Shifting Gears Inadvertently

[Bill Hankey]

Motivation to wonder if there is more to becoming creative beyond expectations, sets the pace for more intensified practicing schedules. First degree snagging is obvious, in the wake of a beginner's woes. It's the constant energy and momentum that yields the best results in acquainting ourselves with the whole shebang of steel guitar artistries. The next best thing to not having the ability to play what we hear, is understanding the technique used in it's entirety. Additionally, it's the unattainableness that coaxes out our will to learn.

[Bill Hankey]

Signature licks are in vogue. Every player should create his own hallmark of distinctive originality.

[A. J. Schobert]

I think that is a theory sort of like gravity.

[Barry Blackwood]

Seems to me there was an old joke about the (supposed) existence of gravity .......

[Bill Hankey]

Barry and A.J.,

I would enjoy an earthly fireplace chat concerning the complexities that will no doubt remain a mystery until the room to exist on earth no longer supports life by practical means. I'll give examples of the deterioration of life supports that are failing miserably: Gasoline, water, rentals, orange juice, and an endless list of absolute ripping off the consumer. For as long as I live, I'll never forgive whomever is responsible for fleecing me at the pumps. In keeping with the thread, accepting the advantages of gravity, is a long drawn out, piece by piece series of determinations.

[b0b]

My Williams crossover has a gear shift. I gotta be careful that it's in the right gear when I start playing.

[David L. Donald]

Excessive sequestering at unremitting plateaus of technique,
remain conceivably stiltifying for the burgeoning unfledged instrumentalist,
pending a exceptional epiphany instantiating acendance,
or an escalatory decamp, to sublime, distinct & eloquent
fluency & rarefaction of technique, erudition & discernment,
volition, perspicacity of discrimination, & corporeal
cultivation, seasoning & attainment.

Rote replication may engender physical indoctrination,
but will it inculcate haphazard emprise in pursuance
of the neoteric revitalizing force and concomitant
amelioration, enhancment, enrichment and innovativeness?

Those that rove or sauntered a viable course antecedently,
feasibly may not ineluctably traverse similar crosscuts
as those who fall upon their opus postliminarily.

[A. J. Schobert]

I once saw a camel with only one hump on his back, pulling a cart. Locals would call him the dromedary camel with a droshky. Forced to drink soiled water and un'haute cuisine I find myself carring the same drubbing defeat, Am I tuned up? Is my amp set? Will I find that H chord? We should not feel like the neanderthal man or the camel, but upon that hump you will be 7 feet taller.

[Bill Hankey]

It has been noted that whomever delves headlong into the fundamental learning processes relating to becoming a steel guitarist, will invariably fall out of line for a time. "That looks easy" attitudes are more prevalent than one might consider is the norm. Such are the reckless points of view, that manage to somehow skip over vital statistics. That is, who is destined to someday compliment the steel guitar by attaining high levels of skills in promoting the instrument. As you may know, a Philadelphia lawyer's rhetorical nuances simulate a talk performance, always lacking in basic truths. Keen observations of how a player approaches the steel,
both physically and mentally, will at some point indicate how determined that player has become. Another issue to scan is the scarcity of players here in my hometown of 50,000 people. Aside from myself, just a few have dabbled with the instrument, at the beginner's level. It reflects the
lack of interest producing stimulus to pursue the instrument's qualities. Six string Spanish guitarists are on every street corner here in Pittsfield, which to me is a strong indicator that locale and development are closely related, in a chosen field of interest. It has been written that baseball originated here in Pittsfield. It would be nice if the steel guitar caught the watchful eyes of the citizenry.

[Bill Hankey]

b0b,

Thanks for the insertion of "shifting gears" on your Williams steel guitar. Your writings are usually concise, but contain thought provoking literature. I've never sat down to a Williams steel. Hopefully, somewhere down the road, I'll get my chance.

[Nic du Toit]

Yeah right !
....I like " a(n) exceptional ephipany ...." (DLD)

No idea what it means, but will look it up.
So much to learn on this forum !
Nic

[Robert Harper]

The only part of this I was able to discern was about repetion. I can not learn the steel by repetion. I never make the same mistake twice. Besides I have come to the conclusion that at almost 58. I am ADHD. I'm glad my parents did not discover this failing. In the day, the cure for ADHD did not come out of a bottle

[David L. Donald]

Epiphany :

3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into
the reality or essential meaning of something,
usually initiated by some simple, homely,
or commonplace occurrence or experience.

4. a literary work or section of a work presenting,
usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation
and insight.

[Herb Steiner]

Oh, hell... never mind.

[Chris Schlotzhauer]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Nic du Toit]

Thanks, Donald.
(I thought as much.....)
Nic

[Dennis Schell]

Lots of "five dollar words" in here!

Smell the wood burning?

Dennis

[David L. Donald]

Mesquite and apple wood prefered.

[Bill Hankey]

Out of nowhere it seems that I've developed a reasonable facsimile of a Dobro that for my listening pleasure far exceeds others that I've heard to date. I need to find someone who is trained in photography to take a few pictures for me. I've tuned it to an open "C" chord, which facilitates easy access to songs such as "Sleepwalk", "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms", "Talk Back Tremblin' Lips", and a host of others. I'm standing firm on its uniqueness, and I can't keep my hands away from it. It features a bell intonation that rivals instruments far and wide. I spent two days developing a truss cable that counteracts string pull activity. It's simply "neato" to say the very least. As far as thread drift, I think not. This creation hones a different approach to the pedal steel. I've scrutinized the changes in centering around melodies on the steel, and find that by splitting sessions with both instruments, significant improvements albeit small, are noticeable.

[Herb Steiner]

FINALLY!! A post of Bill's that I can actually understand! Thanks so much for your clarity and shunning of bloviation and unnecessary verbosity.

I've been using a DB-5 effect, made by Kick'n Steel in Canada, for dobro sounds. Neil Flanz thinks the Match-bro sounds more reso-like, but the DB-5 is 1/10 the size of the Goodrich unit, and it sounds close enough for me.

What I've been using the Goodrich for lately is "re-dobro-izing" my Gold Tone Beard guitar with a Fishman transducer. Amping the reso makes them sound like weird lap steels, and the Match-bro brings back the acoustic sound, as it were.

[Joseph Carlson]

deleted

[Bill Hankey]

Herb,

I appreciate the civility from a sagacious person of your caliber. I'll bet your setup is a source of great entertainment in the great state of Texas. I've acquired an immediate interest in reading about your skills, and promotions. Do you ever see my old buddy Jim Smith? He is originally from my neck of the woods, and was prominent as a builder and player of our favorite instrument.

[Barry Blackwood]

"It would be nice if the steel guitar caught the watchful eyes of the citizenry."

Indeed it would be, Bill.

[Bill Hankey]

Barry,

For sometime, I've tried to eliminate the languor in threads, while favoring a predisposition to strengthen an impetus to dig deeper into basic truths. Subject matter can be a real friend, or the reverse. Gravitating away from areas that create disagreement in writings, is comparable to the avoidance of fishing behind the net. To slip around the outer edge of the net, and get to the mainstream is the key to success. Successes are based upon additional efforts that have been afforded those little extra twists of energies. The implimentation of steel guitar shows that broaden the interests of American culture minded individuals, furthers the chances of multiples of newcomers taking up the the pedal steel. I know.. it's the scarcity of players that promises the likelihood of employment. Perhaps a major push to popularize the steel has been thought out by better informed musicians. Once the instrument makes it way to the bandstand, the player has a good chance for future bookings. I do believe!

Edited for paraphrastic changes.

[Bill Hankey]

It is ever so clear that over-stressed terminology yields very little in terms of responses. I'll shift gears as I've done in the previous response by paraprastic editing. I hope the change may encourage responses.