For as long as I have been playing

[A. J. Schobert]

I still feel I should be more advanced then I am.

Sho-Bud
Carter
Playstation 2
and a cat

[Dennis Lee]

Don't punish yourself. I think everyone would say this very thing. If you think you have arrived and know it all, then conceit has taken control and you've lost sight of what it is that draws us all to the pedal steel experience. Be good to yourself, A.J.

[Robert Cates]

I feel the same way..A J I have been playing for 3 years and I think that its going to take a life time on the E9th neck and then I've got another neck to learn. Thats two lifetimes to really be able to play this thing.(sigh) I hope I can make it.
Jeff Newman has written a very good piece about this very subject. All the new guys should read it. Its on his web site.

Merry Christmas to everyone and keep on picking and a grinning.
Your pickin buddy..Bob

[A. J. Schobert]

Thanks guys, but I don't want ya to feel bad for me.

I have been playing for about 12 years and I am in a rut.

When you first learn the thing you pick it up quick and it is exciting, however I always try to keep myself in check, that is not always possible, but still I try. I may go weeks or months before I learn something that really excites me.

I think some of ya can relate to this.

But truthfully I think I should be more advanced than I am. oh well!!

[Bill Dobkins]

A.J. Your not alone. Iv'e been playing less than a year and can play most anything I want But not like I want. I have learned everything by myself. But I think I've gone about as far as I can go with out some help.Some one to teach me some technic. I feel your pain but I'm not giving up. I have an attude. If they can do it so can I. Maybe you need to look at what you want to do with your steel.Play in Church, studio ect. Maybe your better than you think
Remember its about the love of the Instrument.

[Howard Tate]

Even though you feel like you're in a rut, if you've been playing that long I believe you've been learning. It may not be the sudden flashes of insight you got when you were learning the basics but I'm sure you are getting better all the time, as long as you keep trying.

[Bob Cox]

A.J. you are welcome to come by sometime and join me in some pickin at the house.You are about an hour and a half a way, at the most.Email me

[Ron Page]

I'm in the same boat. I know I'd have to had put more effort into it to have become a better player at this time. I don't play in a band and consequently don't have any significant goal to drive my improvement as a player.

A year ago I was considering selling all the gear and my wife wouldn't let me. She said you'll only regret and when you do you'll want to replace it all-- so she saw through that plan.

She was right. I got the bug again and have been back at it since the end of September learning things I missed the first time around.

Now I've got a friend here who wants some steel guitar in some of his original songs. It's a real stretch for a hacker like me, but he's very patient and excited to have me working on it.

I think the thing is to have some realistic goals to work at.

[Eddie Harper]

Hey A.J., and Ron....Drop me an email and maybe we can get together and help us all get out of the Rut or dig a deeper one......

[A. J. Schobert]

You got it Eddy lets wait till after the holidays.

AJ

[Ron Page]

Great idea, Eddie. I want to check out your setup. The CD's and songs you've shared with me the past couple of years are a real inspiration-- to practice more.

You guys can coach me with an original song I'm putting some steel to for a friend. A real stretch for a half-assed player like me. I have trouble coping licks let along doing anything original.

This thread is heavy on Cincinnati players. Maybe it's the water.