Best Sounding Pedal Steel Guitar Melody

James Taylor · From: United Kingdom

I wonder what members feel is the best sounding Pedal Steel Guitar, melody they have ever heard and do they play it. Thank you all for your views. JAMES TAYLOR

Bob Cox · From: Buckeye State

Love you so much it hurts me

John Palumbo · From: Lansdale, PA.

Lem Smith · From: Long Beach, MS

Blue Jade by Buddy Emmons is pretty tough to beat as far as a pretty melody goes.

Tim Herman · From: Alberta, Canada

Lost in the feeling...anything with a long series of voice leading chords. Farewell Party...King of broken hearts...

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Lloyd Green's solo in "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend". It's not the melody of the song - it's an additional melody that Lloyd composed and slipped into the middle of Don Williams' hit record.
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Carl Kilmer · From: East Central, Illinois

"Look at us" and "I've just destroyed the world". John Hughey
I also have to add this one "Girl in the glass" by Mike Sigler.
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Mark Eaton · Posted 21 Sep 2016 8:27 am

If I'm doing this just off the top of my head and going with one of the first things that come to mind I'd go with the break by Lloyd Green on Alan Jackson's Remember When.

This to me is about as close to perfection as it gets, begins around 1:45.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTA2buWlNyM
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Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

One of the first songs I ever learned was Jeff Newman's "Last Date," and it thrills me still.

A number of years ago Jeff did a series in the PSGA newsletter called "Moon-Eared," where he tabbed out (and provided a cassette upon request) of classic Buck-Owens-era Mooney licks. At the time he mentioned how he first heard Ralph on the radio while he was buying some stuff at a PX in Texas, something to the effect that Ralph's playing was just perfection, how it spoke to him, stopped him dead in his tracks, and how Ralph's playing sealed the deal for him.

That's how I feel about Jeff's playing on another song, too, "The Last Letter" live in St. Louis 1981. It was the reason I wanted to play steel guitar, to hear that sound, his playing was just the most perfect thing in the world - for me.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

'Shenandoah' does it for me. Buddy Emmons used to say that he didn't feel he could do the song justice and had avoided recording it. But there is a latter-day YouTube clip of him playing it on his Zum - I thought he did it rather well!

Gary Carter, in my opinion, has absolutely nailed this beautiful melody on his CD - please check it out.

Another song that shares the attributes of a strong melody with simple changes is 'Babara Allen' - maybe I'll have a go at that one.
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Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

This always gives me chills:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQStiF9DtPA

Dickie Overby, with Amber Digby singing "Sing a Sad Song"

Graham · From: Marmora, Ontario, Canada

Two songs by Mike Sweeney come to mind:

Shenandoah and a little known song titled Going Home, the theme song from the movie God's and Generals.

Mike nails them both with his excellent touch and tone.
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Mark Eaton · Posted 21 Sep 2016 11:59 am

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

I'm biased, of course, but my vote goes to "Forever Loving You", from JayDee's solo CD.
A beautiful melody, written by Steve Wariner, and also recorded by Tom Brumley.

Mark Eaton · Posted 21 Sep 2016 12:56 pm

I guess the question from the original poster should be more specific.

Some of us are posting about steel guitar instrumentals, where the instrument is featured front and center through the entire piece, and others of us are talking about instrumental breaks, or in secret pedal steel lingo, "rides."

They all pretty much have a melody involved.

As far as the latter part of the original question - do we play these things we admire?

If I could play the break on Remember When 1/10th as well as Lloyd Green, I'd be out making money today as a session steel player. That piece of playing reminds me of watching films of Ted Williams hitting a baseball.
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Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Lloyd Green's "The White Light"
Neil Flanz; live version of Gram Parson's "The New Soft Shoe".

And pretty much every other one ever recorded!
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Dale Foreman · From: Crowley Louisiana, USA

Wow..,there are so many!! I' m going to go with Mike Johnson. He plays such tasteful melodies, I would love to spend a,week picking his brain!
Dale
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I forgot to answer the followup. Yes, I learned and played Lloyd Green's "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend" when it was popular. It was difficult, but it remains in my mind one of the best steel guitar melodies ever written, exploiting the nuances of the instrument without sounding maudlin or gimmicky.

To me, the proof of a great melody is that it will stand up on any instrument. While I've never heard it on anything else, I believe that Lloyd's melody could meet that challenge. It's easy to imagine it on piano, or as a smokin' sax solo. But of course, it will always sound best to me on a Sho-Bud pedal steel. Smile

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David Rogerson · From: Victoria, Australia

I agree with Roger - Shenandoah suits the steel so well for interpretation. I have to also refer back to a Lloyd Green tune that was instrumental (pardon the pun) in making want to learn the pedal steel guitar & in my mind is still relevant as a beautiful melody - Greenblue, from the Cool Steel Man album.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

To me, there's quite a few songs with a great steel guitar melody. Two of them are the first two songs I learned to play on steel "Cold Cold Heart" and "Look At Us". I've played "Cold Cold Heart" a few times, but of course, Don Helms did it best, same thing with "Look At Us"-John Hughey did it best. I was playing a show for the NTSGA in Nashville, and "Look At Us" was one of the songs I played with Russ Hicks, so before the set, I went to talk to John Hughey, but on the way, I was wondering what he thought of me playing "Look At Us", wondering if he'd like the idea or not, so I walked up to him, and told him I was playing "Look At Us", and he smiled and said, "I want to hear you play it", so after the set, I went to talk with him again, and he smiled and said, "You nailed it, man! The steel work John did on both Vince's version of the song and the instrumental version he did were awesome!

Norman Evans · From: Tennessee

I really like this version of "For The Good Times" by Lloyd Green.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAiYuYHodYg

I do play the song, but I will never be be this good.

Gary Hoetker · From: California, USA

"Touch Me" Jay McDonald on Fender 1000 backing Kenny Pierce's solo from Buck Owens LP "On the Bandstand" circa 1963. Simple melody in the fills and break that captures the essence of country music, in my opinion.

https://youtube/5g6ynSu_poo

Barry Blackwood · Posted 22 Sep 2016 8:52 am

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Guys, there is no"the best"melody. There is no "the best" anything. No "the best" color, or knee lever placement, or pickup, or amp or speaker etc. It's all a matter of personal preference. If you like something it's the best for you.

In my extremely subjective opinion, the â€œbestâ€ piece of music for the steel is a classical piece called Dirait-On, by a still living composer named Morton Lauridsen. I think it is a PERFECT tune for the steel. I've played it several times at my restaurant gigs, and at a concert I played in July.

Here are a few links to the tune. The first is the sheet music that scrolls along with the audio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZSGCBcZjUs

This one is a performance by a choir; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyF8xz_C2GM

And this one is a transcription for 4 guitars, played by the L.A. Guitar Quartet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfe10xzipAs

There are hundreds of thousands of steel-friendly songs and classical pieces that are just waiting for players to discover and learn them. And all of them have the potential to be â€œthe bestâ€.
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Per Berner · From: SkÃ¶vde, Sweden

A couple of really good steel melodies:

Lloyd's Bars of steel and Summer clouds
Paul Franklin's Pretty things and Song for Sarah
Bob Lucier's Allright, I'll sign the papers
Weldon's Let ole mother nature have her way
John Hughey's I'm not Lisa and Hello Darlin'

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