atkins, A Curly Chalker, a Buddy Emmons,a Bill Stafford, a Paul Franklin and so forth and so on
I have days where I hit a dead spot and make absolutely no progress, If I put it down for the rest of the day, the next day I learn something new, so I believe in the saturation theory.
Like Roy said, there ain't no easy way, it takes work and practice, plenty of it but it takes experience too on the instrument you are working on. I have had plenty of experience with music and being on stage, but its not much help on a new instrument.
I've almost become the guitar player I always wanted to be, but I'm not there yet, still have the Stage time thing to get thru. I probably never will be completely satisfied with my playing, I certainly hope I don't, because it will mean that I'm fooling myself and my learning has come to an end.
You never get too old to learn!
John
BTW, I think I'm about ready to try steel too. I always wondered why my good friend Malcolm Kirby, a great guitar player, wanted to take up steel, now I know, its the Challenge and the love of the instrument.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 10 January 2004 at 03:59 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Bob Hoffnar
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Chris Lasher
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Wise man say:<SMALL>Always try to play with Musicians better than you, if you don't, you ain't learning much.</SMALL>
If all musicians play with better musicians, how can the lesser musician get an opportunity to become a better musician?
Perhaps there is experience for all to be gained by working with those of different experience.
Sometimes the greatest amount of learning occurs through the act of teaching.
A so!
>-D
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 10 January 2004 at 07:46 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Chris Lasher on 10 January 2004 at 07:48 PM.]</p></FONT>-
John Floyd
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Wise man also Say:
Don't knock it unless you try it.
It worked for me in the past, When I moved to Nashville in the early 70's.
It ain't about the other guy, Its about yourself!
I stand by the statement.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 15 January 2004 at 04:06 PM.]</p></FONT>
Don't knock it unless you try it.
It worked for me in the past, When I moved to Nashville in the early 70's.
It ain't about the other guy, Its about yourself!
I stand by the statement.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 15 January 2004 at 04:06 PM.]</p></FONT>
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David L. Donald
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Thanks Roy nothing trie about it al all.
Dr Hugh hit it well too : push the envelope.
A case in point a young Al DeMeola went to Berklee for under 2 years. In that time he practiced 8 hours or more a day, PLUS classes and only stopped to eat and sleep for two solid years.
When my old buddy Alan Donson turned down Bill Conner's spot in Chick Corea's Return To Forever, Chick had heard of this kid woodshedding at Berklee more than anyone had seen.
He got the audition, got the gig in 1/2 hour flat, and was in the band and shortly became a jazz guitar star.
From unknown to monster in 2 years.
Never finished his second year at Berklee he was working. But he never stopped studying or woodshedding.
He just transfered to the School of Chick on a scholarship...
Dr Hugh hit it well too : push the envelope.
A case in point a young Al DeMeola went to Berklee for under 2 years. In that time he practiced 8 hours or more a day, PLUS classes and only stopped to eat and sleep for two solid years.
When my old buddy Alan Donson turned down Bill Conner's spot in Chick Corea's Return To Forever, Chick had heard of this kid woodshedding at Berklee more than anyone had seen.
He got the audition, got the gig in 1/2 hour flat, and was in the band and shortly became a jazz guitar star.
From unknown to monster in 2 years.
Never finished his second year at Berklee he was working. But he never stopped studying or woodshedding.
He just transfered to the School of Chick on a scholarship...
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Roy Ayres
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Thanks for some great replys. I mentioned you should spend at least half of your practice time on stuff you can't reach -- i.e., pushing the envelope. I do that, and I spend the other half trying to learn new chord inversions, new voicing, and new songs -- especially the more sophistocated ones with beautiful and complex progressions. For the newer players, I suggest the "other half" be spent on music theory. To me, chord construction and analysis is the key to steel guitar.
Great words of wisdom Roy.The doctor also spoke the truth. It seems a lot of us that worked on a professional basis had the same habits,play every night and practice very little. I gave up the business in 1974 and put my Fender 2000 in storage. In 2001, I decided to buy an Emmons.I'd always wanted one but dealings with Fender did not allow it. Thats a long time in between picking and right away I found out just how much I'd lost in every phase of my playing. But like Roy, in the back of my mind and memory much stayed alive but the fingures wouldn't cooperate. I never was a speed player like those who are known for speed. The largest thing I had to overcome on that year 2001 was to re-orient myself to a full E9th chromatic. I had not use the full chromatic nor was it even tuned simular. It was tuned to a 6th and when the pedals A&B went down, so did the strings. A complete reverse ! What a challenge that was and still my mind wants to send me back to that setup now and then.
I don't practice as much as I should even though I have the time to do it. Somedays it's a couple hours while other times it's only minutes. I appreicate Roy's words and wish i had his commitment to the time he and others spend. Was a good topic Roy my friend.
Carl West
I don't practice as much as I should even though I have the time to do it. Somedays it's a couple hours while other times it's only minutes. I appreicate Roy's words and wish i had his commitment to the time he and others spend. Was a good topic Roy my friend.
Carl West
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Dylan Schorer
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The best, simple advice I've heard comes from Adam Levy, guitar player for Nora Jones: You should always keep your instrument set up, ready to play, and preferably in sight. When you get home from a gig, don't leave the guitar and amp in the trunk of the car. No matter how late it is and how wiped out you are, unload it, set it up, plug in the cords and the amp. There's no barrier to playing when the inspiration strikes the next day.
I got home at 2am last night, and the last thing I wanted to do was unload gear, but I did. First thing this morning I poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the steel for a little wake up music.
I guess I can disregard the above advice when I buy second steel & amp and have a dedicated practice setup.
I got home at 2am last night, and the last thing I wanted to do was unload gear, but I did. First thing this morning I poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the steel for a little wake up music.
I guess I can disregard the above advice when I buy second steel & amp and have a dedicated practice setup.
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Chris Lasher
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Great post, Roy, and I can relate. I played quite a bit in the mid-70's, then got married, got a real job, had kids, etc., etc., and put the axe in the closet for 20 years. I pulled it out three years ago and it was like coming out of a coma, trying to remember all of the stuff I knew back then, but rigorous practice makes the difference. Plus there's just so much more available today in terms of resources, including this Forum.
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Ken Drost
steelcrazy after all these years
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Ken Drost
steelcrazy after all these years