Clinesmith cast aluminum tone, video

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 3 Dec 2015 10:41 am

Here is a short video clip of my favorite steel. Not as good as being in the room, I assure you. Plugged straight into my Sano amp. Pardon me if you've already seen this.

'Round Midnight

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 3 Dec 2015 7:59 pm

That's beautiful Mike!!

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 3 Dec 2015 8:41 pm

Nice and easy daddy-o.

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 4 Dec 2015 6:31 am

Mike Neer wrote:Here is a short video clip of my favorite steel. Not as good as being in the room, I assure you. Plugged straight into my Sano amp.

'Round Midnight

Considering that you have one or two maple Clinesmiths, that is indeed high praise that the Aluminum is your favorite.

What strikes me about this tune, because it is slow and some notes are very long in time....that your steel has virtually no note decay.....seemingly with infinite sustain. Hot damn!

Don Crowl · Post by **Don Crowl** » 4 Dec 2015 11:04 am

Mike, what is your take on tone as compared to the wooden bodied model?

Keith Glendinning · Post by **Keith Glendinning** » 4 Dec 2015 11:14 am

Beautiful "jazzy" chords Mike and tone is superb with sustain that lasts forever.
Great post.
Keith.

Bob Stone · Post by **Bob Stone** » 4 Dec 2015 11:47 am

Really nice Mike. Thanks for posting.

The aluminum Clinesmith sounds great.

This is one of my favorite tunes, too. Every time I visit my saxophonist bro-in-law in SC we play it and I am in heaven.

And thanks for introducing me to "Ask Me Now," another great Monk ballad.

Keep 'em coming...

Jim Newberry · Post by **Jim Newberry** » 4 Dec 2015 12:45 pm

Bob, you know you need a cast Clinesmith, don't you?

Bob Stone · Post by **Bob Stone** » 4 Dec 2015 2:43 pm

Hoss,

Yes, I do. My wife would kill me. But hey, I've been killed plenty of times before.

Lonzo

Ian · Post by **Ian** » 8 Dec 2015 2:02 am

Just gorgeous, thank you.

Ian

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 8 Dec 2015 4:18 am

Awesome as usual Mike. I love the voicings.

Any tips on approaching Chord Melody.

i.e.. Do you simply find the corresponding chords that would fit the melody and use those notes as the top note of each chord?

Haven't explored it so would be great to learn.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 8 Dec 2015 4:20 am

Those Clinesmith's look stunning.

Love the sound.

A bit reverby sounding. Not sure if its because that is added on the amp or the tone of the instrument as its aluminium .

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 8 Dec 2015 4:33 am

Stefan Robertson wrote: Any tips on approaching Chord Melody.

i.e.. Do you simply find the corresponding chords that would fit the melody and use those notes as the top note of each chord?

It's quite a loaded topic and it is an ongoing process. The way I approach it these days is to fill in the harmonies with what I hear, even if it doesn't correspond to the original chords (reharmonizing). There is no real magic to doing it, but you have to hear it and you have to learn how to get from point A to B to C, etc. In other words, in order to play things that make sense in the long run, you have to understand chord qualities and their implications and relationships between chords.

The best way to get a handle on it is to listen to many versions of the same tune and hear the kind of liberties that people take with the harmony and also where it is important to adhere to it.

I play 'Round Midnight a lot and always change things, sometimes I get an idea or hear things a certain way and it becomes part of my palette. There are a number of suggested chords in my little verse that clash with the original changes, but it is OK to rewrite the changes if you have a plan.

The reverb you hear is slight reverb from the amp. Its reverb and tremolo are quite different from Fender amp reverb and is very sensitive. I also suspect you're hearing the unamplified sound as well, which might account for the slightest delay when blended.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 8 Dec 2015 6:01 am

Always great hearing from you Mike.

So if I approached the reharmonisation. As far as melody is it also that the chord quality chosen should pertain to the melody and how it fits in the song.

So in 'round midnight I would look for a Bb as the key melody note in the first chord

that has a chord quality that gives a feel of an Ebm6. So essentially some chord inversion of an Ebm6. (Eb, G, Bb, C).

OR

Would I look for a chord substitution to the Ebm6 like a Cm7b5 (C, Eb, Gb, Bb) then use a Tritone substitution to fit the melody.

So swap the 3rd and 7th around. (Bb - Eb) Then find a corresponding chord. Like let's say...

a Bbm11 extension (Bb, C, Db, Eb) which is really an inversion of a Cm7b9.

OR

I haven't listened to how this sounds yet as I'm away from my Lap Steel Guitar but essentially am I on the right track. I know if it sounds right it is right if it sounds wrong it is wrong. But is there any Theory trick or mistake I'm making with these approaches.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 8 Dec 2015 6:22 am

What happens in the first bar in addition to the melody notes is a countrapuntal descending line, like this. Essentially, the descending notes and the melody notes together represent the chords Ebm, EbmM7 (or Bb7), Ebm7, Ebm6 (Cm7b5)

[tab]
E-------------6---------------
C---------5---------6----------
A-----6---5----------------------
G-------------6-----5---------
E--6--------------------------
C------------------------------
[/tab]

Todd Clinesmith · Post by **Todd Clinesmith** » 8 Dec 2015 8:34 am

I love it , Mike.

Michael Devito · Post by **Michael Devito** » 22 Jan 2016 6:39 am

Very late to this party. Such cool sounds. Dove into other jazz clips of yours. Such as the outstanding "Poinciana". And "Straight No Chaser" (I think that's the one.)

Wonderful music. Is this the short or longscale version of the Clinesmith aluminum steel?

MD

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Clinesmith cast aluminum tone, video

Clinesmith cast aluminum tone, video

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