The Steel Guitar Forum

Just wondering.. Most of us have at least one or two as it pertains to our steel playing,, some have several, a few have none.. a few examples..

Steeler A... Does it ALL.. Swing, Jazz, Country ,rock, blues,classical, contemporary pop, show tunes.. EVERYTHING perfectly... Maybe 2-3% of us can do this...

Steeler B... Hot E9 player, C6 is ok, but not his best... the average non player might even say he sounds as good as steeler A

Steeler C... Swing C6 is great, but cannot comprehend how steeler B gets that bright E9 bounce... its a Mystery to him..


etc, etc, etc,..... Do you guys get where I am coming from??..

I consider myself a steeler D... Kind of basic west coast sound, with enough unique licks to make other steelers consider me competant.. not anything to write home about, but able to play...

When I see or hear other steel players playing nice structured arrangements of standard tunes unaccompanied, and sounding GREAT at it, I consider myself less than adequate...

Same thing when I hear a good C6 player laying it down,, its so alien to me, I feel like I did something wrong in my early playing days, by not learning this style..

I console myself by sitting down at my guitar and playing lots of hot licks that are mine alone and saying to myself..

HA !!!let steeler B try THAT one!!!!

I guess the question I am asking is this.. do all you competant players that are gigging and are well thought of by others, ever get a little upset by what you can't do??

If you can make great E9 or C6 sounds with a good band, does it bother you that you can't branch out into other areas either by inability or lack of time or interest??

I guess I don't DWELL on my inabilities, but I DO notice them when I hear other good players... I don't ask other people "hey am I better than that guy???".. [I used to years ago!!], but I DO hear these little guys on my shoulder saying... "Bob, that guy sounds better after a year of playing than YOU do after 30"...

Just wondering if you consider your weak playing areas limiting as some of us do??

I actually LIKE the way I play,, just am mildly frustrated in my lack of ability in areas that others excel in, and that I am weak in... I would really like to debate this topic... bob<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 06 June 2006 at 10:35 AM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 06 June 2006 at 10:36 AM.]</p></FONT>

I think you need to feel good in your own skin. To me it really doesn’t matter what category I'm in or what category someone thinks I'm in if I like my playing and am happy with my limitations it's all ok. I believe Jimmy Day once said about players that could play faster that lightning "I wish I could do that, then I wouldn’t" or something like that so he was acknowledging their ability but it didn't bother him not being able to do it.

Jeff

Bob

I too have strengths and weaknesses - with steel-playing, guitar-playing (and golf!)

I continue to work at it all in the certain knowledge that I can't live long enough to satisfy myself in even one of these endeavours - can anyone?

Every time I hear somebody excelling with apparent ease at something I can barely attempt, it just drives me back to my steel (or the practice tee); that's where my inspiration comes from.

I love this endless journey I'm on.....

Roger Rettig

I never dwell on my limitations;
I just look for new ones.

Last nite I was studying the tab to Lloyd Green's "Bars of Steel" (from Scotty's book) whilst listening to the tune and TRYING to follow it...(all the while thinking "this IS brain surgery" )
They're not limitations, they're challenges...

I once heard John Hartford say something to the effect that 'Style is based on limitations, and I have many limitations, so I have lots of style'.

That's always helped me.

I usually play along with records featuring guys like Paul Franklin, John Hughey, Bruce Bouton, and Sonny Garrish, even though at a show recently, I played an Alan Jackson tune that featured Lloyd Green, "Remember When". I even play songs that don't really feature steel, but I add steel to them. I played along with Buddy Emmons on "Blue Christmas" at Christmastime and I've also played along with him on his version of "Aura Lee". I've even played a song recorded by a group called Orleans, called "Dance With Me" and I've played a Drifters tune called "Under the Boardwalk" and I'm also working on a song Linda Ronstadt recorded called "Somewhere Out There". Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel, GFI Ultra D-10

Brett, I hope you have heard Jeff Newman's version of "Dance With Me", from his last CD. If you haven't yer in for a surprise

Bob,,

You've heard what I sound like!! If I dwelled on, and worried about my inabilities I wouldn't get to play at all!!

I know I'll never be a hot lick player, and that's ok with me, I just try to play what I can the best that I can.

Yeah, I hear some player that does it really well,,,and I feel inadequate, then I stop and realize this guy has been playing a lot of years and I only started in my late 40's, now here I am in my late 50's and still just Hacking along, but it sure has been a fun ride and it's getting better all the time!!

Larry
edited for spelling
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"Fessy" S/D 12, 8/6 Hilton Pedal, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Larry Strawn on 06 June 2006 at 01:00 PM.]</p></FONT>

Larry you always have that uplifted and positive point of view... exactly what a steel player needs!!! How a manic depressive like ME ever learned to halfway play steel is a mystery..lol...
bob

Unless your last name rhymes with lemons and you are partial to derby hats there is always someone out there who can smoke you. Its a good thing to recognize your inadequacies and try and improve yourself, but you are who you are and your gonna make the kinda music you are gonna make. Try and grow? yes, but I wouldnt wanna "dwell" on anything. the only limitations here are time and willpower anyway (tho they can be formidable obstacles).

<SMALL>Unless your last name rhymes with lemons and you are partial to derby hats there is always someone out there who can smoke you.</SMALL>

!!!

<SMALL>Does it ALL.. Swing, Jazz, Country ,rock, blues,classical, contemporary pop, show tunes.. EVERYTHING perfectly... Maybe 2-3% of us can do this...</SMALL>

2-3%???? I seriously doubt that .00001% of players of ANY instrument can play all those styles PERFECTLY!! Since there are 30,000 - 40,000 steel players in the world, you somehow think that here are 1000 or so players who can do this. This is preposterous as I don't think there are ANY steel players who can do this. Of course. maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe there is a steel player playing as good as Charlie Parker, Mozart, Albert King, and Steve Vai. ...

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Jeff's Jazz

I try to stay clearly aware of my limitations, so I can

1. Work on them to get better.
2. Know where the envelope is, to avoid going too far out on the end of a limb and go down in flames.

But I don't think I dwell on them, most of the time. Oh, every once in a while, I go through a "Holy frijoles, I need to get with the program and fix all my problems" period, but those are usually temporary and useful - I usually get real motivated, work hard for a while, and make some progress.

For me, comparisons to other players can be troublesome. On the one hand, they can show possibilities. But I really try to avoid constant and hypercritical comparison of myself to other players - it's about what I can do, not how I "stack up", either good or bad. The only thing that matters is that I see where I need to go.

I accept the fact that everything I do, in all areas, is a work in progress and I'm never going to "finish". Honestly, I don't know what I would do with myself if I ever did "get there" - life would be very dull without lots of things to work on. I think that's why music and science have always been interesting to me. The journey is the goal, the destination is incidental - and often unpredictable - for me, at least.

"I Yam What I Yam"

Jeff... OK .. I 'll qualify the "does it all perfectly"... Lets just say that I feel 2-3 % of steel players can do many types of music WELL.. A good credible job.. NOT perfect perhaps, but with a good working knowledge of many forms ,and able to execute with credibility.

I know several that can go from straight E9 country, to various jazz forms, to good rock or blues and have a bunch of standards tucked away..and do it all very well.
I know I sure can't ...<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 07 June 2006 at 03:40 AM.]</p></FONT>

The more you learn, the more you realize what you are not able to.....

Bob, I think we need to remember that we are not entered in a contest and quit comparing ourselves to other musicians.
My motto is "do what you CAN do .... and do it WELL". ............. JD

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www.home.earthlink.net/~johnd37

I have been a copy-cat player all these years I have been in Nashville.

With Jack Green, David Houston, Porter Wagoner, George Jones and now Jimmy Dickens.

I am just fortunate to have worked the 38 years that I have been in Nashville trying to play what's already been played on the records. Not exactly but, close.

I am not talented in the area of "Instrumentalist".

There's only one Buddy Emmons, one Paul Franklin, one Tommy White.

I love what they do . . . but, talent and creativity are given as a gift of God and they . . . and some others, have that talent.

I just enjoy . . .and glad to be part of the over-all scene.

Not trying to prove anything except to make the singer . . (whoever that is) sound
right. And play what fits the song.

Most people don't even know I'm here.

Pee Wee Rogers

Bob
Interesting post
I'm to old to worry about limitations ,
I do the gigs for the fun , on the really
fun ones ! your limitations disappear , seems
like you could play anything !
( not true but seems like it is )

Hick

Ricky Davis once told me before I went to play a steel show "Don't worry about what you can't play, worry about what you CAN play!" So that's what I do, and I have become content in my accomplishments, and I add new things all I can by practicing all I can. I have MUCH enjoyment now.

I get tired of my "licks" but other people enjoy them. I think that most of our limits are self-imposed. If we really wanted to play a certain style, we'd put in the work that it takes to become good at it. You make your own choices, your own priorities. The only real limit is the time that we have to spend.

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<font size="1"><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b2005.gif" width="78 height="78">Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6)   My Blog </font>

WOW.. so many really wonderful thoughts and observations.. all right on too.

I guess that guys like me that do fuss over things we aren't good at,should take into consideration that for every weak area of our playing there is a good strong area reinforcing the entire package... such great answers on this subject..bob<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 07 June 2006 at 12:03 PM.]</p></FONT>

There's a few schools of thought on this subject. One says that you should work on your weak points and try to bring them up so they're nearly your strong points. Yet another says not to worry about what you can't do, but that you should capitalize on your strong points. Do one thing very, very well, and you'll be noticed, you'll stand out from the crowd. Do many things just "good", and you'll fade into oblivion. Remember when Michael Jordan tried to play baseball? How far did he get when he ventured out of his area of expertise?

My area of incompetence seems to change from day to day. There are times that I can play anything I try and other times I can't hit a lick. There is no logic to it that I can think of. I'm probably affected by tone more than anything. If it doesn't sound just right I tend to tighten up and play with much less confidence. Sometimes I don't play for a week or two and I do fine. Other times I might play every day and not be able to find the strings. Must be senior moments.