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Post new topic Smooth Out Your Playing
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Author Topic:  Smooth Out Your Playing
Landon Roberson


From:
Church Hill, Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 1 Jan 2012 5:20 pm    
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How do you smooth out your playing? I have finally got the tone that I am looking for out of my GFI Ultra but there still seems to be an edge on my sound. I was wondering how to get a smooth sound like Buddy Emmons or Jeff Newman. In this youtube clip with both of them playing they both have a smooth sound even though each one has alittle bit different sound from the other. Any suggestions will be grately appriciated. Thanks, Landon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hVVrcw16ek
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Paul Sutherland

 

From:
Placerville, California
Post  Posted 1 Jan 2012 5:44 pm    
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Landon: Look carefully at Jeff Newman's hands. His left hand never picks the bar up. THAT'S CRITICAL.
And his right hand is text book perfect for palm blocking. THAT'S ALSO CRITICAL, if you choose to palm block.

The second player is Lloyd Green, not Buddy Emmons. Mr. Green's hands are not quite as orthodox as Mr. Newman's, but he gets the job done, and his licks are more innovative in my opinion. And, of course, his recording history in Nashville was the inspiration for many of us old-timers.

You should also review videos of Buddy Emmons. He is a superlative palm blocker with super smooth delivery. I believe Jeff Newman was heavily influenced by Buddy Emmons' playing.

Then to see what can be done with pick blocking, review carefully any number of videos of Paul Franklin.

Your questions are very good. Thinking about your technique and how to improve will serve you well in the long run.

In the final analysis it takes hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of practice to develop the smoothness that is characteristic of great steel playing.
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Georg Sørtun


From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
Post  Posted 1 Jan 2012 6:51 pm    
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The GFI tends to give strong attacks. The "ringing"/sustaining notes are there and are holding well, but the GFI inherently sustains at a lower level than many other PSGs. Very exact VP-riding can lower the attack and raise the sustain-part, but personally I "cheat" and use a "sustainer"-box to make my GFI sustain the way I want - a little goes a long way.

Picking further away from the bridge makes for a "rounder" attack sound. Your right hand becomes your attack and tone control if you utilize the entire string-range between bridge and bar, but I think that for the most part you will find the smoother tone you're after just a little left of where you are picking now.

Keeping strings/notes you can use sounding during changes, while only blocking out unwanted strings/notes and picking new ones as the tune demands, makes for "smoother rides". How you mute only specific strings isn't important as long as it works, but pick-blocking is logical.
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Ray Montee


From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Post  Posted 1 Jan 2012 7:12 pm     What a GREAT LOOKING Guy you are!
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You are one snazzy dresser there Landon, Sir.

You and a couple other SGF members who shall forever remain anonymous have taken great strides to dress up this Forum. My hats off to you! Very Happy
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Landon Roberson


From:
Church Hill, Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 1 Jan 2012 7:42 pm    
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Thanks for all the comments so far I am trying different things to help my tone and my playing and it seems that ever thing I try has helped in some little way. Paul I relized after I made the post that it was Jeff Newman and Lloyd Green playing in the video. I had been listening to Buddy Emmons play and guess I had him on my mind. Thanks again for the help and Ray glad I could help with the dress code on the forum. Georg I have a set of Llyod Green E9 strings on the way for my GFI Ultra and hope I can get the rods reset for the 6th string. I got your email on how to do it so maybe it will go ok.
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Richard Plummer

 

From:
nashville tennessee
Post  Posted 2 Jan 2012 3:11 am    
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As my mentor,the wonderful Ron Elliott always tell me when we get together,let the guitar sing to you.Pick the note once and get as many notes out of the phrasing as you can without touching the strings again to pick them.
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Olli Haavisto


From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
Post  Posted 2 Jan 2012 6:48 am    
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Lloyd Green gets the job done, indeed Smile
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Finland
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Bent Romnes


From:
London,Ontario, Canada
Post  Posted 2 Jan 2012 6:55 am    
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Landon, here is a video of Jeff Newman's hands showing how it's done with right hand picking and blocking as well as the left hand bar control and vibrato.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC9RijH9E5M
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Landon Roberson


From:
Church Hill, Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 2 Jan 2012 1:14 pm    
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Been practicing on my VP today and it finally came to me how to do it. As I watched other people work the VP it looked to me like they were pulling back on the VP as they hit the strings and then bringing the VP back up and this is what I was trying to do but today while I was practicing on the VP I started to push the VP up at the same time I hit the strings and the tone was amazing compared to what I had before. It seems more natural now and I practiced for about 1.5 hours just doing this on the VP thru several songs. I am not a pro at it yet but I think that there is hope.
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Scott Henderson


From:
Camdenton, Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 2 Jan 2012 10:45 pm    
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Hands Landon..You gotta feel it in your hands...Good advice about picking further up on the neck....Don't play directly over the pickup...Let the strings ring more...and more good advice about no raising the bar...One more piece of advice from my feeble mind...If your tone has a "metal " sound look at your bar pressure..To light of a touch can cause overtones....
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Larry Baker

 

From:
Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 3 Jan 2012 4:43 pm    
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Scottie is right about the bar pressure, I still have trouble keeping proper pressure on the bar. Thanks Scottie, Larry
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Landon Roberson


From:
Church Hill, Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 3 Jan 2012 5:15 pm    
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On bar pressure do you just let the weight of the bar be enough pressure or do you apply pressure with your left hand to push down on the bar?
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Scott Henderson


From:
Camdenton, Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 3 Jan 2012 5:37 pm    
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Don't let the bar sway on it's own....Just enough pressure with out bending the strings...It's an acquired habit....In your mind develope the habit of deadening your strings behind the bar....Kill those overtones...Let the tone of the strings ring out..
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D-10 JCH Dekley U-12 D-8 Magnatone Mullen RP Evans RE 200 profex 2 BJS bars
Dentyne gum (peppermint)
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Gary Preston


From:
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 3 Jan 2012 5:40 pm    
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Smile Practice , Practice and more Practice ! Cool
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