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Post new topic Dozen or so essential PS songs for a newbie?
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Author Topic:  Dozen or so essential PS songs for a newbie?
Allan Haley

 

From:
British Columbia, Canada
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 1:36 pm    
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Hello fellow steelers.
What are your dozen songs that you think a newbie steeler should listen to and study to get a feel for classic PS?
I believe that to learn to play music, you first have to get it into your ears. Listening to songs, solos, passages over and over until you can sing them.
I'm a mandolin player, so I listen to Bill Monroe a lot, trying to get that stuff into my head.
As a newbie steeler (three years), I want to put together a dozen or so tracks - listen to them until they sink in.
All suggestions welcome.
Al
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Bruce Bjork


From:
Southern Coast of Maine
Post  Posted 11 Oct 2017 6:09 pm    
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I'm also a newbie but will chime in anyway. Pick tunes that cover more than the standard I IV V format, look for the ii and vi chords and the 7ths. The House of the Rising Sun, Pacabels Canon in D etc. Been playing for four months on PSG but a 50 plus year musician on guitar, banjo, dobro etc., and I teach guitar at my local Vet Center as part of music therapy for combat vets. To me it's all about harmonized scales.
A bit off topic but I hope it helps.

Amazing Grace in G and D
Someday Soon
Teach Your Children
Anything by Hank Williams or Charlie Pride
Check out the Flying Burrito Brothers, Pure Prairie League, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Ricky Nelsons country band, Herb Pederson and Chris Hillman (Back to Backersfield).
There isn't enough time in the day.
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Norman Evans


From:
Tennessee
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 5:00 am    
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I like these songs by Wanda Jackson. Classic Ralph Mooney Steel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBpcnBuTizU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFh3lW2-KFg
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Dustin Kleingartner


From:
Saint Paul MN, USA
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 5:09 am    
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The whole Bakersfield record by Vince Gill and Paul Franklin would be a great place to start. It's packed full of steel classics.
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Bob Hoffnar


From:
Austin, Tx
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 7:35 am    
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Ray Price ! the early stuff is the template from which all else sprung forth.

Jimmy Day pedalsteel:
"Heartaches by the number" , "City Lights", "Crazy Arms"

Days playing is in the realm of possible and a real key into how to get expression out of you pedals.

Then in realm of impossible you've got Buddy Emmons playing on the Ray Price "Touch my Heart" LP.

For Lloyd Green find The "Live at Panther Hall", Charley Pride and Johnny Paycheck "The Real Mr. Heartache: The Little Darlin' Years"
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Pete Burak

 

From:
Portland, OR USA
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 10:04 am    
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Any 70's Country Rock style licks, ...assuming you like that style, this is a good song to play along with for newbs.
I bought a Pedal Steel after hearing Amie with a Steel intro and other cool licks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-c1az4uJzo
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Tom Beck


From:
Farmington Missouri
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 10:46 am    
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I'm pretty new to steel to, but have played in bands for many years. There are also some instrumentals that are often requested of steel players. Steel guitar Rag, and Sleepwalk, for example. The steel is really a hoot, isn't it!
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Herb Steiner

 

From:
Spicewood TX 78669
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 11:37 am    
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Bob Hoffnar wrote:
Ray Price ! the early stuff is the template from which all else sprung forth.

Jimmy Day pedalsteel:
"Heartaches by the number" , "City Lights", "Crazy Arms"

Days playing is in the realm of possible and a real key into how to get expression out of you pedals.

Then in realm of impossible you've got Buddy Emmons playing on the Ray Price "Touch my Heart" LP.

For Lloyd Green find The "Live at Panther Hall", Charley Pride and Johnny Paycheck "The Real Mr. Heartache: The Little Darlin' Years"


I agree with my friend Bob, and post only to add that early-to-late 60's Tom Brumley... especially the 1964-66 stuff... with Buck Owens is also considered an especially soulful and expressive style to glean from.

"Together Again"
"Close Up the Honky Tonks"
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 12 Oct 2017 12:25 pm    
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I'm a noob too. Intros are more accessible than whole tunes or solos. Some that I have been able to work out are:

D-I-V-O-R-C-E
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
Ocean Front Property
Nobody In His Right Mind
I Fall To Pieces
She's Acting Single, I'm Drinking Doubles
Blue Moon With Heartache

Most of these are pretty easy to play even for beginners, and give you an idea that sounding good doesn't have to be rocket science.

If you are working with an instructional book like the one by Winnie Winston, listen to the original versions of the tabbed tunes.

Oh, and check out any of the Time Jumpers videos on YouTube.
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John Goux

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2017 10:25 pm    
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Someday Soon
Rainbows All over Your Blues
Together Again
Buckaroo
Steel Guitar Rag
Highway 40 Blues
Sleepwalk
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
Mamma Tried
Teach Your Children
Blue Bayoo
Truck Driving Man
Lay Lady Lay
All My Ex's Live in Texas
Killing the Blues
Your Cheating Heart
Tennessee Waltz
Look at Us
Panhandle Rag

Anything from these albums...
"The Best Of Connie Smith",
"Bakersfield" Vince and Paul
"Highways and Heartaches" Skaggs

These are mostly E9 style pedal steel songs that I've seen called on gigs.
C6 style would be a different list.
John


Last edited by John Goux on 17 Oct 2017 7:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 16 Oct 2017 1:21 am    
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A newbie in my opinion should be learning the traditional classics, the standards if you will. Each of us as well as the PRO's came from this same place.

Songs with identifiable melody.

Such as...

Sleepwalk
Steel Guitar Rag
Tenn Waltz
Amazing Grace
Your Cheatin Heart
Waltz Across texas
Pass Me By
Together Again
Satin Sheets


Simple approach, no speed pickin or exotic solo's...not yet.

My take
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Kevin Fix

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 17 Oct 2017 3:42 pm     pRACTICE tRACKS
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Any George Jones, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard. And for up tempo, Waylon Jennings. You learn to play along with them it will put you in the right track.
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Jon Jaffe


From:
Austin, Texas
Post  Posted 17 Oct 2017 5:21 pm    
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I agree with Bob and Herb, and that's clearly a Texas influence. However, if I were to pick a steel guitar sound it would be Dicky Overbey. Emmons and Day are easy choices. While Dicky is more obscure, he is all over youtube, and a joy to listen to. Try this for starters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_m_iLLqey8&list=RDdwKSi0A66Hs&index=2
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 17 Oct 2017 7:09 pm    
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Jon Jaffe wrote:
I agree with Bob and Herb, and that's clearly a Texas influence. However, if I were to pick a steel guitar sound it would be Dicky Overbey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_m_iLLqey8&list=RDdwKSi0A66Hs&index=2

Jaw dropping.
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