The Steel Guitar Forum

I'll start..

I have basically ceased all other activity for daily woodsheding and have been focusing on "at meter" playing, meaning hi speed...at about 105 bpm..well now that I think of it..this may not be HI Speed to some of you...but it is for me...

I have recorded some simple backup tracks which allow me to practice meter solo's perhaps 4 or 5 times in a row..in different keys as well..and I play over them endlessly..EX: Working Man Blues..I have a practice track ( rhythm, Bass,drums)which allows me to just play 4 solo's on a row..over and over and over..I may even get em' right at some point.

Now I do pratice new tunes for the band but my primary practice sessions are doing this same stuff over and over and over..not the exact phrases, but mix and match if you will..over several positions..

Is it helping..??..well..I think it is..what I have noticed is that on the gigs I am really not stuck in a box like I had been and I can jump in with confidence...

execution is still not where I would like it to be but the phrasing is certainly getting there...

So what are you all doing ? something similar or do you jump around in practice sessions and cover lots of territory ?

t<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 14 February 2005 at 08:18 AM.]</p></FONT>

A good and positive topic.

When I sit down at the guitar, I first work on all my C6 tunes, especially new ones that I play out, like "Crazy", "King of the Road".

Then the stuff I play for fun, "All of Me", "Mr.Sandman". I also work on blues scales in various neck positions.

Then I work on whatever new E9 tunes and licks I need for the bandstand, for fun I work on Weldon Myrick licks, Emmons licks and arrangements like "Wills Point", "Midnight in Old Amarillo". Lloyd Green's fantastic solos in "So Sad...".

Also for E9 I practice banjo and dobro licks for train songs like "Folsom Prison".

Speaking of dobro licks, I've been trying to cop a little of Jimmie Crawford's "John Henry".

Some tunes, like "Look at Us" and "Swingin' Doors", have to be re-learned in different keys to accomodate the singers.

Let's keep this thread going!
Drew

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<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>Drew Howard - website - Fessy D-10 8/8, Magnatone S-8, N400's, BOSS RV-3</pre></font>

Fields of Barley, Tico Tico, and a jazzy country original Ray Price beat : Walking Along

Dance With My Father by Lurther Van Dross.

Sounds good for steel.

Raga Bageshree, mostly inspired by the duet on “Samwad” by Kala Ramnath and Purbayan Chatterjee, though I have several versions including one by Indian lap slide master Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Bits and pieces of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, with the assistance of the “Classical Fake Book 2nd Edition”, a totally fab book. The usual tasteless dirty blues involving sliding every note and shrieking distortion. A lot of self-invented scalar interpolations.

Jazz Standards from the Real Book mostly..

I picked up a Beard 8-string reso at the NAMM show, which I love. I have it tuned:
D
B
G
E
D
B
A
G
and I'm working on playing "Touch My Heart", to learn the "country" voicings. As well as getting used to having the 9th (2nd) in the lower string group.

David..Huh ?

You are way beyond anywhere I would even attempt to go !

I can't even spell what you are doing let alone play it

t<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 14 February 2005 at 09:54 AM.]</p></FONT>

All of PF stuff with Dire Straits, anything that sounds good and new. J.C.

Right now, I have a set regimen, where I work on scales, arpeggios, and blocking for about 10-15 minutes to warm up. Then I do some exploration of my new 14-string Sierra for another 10-15 minutes. I'm trying to get used to the setup, find new ways to do things on it. Then I sit down and work on specific tunes. There are tunes which I do on the gig, want to figure out new ways to do them. Then there are new tunes. These range from stone cold country to country-rock to blues to swing/jazz. I normally work on specific passages at a slow tempo to start. I use a Zoom Rhythm Trak to set tempos once I get going on a tune, but don't mess with that while I'm figuring things out. For fun, I like to play tunes I know along with records.


I try to do this most days, but, alas, things sometimes do get in the way (including my 'pesky' 6-string guitars and banjos, which need to be tended to periodically). I feel good if I can get 1-2 hours in daily. Sometimes, I'll get a real day off and just sit there for 12 hours behind the steel. Wish that could happen more, but I think this approach is, ever so gradually, helping over the last 8 months or so. Over Xmas break, I played enough to drive my family up a tree - my wife didn't flinch when I told her I was joining a band last month - gets that #%$#@* steel out of the house.
</p>

Doug Jones gave me some E9 2nd string stuff to work on. John Steele sent me some ideas that got me going on using the 9th string as root. When that's through, it's a revisitation of "Bud's Bounce" - I'm tired of the bands always going for "Last Date" or Steel Guitar Rag" when it's PSG instrumental time so I am working up something new for them that they can actually find the chords to in time.

Then I get out my woodshed CD with JD, BE, LDG, Hal Rugg, Sonny Garrish, Bill Keith, Weldon Myrick and a few vintage no-pedallers from the past and just PLAY.

That's AFTER I turn off the computer, of course....

I am working on making an MP3 featuring E9th arrangement of Waltz You Saved For Me played
both on my Carter E9th and my E6th National Dynamic 6 String Lap Steel. Both back to back on the same recording.
The Lap Steel part is a real challenge as
the part has to be played in the same format
as the pedal steel. This means carefull seperation and good blocking both palm and pick blocking.
I am posting this also in non-pedalers as I am offering instruction on the technique.
The link to the song which I call Preliminary
at this point is as follows. I am still learning this myself and thus it is
slow and the guitar player is havin" a problem with me. http://members.cox.net/loveridehd/PreliminaryWaltz.mp3

Roy<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Roy Thomson on 14 February 2005 at 11:51 AM.]</p></FONT>

I am working on making an MP3 featuring E9th arrangement of Waltz You Saved For Me played
both on my Carter E9th and my E6th National Dynamic 6 String Lap Steel. Both back to back on the same recording.
The Lap Steel part is a real challenge as
the part has to be played in the same format
as the pedal steel. This means carefull seperation and good blocking both palm and pick blocking.
I am posting this also in non-pedalers as I will offer instruction on the technique.
The link to the song which I call Preliminary
at this point is below. I am still learning this myself and thus it is
slow and the guitar player is havin" a problem with me.
If any are interested in the Tablature and the tech approach to playing this you can email me at roythomson@eastlink.ca
Here is the sound of the Lap Steel in E6th.
Also playable for C6th but in a higher position
http://members.cox.net/loveridehd/PreliminaryWaltz.mp3
Roy
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Roy Thomson on 14 February 2005 at 11:54 AM.]</p></FONT>

Working on chorded melodies. Three strings for most every note with the melody on top.
Doing them with a drum machine and no "do overs".

Then I will work on licks and phrases for songs that our garage band does.

Neil Young's solo on "Cinnamon Girl" for pedal steel E9 with distortion.

Terry

Wow Terry, that sounds like serious fun... I am working on the Darick Campbell DVD, studying beginning theory again for lessons and fingerpicking exercises that I basically made up. My fingerpicking is woefully inadequate to play what I want to.

I'm working on a new project for the C-6. My practicing hasn't been as concentrated as much lately as I would like. I've just learned Stella by Starlight. There are a lot of II-V situations in this song. I took about 6 fake sheets over to a really great teacher I know who teaches jazz at a local college here. One of the things he showed me is when the first chord in a II-V situation is an altered minor chord ( in the case of stella the first 2 measures are Em7b5 to A7)instead of playing a D major scale aghnist it, play a D scale in a harmonic minor scale instead. I'm going to concentrate on just playing the harmonic minor scale over those chord changes for as long as it takes to become familiar with the scale and the sounds, what notes it sounds best to start on and where is the most convenient places to do it. Should be fun.

"Bloomdido" by Charlie Parker. Still trying to decide which of several positions options to build the muscle memory on.

I am working on a single note lead for Yankee Doodle at a very slow tempo and trying to get that Damn Nashville 1000 working that I bought from Tony Prior!!!
Just kiddin' Tony - I'm lovin' it!!!!

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Ron Petersen &
The Keep'n Tyme Band
Mullen Universal 12 - 1975 Session 400 - Nashville 1000

Hey Ron.you need to turn the ON button ON..

anyway..I could never get Yankee Doodle down..so I sold the amp to you...it must be the amp..

good to hear from ya..

t<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 15 February 2005 at 06:05 AM.]</p></FONT>

I'm practicing trying to stay in tune....also trying to keep up with 'Mr. Beavers' on our new twin steels project, 'A Little R&R'....Randy is 'a bunch to crunch'.

Aw Shucks Russ - You can do it - put a little oil on the joints!!! Are you ready for another batch of those Pickles!!
See you and Laney in waterloo - Ron & Marcia

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Ron Petersen &
The Keep'n Tyme Band
Mullen Universal 12 - 1975 Session 400 - Nashville 1000


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by rpetersen on 15 February 2005 at 06:48 AM.]</p></FONT>

"My Dog Has Fleas" by PD

Mainly things on the C6 tuning to help me learn where everything is at on the neck. Alot of scales and chord patterns, but I'm incorporating that into songs to study. "Night Life", "Straight No Chaser", "Song For My Father" and "Wichita Lineman" have been in my practice rep. for awhile and recently I've added "At Last", "Lil' Darlin'", "Skylark" and "Green Dolphin Street". It's a platefull and I'm not to the point where I'd be comfortable playin' em to an audience (except "Night Life" which I played at a recent gig....).

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

I am working on the songs for the Midwest Country Show I am doing with David Church in Sandstone Minn. this weekend. Also working on tunes to play at the Northeast Iowa Steel Guitar Jam, and The Wisconsin Dairy State Jam. Busy Busy. Oh yeah and in between working on band stuff.