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Topic: What I learned. |
Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2017 9:20 am |
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I had my first show on steel last Sunday. 3 sets worth. I just sat down today for the first time since and, am amazed (and somewhat bewildered by) what I know already about the steel because, absolutely none of it came to me at last weeks show. After the first song, I realized that my brain was only going to give me two or three patterns to play with the whole night long. The band was fantastic. So, I just kinda sat there and quietly played those few patterns, volumed up a few thirds here and there, and listened to the crowd and the band tell me to turn up. It is either a curse, or a blessing that, because of my rep as a guitarist, I'm able to come right out of the bag playing with some of the best musicians there are and, to have a small fan base in the audience as well - at this point, I feel like it's a curse.
So, I sit down today, and all this stuff I've been picking out and playing for the past 5 or 6 months just comes rolling out. I listened to Some Conway stuff, and picked John Hughey's licks right off of it, on a console -
not anyway perfect of course but, well enough to have been pretty good last Sunday.
Anyone have any ideas about this phenomenon? It wasn't stage fright, as I felt none of that at all - just a mental vacuum. |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 5 Nov 2017 9:28 am
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Maybe it's because in a live situation you must be on time with the rest of the band. Practicing at home you can repeat and play at your own comfortable speed etc. At least this is my experience.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2017 9:32 am
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BTDT. It will get better. I'm still not where I want to be, but each time I play live they tell me I'm a little louder and a little better than before. I don't know the psychology behind it, but it's not just you.
_________________
Many play better than I do. Nobody has more fun. |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2017 11:46 am
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I think you are on target Joachim. with just at 6 mos at this thing, my brain hasn't really digested the tuning yet. It's coming at home but... I've been practicing nothing but those songs really. I believe I need lots of time with scales and chord drills.
That's good to hear Don. I just wish this band wasn't so good, I wouldn't feel so bad about throwing clunkers. |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2017 2:42 pm
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| Just sat down with some backing tracks I got off YouTube and had the same result as last week with the band. Guess it's time to practice exclusively with backing tracks. |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2017 5:07 pm Playing Live!!!
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| Going back 30 some odd years I was playing in a live band and we were playing a Waylon tune.. When I got home I was listening to what I recorded. I could not believe what I was hearing. I was hearing Mooney licks like crazy!!!!! No better experience than live with a band. Even to this day playing PSG flows very well live. largest crowd for me was about 60,000. Man you talk about a adrenal rush!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2017 5:11 pm Bi Show!!!!
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| The big show I played for was a opening act for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Tim proposed to Faith at that show that night. Had my picture took with Faith. Very gracious young lady at the time. |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 6 Nov 2017 2:27 am
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Well Kevin, this show was a little smaller than 60,000 haha! Thank God it was a little hole in the wall honky-tonk. I'm glad I was away from that door because it was coooold!
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 6 Nov 2017 8:10 am
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| Bobby Nelson wrote: |
| Just sat down with some backing tracks I got off YouTube and had the same result as last week with the band. Guess it's time to practice exclusively with backing tracks. |
I wouldn't say practice exclusively this way, because mistakes need to be corrected and technique needs refinement. Practicing at "no tempo" has its merits, and gradually increasing tempos with a metronome or tracks is the way to solidify technique.
I split my practice time about 50/50 with backing tracks and no tempo. The backing tracks certainly make you an honest player! It is amazing how little help 45 years of playing guitar has been, but I think without it I would be completely lost. |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 6 Nov 2017 5:27 pm Great Time!!!
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| Hey Bobby!!! Looks like a fun time!! What, No Chicken Wire!! LOL. Living in Michigan playing outdoor gigs. I played in CarHarts in mid November. The love of playing music I guess. God Bless to you Bobby!! |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 6 Nov 2017 11:54 pm
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You and I have very similar musical paths Fred: I dug my sis's classical guitar out of her closet in 1972 - 45 yrs ago haha. And you are right about it not being a lot of help. I find it to be almost no help (except for having played finger style a lot, which helps a little) on the execution end of it but, all of the academic study and stage experience does help out a bit. Thanks for the advice, I think it will probably go the 50/50 way.
It was a fun time Kevin despite my shortcomings - but I made them no promises of being any good from the beginning so, it wasn't so bad. That was my jacket from the concrete company - not exactly stage attire. It was in the high 70's when we got there and then a cold front came in and it was in the low 40's by the time this pic was taken - and you see, the front door stayed open the whole night - it was the only jacket I had with me haha! |
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Bobby Nelson
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 8 Nov 2017 2:19 pm
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I titled this post "what I learned". However, after a week and a half of pondering this question, it didn't hit me until today what I had actually learned.
I get a lot of time alone at work and get to think a lot. Today I was thinking about what I got out of that show I did, and it struck me all at once that, this instrument is as much visual as it is hearing. I've heard all of the old hands here, read Reece's writings and heard all of you talk about looking at, and knowing the fret-board visually. But, it never really sank in until today.
I was wondering how I could've just mentally locked up at that gig, and realized that my ear alone (which I have always relied on about 85%) is not going to make it with this thing here. And it hit me that, I had practiced and knew exactly what I wanted to do in my ear but, when it came to actually playing live w/a band, I had not studied the fret-board w/my eyes hardly at all - only to get me where I wanted to get to in my ear.
I thank all you fellas for pointing this out over and over again - some of us, you have to beat in the head over and over haha. Two more things I learned: I'm going to need a teacher to beat these kind of things into me for a while; and... I am really ready for my pedal steel to be completed and sitting here in my house! This console seems kinda like a toy, as I'm constantly listening to PSG and not lap - that, and no one really wants to mess with me on it till I get pedals up under me. |
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Bill Moran
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 8 Nov 2017 7:29 pm
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When I finally got to the point where I could listen to a steel part knew what and how he was doing it I felt I could conker the beast. That was a big step but doing it with taste was the hardest part.
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Bill |
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