David Hartley, tell us how you do it...

[T. C. Furlong]

Hi David,
I think you deserve an award for most prolific Youtube steel guitar player! Man. you just keep cranking them out!!!And all are beautifully played and presented.
If you wouldn't mind sharing, what is your recording set up? Are those backing tracks that you created? Did you program/play all of the instruments? Is it GarageBand? This last one had video editing/switching in it? Inquiring "techno-tards" want to know.
Many thanks.
TC

[chris ivey]

requirement #1 : strong ego ..david's on a roll, isn't he?

[David Hartley]

Hi TC.. and other forumites visiting this thread. I have rolled a few out this week as I haven't been at work. I work full time for Coca Cola, servicing.. Anyway, All the backing tracks are my own work. I have recorded them overe a few years as I have been going out doing duo work a lot of the time. There's just a handful of tracks amongst my 400 or so that are from the internet, they are never quite as personal even after editing them to how you like it. Don Carroll TX knows well how to get a midi file sounding natural.. I have always used the same old stuff. I cant get on with recording audio on a PC or MAC. I like to turn real controls and faders on a mixer and not let computers do it. Simple stuff, A midi piano (weighted keys), Alesis MMT-8 sequencer, Roland U220 and JV-1010 sound modules, and an 8 track fostex DMT-8, to record onto and add acoustics guitar etc... As I say, I have really been lazy lately as I have recorded nothing new for a while, these are all tracks from the past. some of them I spent hours on copying each note of each instrument as close as I can. That was in the days of CMT being shown over here in the UK.. I play all the instruments, I had many years piano lessons from the age of 6 to 12. then Bass in band, then steel..I have all my tracks on 4 iPods, and use this method at gigs. For my youtube stuff, I just stick a track on playing and see what I come up with.. I dont practice much these days; Orange blossom is the only instrumental I play at our gigs usually, our venues like to hear songs mainly but OBS always goes down well. I will soon do some old Lloyd green stuff I think, he wrote and played some good instrumentals, I fancy Pedal Pattle next probably but I will definately have work out and practice these. Thats all I used to do for the first year of getting a steel is to pick along to all my steel guitar records. Doing ther youtube things and gigs and teaching my mate Keith White gets my steel set-up here at home otherwise it wouldn't come out the case these days. Thanks for asking. I have made this a pretty comprehensive reply as I get this question asked me a lot and I don't always get the time to send a reply as detailed as this.

[David Hartley]

The video bits are easy peasy but more time consuming than the music. I bought a secondhand mini DV camcorder off eBay in the summer. And simply record the audio...film the first take always! then fix any adio errors or mistakes,... film these sections too...then once the audio track is on the multitracker, just play it 3 or 4 times and play your steel along with it while recording diferrent video angles. Thats why occasionally, my fingers arn't always in sync with the video as I may have picked a section slightly different the second ime round.. Its easier doing this than starting off a track and hoping you are not going to make a mistake all the way through.. THEN,, just put the audio track onto the PC, and drag it into a video editing software, (any will do), then drag video from different camera angle into the TIMELINE and sync it a s best as you can, save it as a windows encoder file ( a small file you can upload to YouTube) and away you go.. Don't think I have missed much out there.. OH...I GET ASKED THIS A LOT TOO... What Amp are you using? at Gigs, a session 500. In the studio here, I go straight in the fostex DMT-8 from the steel via BOSS DD-2 and RV-2. Add a litle Alesis midi verb 4 in the final mix (usually patch 3,4 or 10) unedited, then 'Bobs Your Uncle'.. You have a track ready for youTube.
Thanks for asking TC.
Rehgards, David Hartley

[Steve Norman]

I could use a video of your picking technique, just a camera on your right hand if your taking requests

[Charles Curtis]

What Steve said; I think that your "touch" is fantastic. IMO, everyone is a little different but I would really love to get a real good look at your "right hand" technique.

[Jim Eller]

David,

I sure do like your stuff and am envious.

You make it look so easy. I wish I could find that magic bullet.

Jim

[Andy Sandoval]

David, I've watched all of your videos numerous times and just can't get enough. Your super clean blocking is great and your choice of songs is excellent. Keep em comin when you get time. Oh, one last question. Is your copedant posted somewhere?

[David Hartley]

4 PEDALS
5 KNEE LEVERS

PEDAL 1 (A PEDAL LEFT) STRINGS 5 AND 10 RAISED FROM B TO C#
PEDAL 2 (B PEDAL) STRINGS 3 AND 6 RAISED FROM G# TO A
PEDAL 3 (C PEDAL) STRINGS 4 AND 5 RAISED FROM E TO F# AND B TO C#
PEDAL 4 (D PEDAL STRINGS 1 AND 2 RAISED FROM F# TO G# AND Eb TO E.

LEFT KNEE LEVER LEFT STRINGS 4 AND 8 RAISED FROM E TO F
LEFT KNEE LEVER UP STRING 6 ONLY LOWERED FROM G# TO F#
LEFT KNEE LEVER RIGHT STRINGS 1 AND 7 RAISED FROM F# TO G
RIGHT KNEE LEVER LEFT STRINGS 4 AND 8 LOWERED FROM E TO Eb
RIGHT KNEE LEVER RIGHT STRINGS 2 AND 9 LOWERED string 2(Eb-D-Db) (1/2 STOPPED) AND string 9(D TO Db) operating on the second movement of the 1/2 stop...

Thats all pretty much standard apart from the 4th pedal raising 1 and 2 and the LKU lowering 6th as you can see..

David Hartley

[T. C. Furlong]

Thanks so much David for the info and keep up the great work.
All the best,
TC

[Larry Scott]

requirement #1 : strong ego ..david's on a roll, isn't he?

Forward, backwards or alternating thumb

[Bob Carlucci]

David is one of the best of the best .. He could certainly play full time with the best artists the US has to offer..but hey, he probably gets lots of free soda, and thats probably a better deal than a lot of US steel "road" players get!!..
All kidding aside, DH is world class in his ability.. from my humble vantage point anyway... , and he can stand toe to toe with the very upper echelon of players anywhere...I am inspired and depressed at the same time when I see those amazing videos... He's a REAL musicians musician... bob

[Robert Dominick]

What Bob said!

Robert

[Jani Peter Sandvik]

What Bob said!

Robert

i didnt hear bob say robert

[Russ Hicks]

Hey David....Bob Knight sent me two of your tunes, Hiway 40 and another one and I must take this opportunity to let you know how much I enjoyed them both....great playing; I especially like the twin work you and the guitar player do. Since I'm computer illiterate I don't get on UTube but every now and then guys email me stuff and in this case I'm glad to get it. Again, very nice work.
In our Saviors' service,
Russ Hicks

[Jim Walker]

A thumbs up from Russ Hicks! Now that's what I'm talkin' bout!

David is a great player and serves as an inspiration and teacher to me. I have viewed each of the videos a great number of times and have picked up quite a bit.

THANKS DAVE!

Hey Russ, I could trade ya computer lessons for steel lessons!

JW

[David Hartley]

Thank You Russ, and Jim. Very kind comments from you both. Get yourself online Russ, We would love to see you on the forum more.

I have had John Stannard over here tonight with Kay White and her video knowledge and we have got the 'Working Man Blues' recorded and it just needs to be video edited by Kay tomorrow night while I give her dad, Keith, a lesson on the steel. I know that Kay can do a great job on this youtub video. Dont know whether she can sort out Johns rubbish playing though! Ha Ha.. He played C%"p tonight but a least his tuning was bad! Wait and see. John also has recorded 'Heartbroke' (Ricky Scaggs) too tonight here at mine. I have to put a few steel bits in on the audio and then get Kay to chop it about. YOU WILL WANNA HEAR HIS PICKIN' ON THAT I TELL YOU !! Bye for now, Large Brandy and off to bed. ! DH

[Larry Scott]

might help his twangy tone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjw7QM2UFyw