What Is Your Niche?

Ben Lawson · From: Brooksville Florida

The guys I get to play with here in Florida play a lot of different kinds of music. Our lead player formerly played for David Allen Coe and Johnny Paycheck. At 82, Roy Hunt likes real country and blues and does a good job on both. The licks vs melody is kind of a flexible thing. We play J.P.s' "Old Violin" and Chuck Berrys's "Johnny B Good. The melody on JBG is kind of boring. Mostly one note. Old Violin has a distinct melody but requires that distinct lick that pretty much defines the song. Papa John seems to have flowed around the melody on "Look at Us". To me, every song kind of suggests what to play. How many bands play "Folsom Prison Blues" without the original intro, lead break and outro? I guess as long as the folks you're playing for like what they hear you're doing OK.

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

Ben Lawson · From: Brooksville Florida

Frank, that's what we do too. We don't play it too often but when we do, it's usually Roy and I together.

Robert B Murphy · From: Mountain View, Arkansas, USA

When I play an iconic standard I try to pay homage to the original without trying to clone it. When my band mates are doing highly improvisational solos I will stay pretty close to the melody. The idea is to give depth to the overall band sound. Too much noodling or just playing the lead sheet are both flat sounding to me, I like a mix. I also try to do backup and soloing in a way that accentuates the character of the song. For instance: Sway or Besame Mucho backup will use different latin rhythms and solos will use El Paso intro type single/dual string stuff or melody chord comping. I have also found that when you can get a really authentic iconic sound, say Don Helm's fills or Grady Martin's rhythms, my audience, generally my age or older, really respond.
_________________
Bob, small o.

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

That is a great post, Robert B Murphy.

I remember hearing “iconic’ sounds when I was a younger person. I didn’t know they were iconic, I just thought they were cool, and they were completely new to me even though those sounds were 30 and 40 years old at the time. The point is, you never know who is going to respond positively to your honest and heartfelt representation of older material.

Chris Sattler · From: Hunter Valley, Australia

Erv, when you play chord melody solo, do you use backup tracks? I hope it is not all country. Do you get into the back neck too at these jobs?

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Chris,
If I play by myself, I use backing tracks and it's not all country.
I play a lot of gospel, old standards and Hawaiian.
But I really like to perform with a rhythm guitar and bass.
I'd even like to try it with a drummer using brushes, if I could find one.
I played a lot of C6th on non-pedal but I haven't done much with pedals.
It's on my bucket list! Very Happy

Erv

Roy Carroll · From: North of a Round Rock

I am a singers steel player, I do my best not to expand into his space. Listen to the records from the 80's and 90's. They are a good teacher. The vocal is my que when to play and when to lay out. It is not necessary to play all the time even when it is your turn to fill. When it comes to the ride, I do my part, try to play the signature lick (if any) and basically be color for the band and singer.
If I am booked for an unknown (to me) Singer, I usually ask the singer or the other lead players what they need me to do to enhance the show.
Show up early, dress like you intend to be there, that is to say, it's not ball caps, torn T-shirts and holy jeans, bring all the equipment you will need, and be as courteous and friendly as you can be.
After all, it is show business.
_________________
Just north of the Weird place, south of Georgetown

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Roy, you can call me an old curmudgeon, but what you look like only matters to (some of) the older crowd. These days, the vast majority of young people, a reasonable chunk of the middle-agers, and even some old music "outlaw types", don't give a diddly damn what you look like these days! Laughing

John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

My niche is classic country to the 90's and Western swing. I don't dislike jazz or contemporary or big band music it's just that it doesn't do anything for me to play it.
I prefer a 3 to 5 piece band. That way I can play stuff that doesn't require me to play backups and fills all the time. I get to mix it up with a guitar player and switch backing up the singer, which, I enjoy to do. I've played with many people over the years and have done many recordings in my lifetime, however, I still keep coming back to my niche and enjoy doing it. I've made a good side living from it and hopefully I'll continue to do so in my "niche".

Robert B Murphy · From: Mountain View, Arkansas, USA

My niche is the American Songbook, I love it all although I tend to play '60s and earlier. Ray Price, Bob Wills, The Four Tops, Tommy Dorsey, W.C. Handy, and Duke Ellington are all fair game.
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Bob, small o.

Christopher Woitach · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

My niche is mostly playing jazz with my quartet, plus various oddball recording gigs.

I play melody, chords, chord melody, bebop type solos where I accompany myself, all kinds of stuff.

Very little country, but I love it all - simple to crazy complex. Music is fun.
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com

Harold Dye · From: Cullman, Alabama, USA

To me playing what needs to be played at the time is best, intos, fills, breaks, licks. Overplaying causes problems with the band, whether it's the steel, guitar, piano etc. I have been in bands where the guitar player started playing when he walked in the place and didn't stop until he left. Jeff Newman said it best "sometimes you sound better when you are not playing"

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

I've been playing steel around SoCal for about 45 years and the majority of the gigs have been 4-5 pc blend of California country rock and old school Nashville drinkin' & cheatin' songs. I played both necks for a long time and then switched to a U12 in the mid 90s. I know my changes and have big ears. I do pretty well with western swing and also straight up rock & roll because I can take the role of rhythm guitar on the low strings of my 12 string and do the Duane Allman slide thing. I also can double on dobro, non-pedal steel in DADGAD or C6, regular 6 string guitar and any kind of mandolin or mandola.

I've had to play bass, drums and steel trio gigs where I had to cover everything all night and make it sound interesting and that's where a midi rig saves your butt. I also used to play Guitorgan in Billy Swan's band for a few years in the 80s and that was different and very satisfying. Then I played guitar in an old school instrumental surf band w/staccato picking and spring reverbs which was a throwback to my teen years at the beach.

Right now I'm in a 9 pc Jimmy Buffet tribute band where there's 2 keyboards, 2 guitars, a really great steel pan player, bass, drums plus a percussion player and myself. In that situation I have to find a place in there to play and not violate any airspace. It's a corporate party "Yacht-Rock" band with a lot of Caribbean vibe, Calypso, Ska and Reggae so I have find things to play that are not country, jazz or Hawaiian. I find myself thinking: "What would Greg Leisz play right here?"

Around the house, especially during the Covid lockdown I'm woodshedding Chapman Stick which to me is just as fascinating as a pedal steel and quite a challenge. Plus it's self accompanying like a piano so I can play my own backing tracks with my left hand. I dunno. "Niches" are kind of stifling to me.

Jeff Neal · From: Johnson City Tennessee, USA

I was playing with a 90’s country tribute band recently and let me tell ya my playing progressed tremendously in a short amount of time. Having a focused job of signature intros, licks,and fills gave me focus. I really had to dig to find what Paul and Bruce were playing. I feel overwhelmed when I sit at home and try to learn just licks or an instrumental.

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