The knowledge and intelligence of this

Bob Doran · Post by **Bob Doran** » 24 Oct 2003 5:46 am

board is absolutely astounding.
Best site i have ever seen on any subject.

I would love to hear from everyone here, what is the single most important thing they have ever learned 1) about the PSG and 2) about music in general.

I will throw in my humble "most important" about music in general .
It doesn't matter how good a musician you are, the singing is everything!
How many times have i seen an audience bored by lots of great instrumentals, and another audience rave about an average player, just because the singing was great!
I am not implying it is not important to be a great player, just that it amazes me how all important the singing is!
Ooops, forgot one even more important thing.
If one is an average player like me, it is very important to surround yourself with great players. Makes up for a lot! LOL
Bob

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 24 Oct 2003 6:15 am

I would have to say that the most important thing I ever discovered about music was not from me. It came from Jerry Byrd by way of Lloyd Green.

"There are three ways to play a steel guitar. They are Melody, Melody and Melody"

The second most important thing I ever discovered also came from Jerry,

"There are two ways to play music,

1. From the brain to your hands.

2. From the brain to your hands by way of your heart."

Finis!

carl

Bob Doran · Post by **Bob Doran** » 24 Oct 2003 7:22 am

Amen Carl Emotion is everything! Bob

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 24 Oct 2003 7:25 am

Here's a couple I recall:

Play what the customer wants to hear.....

Whatever you do, make it look simple but
sound really tecnical....it will drive folks nuts.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 24 Oct 2003 7:33 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>1) about the PSG and 2) about music in general.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
1)>"If you Take Care of it; It will take care of you"
2)>"If you can't Sing the song; than you can't Play the song"

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Ricky Davis

My Homepage
Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com

Ed Naylor · Post by **Ed Naylor** » 24 Oct 2003 7:55 am

I worked some with the late Jackie Phelps and his motto was K I S S "KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID" Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works

Terry Edwards · Post by **Terry Edwards** » 24 Oct 2003 8:16 am

Have fun!

Have genuine and sincere fun.
Smile when you are playing if you are having fun.

Laugh at your mistakes.
Laugh hard and loud.

If you are having fun and communicate that to the audience, they will have fun.

Fun is infectious.

If the audience is having fun and you are having fun, then your playing need only be reasonably good. If your playing is hot, and you are having fun, you will be compared to your heroes by everyone and your ego will be sufficiently stroked and you will practice harder and go out and have more fun. A desireable vicious cycle. I have always known this, however, I am reminded of it every time I see Buddy Emmons play.

Have fun!

Terry

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Terry Edwards
Fessy D-10; Nash 1000
Martin D-21; Flatiron F-5

Bob Doran · Post by **Bob Doran** » 24 Oct 2003 8:42 am

Terry, that is great advice, especially for someone like me, who requires concentrationl to play.
My wife is always telling me to relax up there.
I will take this to heart!
We have one guy in our band who steals the show every time.
Talks away between songs, shakes his booty, in short, he is shameless and everyone loves him for it.
Bob

Daniel Vorp · Post by **Daniel Vorp** » 24 Oct 2003 9:33 am

Concerning the PSG I'll contribute the concept of "less is more", similar to the K.I.S.S. principle, it is good to allow some air space in the song.

Concerning music in general, we should not equate loud with good.

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 24 Oct 2003 11:28 am

1)..the more I learn, the less I know..

2)..the more I learn, the less I know..

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 24 Oct 2003 6:30 pm

There are only 12 notes.
One or two notes at a time, are all you need.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 25 Oct 2003 6:18 am

it's not what you play
it's what you don't play
btw: many many good pointers on this thread

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Steel what?

Donald Davis · Post by **Donald Davis** » 25 Oct 2003 3:23 pm

Hey, I am new to the Steel, but I will put in my two cents. I have learned how hard it is to play in tune for a whole song. As for music in general, I would agree that vocal music contains more value, but only if something of value is being communicated. As time goes on, I realize that fewer and fewer songwriters said anything meaningful to my experience. Furthermore, I would like to note that Moses, David, and Solomon all used song to convey and express truth of the highest form.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 25 Oct 2003 4:17 pm

"master is recognized by simplicity" or "less is more" the same thing.

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Mike Delaney · Post by **Mike Delaney** » 26 Oct 2003 6:10 am

Hi Bob, nice to see another Iowa boy in here.

I think the most lasting piece of advice I was ever given was by one of my teachers at Berklee, Kimo Williams. "Don't mess up a mess up."

Everybody who performs makes a boo-boo from time to time. Either play your way out of it, or laugh it off and go on about your business.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 26 Oct 2003 6:23 am

Merl Lindsay when he hired me:

"....don't try to impress those two or three musicians out there in the audience, they probably didn't pay to get in here anyway....the people who buy the tickets don't care or appreciate how many notes you can cram into a song....Stick to the melody or somewhere close to it....and last of all, if you just have to impress someone, impress me, because I sign the checks....."
www.genejones.com

Ron Whitworth · Post by **Ron Whitworth** » 26 Oct 2003 6:31 am

This whole thread is great but Gene Jones;
that is priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never heard it put any better!!
Thanks Ron

Bob Doran · Post by **Bob Doran** » 26 Oct 2003 7:04 am

Hi Mike
Likewise nice to hear of someone from Ioway.
Not too many of us!
Did you know Devere Adamson- he had a store in Indianola- is a great PSG player, a grand old man of the steel.He tunes his guitar to Just Tuning- maybe not a big deal to people here but boy did that impress me! Blew my mind.
There was an incredible band out of Ames called Blue Sky band. Had a great PSG player still in Ames (A. K.). They entered a big battle of the bands in Nashville with huge prize for first (contract). They placed second to a local Nashville group that they were clearly better than. I think it broke up the group. Very sad.
Have a story on that band. See next post.
Bob

Bob Doran · Post by **Bob Doran** » 26 Oct 2003 7:13 am

OK Mike Here is the story.
I had heard of the Blue Sky band and wanted to go see them.
The whole country scene was very new to me.
Anyway i got my buddy to go along with me.
I am a doctor and was on call.
So we get to this bar in Ankeny and i mean it is straight out of "The Electric Horseman" with gals dressed to a tee, perfect line dancing and it was tough.
As we walked in it seemed every like every patient in my practice came up to say high and most were not feeling any pain.
We sat down and my buddy looked around at all the tough dudes and said, "i don't care if you don't touch a sip, but you're ordering a beer!(not my usual cherry coke)"
The PSG player was also an acquaintance and came over and talked at the break- it was quite an experience for me.
BOb

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 26 Oct 2003 7:18 am

Pete Mitchell uses the fictional couple "Ethel and Vern" to describe what and whom we should be playing for. Ethel and Vern must understand what they're hearing in order to appreciate the musicians.

Gene's quote by Merl Lindsay said it perfectly.

Johnny Bush also told me "show them (the audience) you love them, and they'll love you back."

It's all about communication. Singers use lyrics and melody, we only have melody. But the communication is the same.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 26 Oct 2003 8:51 am

I've found that some people can talk intelligently about steel guitar; some can play steel guitar; and there are even a few who can do both.

Another thing I've learned is that folks seem to be obsessed with the word BEST.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 26 October 2003 at 09:00 AM.]

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 26 Oct 2003 9:31 am

a long time ago, i heard that ralph mooney said it's really hard to clean little bits of tomato skin out from between the strings after you throw up!

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 26 Oct 2003 9:50 am

That's easy, Chris, you just use your toothbrush on 'em. Little buggers come right off.

I think the rest of that quote had something to do with him preferring ShoBuds because they didn't go out of tune when he hosed 'em off.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps
[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 26 October 2003 at 09:59 AM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 27 Oct 2003 3:07 am

Well this all makes me think ~I should Never barf in the changer. MUCH harder to clean.

About the PSG ;
the most important thing is practice. Seems simple to say, and another thing to do.

But next to that is; not trying to emulate the masters, but have your own voice. How can I expect to do 40 years of catch-up on some other persons licks, in the relatively short time available to me.
But I can sound like myself ; with a few influences.

About music in general : learn everything and forget it, then play what comes out of you.
Similar to part two of the above.

About performance, I bow to the wisdom of Gene and Herb above.

forrest klott · Post by **forrest klott** » 27 Oct 2003 3:07 pm

I thought that's why Moon played Sho-Bud, 'cause it was the only one that you could haul down to the local do-it-yerse'f car wash and use the spray hose on it and throw it back in the case and it'd be fine by the time you got to the next town? Oh well, silly me...