Do you sing while playing steel?

Pete Nicholls · From: Macon, Georgia, USA

I started playing pedal steel 3 years ago, and now that I'm playing with a band on weekends, have started singing as well. While this is not a problem for me playing regular guitar or bass guitar, I have found it to be a challenge playing steel.

I have found that I have to give priority to the vocal and drop the steel if I have a problem with the hands or feet. Intonation also becomes more of an issue while singing, so stay in the same fret a lot and just change chords with knees and feet. Guess it's like anything else, practice, practice, practice! Do you have any tips you can offer?
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Jimmy Gibson · From: Cornwall, England

Yep,for many years ,

Jimmy

Robert Parent · From: Gillette, WY

Yes, I also sing a few songs while playing steel. You are correct it does take a bit of practice, especially at first.

Robert

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Not me!
I have a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time! Whoa!

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Nope. The law won't allow it. Laughing

I can sing a little if I am playing piano, but not steel.
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Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

I never get asked to sing - people are smart. But the steel does take up a lot more brain than any of the other instruments, so there will be less left over for singing.
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

If I really could sing well, like Beatles' songs in the original key, would I have started to learn steel?
I sometimes wonder.
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Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I sing while playing at steel guitar shows, so I usually have another player onstage with me. The way it works is, he'll play the intro, I sing the first verse, chorus, second verse, chorus, I play the solo, I sing the chorus again, then we both end the song. While I'm singing, I keep my volume pedal down so I can concentrate on vocals, then turn it back up for the solo and the end of the song. I've been a singer for many years and when I started playing shows, I was doing two instrumentals every show until around 2005 when everybody at the Georgia Steel Guitar Association found out that I'm a singer. I usually sing songs by Hank Williams, George Jones, George Strait, I've sang "Workin' On My Next Broken Heart" by Brooks & Dunn and "I'm Gonna Miss Her" by Brad Paisley. I've sang "Statue Of A Fool" a few times.

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

When it comes time for me to sing, I stand up & grab the Tele. Which is a shame, since the only songs I sing are the real country ones that scream for steel. One band I work with has a steel player, so I just play guitar, and then this way I get to have steel on all the songs I sing, and then I can pull out my Gram Parsons repertoire!
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Leo Melanson · From: Massachusetts, USA

When you sing and play electric guitar .. you can focus on the singing note and trust your feel on the frets ... but with steel, part of your brain has to be dedicated to the intonation of the steel notes. Since I cannot rely on feel, I look down at the steel fret markers and try to sing and play in tune, but more often than not ... still have to drop out playing for hard singing parts.
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John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

I do it all the time, also have a Telecaster around my neck.
I like playing steel and singing, and I never step on the singer when I'm doing it.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

It is possible with practice. But I prefer to not do my own fills.
Here's me doing it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HcJUTnw9PqA
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John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

An electrifying performance
Laughing

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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

I guess I'm gonna start. I bought one of the little boom stand clamp on devices and clamp it to the right front leg of my steel.

Weird thing is... I sing BASS! At one time, I could sing bass while playing bass guitar... really hard to do!
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John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

I'm afraid people would ask me to pay them to listen. I really don't have a good singing voice.

Niels Andrews · From: Salinas, California, USA

Sometimes it works and some times it doesn't. The intonation is the biggest problem. I can play all day long with my six string and pretty well with my resonator but it all comes unraveled it seems with the Steel. I think it is just a matter of becoming comfortable enough with the steel. I am not thinking about what I am going to do playing conventional guitar.
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Wesley Medlen · From: LaCygne,Ks

I don't do a lot of sinding but when I do I use a wireless head set. Work's well for me that way I can keep my eye's on what I'm playing.
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Sandy Inglis · From: Christchurch New Zealand

I've inherited the singing job by default in our band. I love singing but I find I'm not doing justice to the steel. I can do both, but I keep the steel simple and I feel my playing has become very boring!
I tried a headset mic (Senhieser) but prefer a SM58 as I can alter my distance and get some dynamics in my vocals.
I've sung Barbershop and so I love singing harmony's, so I'm trying to offload as many songs as possible to the others (who can all sing).
Singing harmony's while playing steel is easy.
I am currently playing less steel and more guitar and Mandolin to make the singing easier.
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Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

I'm with Erv.
Doing it while playing bass is one thing... fortunately, I'm a tenor; it must bend the mind, Scott.

One of my favorites performers is Rick Schmidt.
It must depend on the tune; The Way I Am is different from Goodbye Porkpie hat.

I'll be giving it a try--there are some songs I want to do, and I like to sing--as soon as I get my new used gui.
Learning will be the path, and I'll probably employ it in the way Martin Mull sings, 'Thanks to overdubbing.'

I applaud you, Pete, I'd like to see and hear you.
Both you and Schmidt can sing, play, and smile at the same time.
And Lane, I'm impressed. Watch him snatch that hand back from those hot strings!

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

I don't sing but I was told I hum really loud once at a recording session. I couldn't hear it cuz I had headphones on. I asked them if I was on key and they said it wasn't too far off...LOL
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Pete Nicholls · From: Macon, Georgia, USA

I took care of the mechanical part this week and ordered a clamp style boom and 19" gooseneck. I clamped the boom (link below) to the left front leg of the guitar and ran the gooseneck along the body of the guitar and bent it up at about the 13th fret. Wrapping the cable around the gooseneck protects the metal parts from rubbing on each other and keeps out the "dangles". So far, it is working quite well. Will take it on the job tonight and give it a final test.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002E5518?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
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Justice The Judge SD-10, 2007
Justice Pro Lite SD-10, 2011
Quilter Steelaire
Quilter Labs Tone Block 202 Head
Roland Cube 80-XL
American Stratocaster - Yamaha Bass Guitar
1 Fender Telecaster Nashville Edition
Ham Call: N4BHB

John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

Niels Andrews · From: Salinas, California, USA

Rick Schmidt does a great job and I relate that to he has been playing for probably 40 years or more and doesn't have to think about what he is doing. On the other hand I started Steel about the same time as Pete and hadn't played much of anything for 20 years prior to that.
I think that steel really not being a rhythm instrument adds to the demands which my mind has big problems with (internal hard drive too small).
If you really want to drive yourself nuts try singing an 8/12 song while playing steel!
_________________
Die with Memories. Not Dreams.
Good Stuff like Zum S-12, Wolfe Resoport
MSA SS-12, Telonics Combo.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

I did it for years,, Always a challenge, but when I was playing 4-5 nights a week, and was much younger, it became second nature, and was not an issue for many years.. Over the decades, I found it became a lot harder- simply a matter of the theory of "use it or lose it".. I still sing some when on steel, but not when doing lead vocals anymore.. Mostly harmonies, and only simple steel fills when doing so...
I was once singing 1/3 of 4-5 set gigs on lead vocals, and harmonies on every song,, that capability is gone, MOSTLY I believe from simply not doing it regularly.. At 61, I must say, I don't miss it much...bob
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Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

I do, missing singing backups. Love harmony more than anything, but hard to feature on steel, unless you're really good.
Had no idea you were a singer, Bob.

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