Catholic Steel

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 27 Jan 2008 5:31 pm

I have been wanting to play at my Church, it is a traditional catholic mass and I wonder how it would sound. It is a younger parish. I really want to get involved in my parish but I am wondering if the steel may be to "much".

I understand there is alot of gospel but think about a traditional roman catholic mass, can steel fit in?

The songs seem easy.

I got "How Great Thou Art" down, it brings tears to my cats eyes!

Jack Dougherty · Post by **Jack Dougherty** » 27 Jan 2008 5:54 pm

Go for it

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 27 Jan 2008 7:14 pm

Hello A.J.Schobert,God gave you the Talent to play your steel in his house or any where you want.Move it on.Get it out there.Share it(Steel) to the world and just be yourself and that will make folks happy or not,play that Steel in your Church. PS:I'm a roman also at St.Joseph's!... Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 27 Jan 2008 8:15 pm

Give them lots of background harmonics and they will go for it big time. Trust me, I've been there and went through it.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 27 Jan 2008 8:17 pm

I've been wanting to do the same thing at our parish but IT'S NOT a younger congragation.

Seems that with a degree of faith and trust inside you could just go forward and take the right steps to make it happen. Let it unfold. It'll work for your parish or it won't. You won't know until you try.

I play drums with our "comtemporary" choir, (a relative term!). I almost have the ability and confidence on steel to ask to play steel accompaniment at our church. We have an ensemble of bass, piano, guitar and drums.

About it being "too much". The trick is to not attract too much attention to yourself, and if the congragation has not heard or seen much of a steel, seems you can't help but be a distraction to start. So see if you can get the person in charge of music to allow you 3 or 4 Sunday's to really see how it goes and everyone settles in.

I know in our choir setting, it's all about not attracting attention to yourself.

GO FOR IT! Then let us know how it goes.

Robert Harper · Post by **Robert Harper** » 27 Jan 2008 9:31 pm

I decided to play steel in Church.I am very low key. The music is Contemporary Christian, I try to play what they play It easy to get lost, there is two pianos, an organ, a gutar, a bass, a keyboard. I really started try to learn to play A. with a group b with a piano My advice go for it

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 27 Jan 2008 10:25 pm

I've often wondered what Gregorian Chant would sound like on steel. You may have to tune to an open minor chord.

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 27 Jan 2008 10:53 pm

THERE IS A CHURCH IN LAKE CITY THAT HAS 50 INSTRAMENTS ON THE PLATFORM EVERY SERVICE THEY PLAY ABOUT 5 OR 6 SONGS ALMOST EVERY SERVICE. Backing the Singing.
They did a CD of marches and sound like the Marine Band. They have practice 2 nights a week.
3 of my Grand Kids play with they, and Becky plays Bb Clarinet, a professional LeBlonk (spelling?)

ernie

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 28 Jan 2008 12:09 am

Alan,

I've often wondered what Gregorian Chant would sound like on steel. You may have to tune to an open minor chord.

The pedal steel is already tuned to open minor chords. Gregorian Chant lays very nicely on the E9 and C6 tunings depending on what key if you are using droning strings.

For playing steel on a non steel gig I try to play what the keyboard player or strings would play. Watch out for standard AB pedal bends. Try to avoid bends/slides in general if you want to blend in at first. Once you are in and have got them hooked on the steel you can play whatever you want !

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 28 Jan 2008 3:52 am

The music director at my catholic church is too rigid. I would love to play Immaculate Mary or Ave Maria on one of the feast days. Oh well.

ron

Bob Grado · Post by **Bob Grado** » 28 Jan 2008 5:46 am

I suggest working out "Ave Maria" and letting the parish priest have a listen. A while back I heard
this song played on steel and it was incredible.

Maybesomeone here has it tabbed out.

Dan Chroninger · Post by **Dan Chroninger** » 28 Jan 2008 7:18 am

one of the bands I work with plays Christmas Masses from Dec 25 till Jan 15 we do 10-15 every year.It is one of the most rewarding playing jobs I ever played
We do all the music for the mass. the sound in them big old church's is unbelevable

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jan 2008 8:00 am

My guitar instructor, oh so many years ago, was Catholic and would have given anything if I would have learned to play "Ava Maria". I picked up a song book a while ago with that song in it but don't know if I can come up with the tab or not.
Does anyone have some fairly simple sheet music with "Ava Maria"?
Thanks,
Erv

Mark Treepaz · Post by **Mark Treepaz** » 28 Jan 2008 8:30 am

Depending upon how the chain of command is set up in your parish, I would think that the Monsignor might have to approve it first(?) Hopefully, since you say that it's a younger parish, they would be more open to new ideas and concepts.

Here in our Diocese, a lot of the Catholic parishes aren't that open minded, and it can be like pulling teeth to get them to go with something new or out of the norm. Then again, there are some others that will try whatever it takes to try to get younger people interested in coming to church on Sunday.

If they go for the idea, then you should go for it. Good luck!

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 28 Jan 2008 8:38 am

Joan and I are Catholic and Joan plays at mass every Sunday. She also played for midnight mass at Christmas. It's piano, steel and a small choir. The church loves the addition of steel.

Bill Fall · Post by **Bill Fall** » 28 Jan 2008 8:58 am

I love steel guitar above probably more than any other instrument in creation. But I also attend the traditional Latin Mass, at least once a week. And when I do, I feel like I'm partly stepping out of mere creation, partly stepping into God's Kingdom. Personally, I'm too much an old-fashioned Catholic to find anything more mundane than an organ and a choir to be suitable. And, as I recall, the great Pope St. Pius X a century ago allowed no instruments at Mass other than an organ. He felt that string and brass instruments were too theatrical for the occasion -- too much of a distraction from the all-important focal point of the Mass itself.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jan 2008 9:03 am

"Give praises to the Lord on an instrument of 10 strings". Psalms 33:2

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 28 Jan 2008 9:07 am

Ron, Mark you guys hit the nail on the head!

I will find out and let ya all know, yes it is a younger parish however I don't know if they will go for it. First I want to get some songs down. So I'm very well preped.

Right now my big problem is my work schedule

Ava maria would be sweet I never thought of that.

How great thou art is really nice.

Thanks

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 28 Jan 2008 9:10 am

Bill I feel the same way, I think when they see a PSG they will think "electric guitar" and then think of Ozzy or Metallica!

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 28 Jan 2008 10:24 am

If you have the know how, give them an ear full of Bells of St Marys with about 70% harmonics involved. That's how I got the music director interested at the church I used to play at.

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 28 Jan 2008 11:09 am

Harmonics is my weakness, I will try it out.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 28 Jan 2008 1:17 pm

The Steel Guitar will fit very nicely into the Church celebration of music. I have played in several churches and it works well with not only contemporary but also with traditional hymns or with the choir too.

Besides music is a spiritual gift and there will be music in heaven when we get there. Isn't GOD great! Read the book of Psalms (Book of Songs) and see what it says in regards to music and worship.

GOD bless!

Terry Wood

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 28 Jan 2008 1:21 pm

P.S.

A.S. Schobert,

When a church organ broke down, the Catholic priest of his church wrote, composed and they performed "Silent Night" using a guitar with his congregation. It caught on.

Your heart is in the right place and that's what matters.

Terry

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 28 Jan 2008 2:58 pm

A friend of mine who sang and played a D28 for Sat. afternoon mass asked me to join him on steel. We did it for several months. No choir for this mass...just he and I. It was very rewarding.

We had many people come up after the services and tell us they really enjoyed it.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · Post by **Archie Nicol R.I.P.** » 28 Jan 2008 4:01 pm

"Give praises to the Lord on an instrument of 10 strings". Psalms 33:2

"Sympathy For The Devil". Jagger/Richards.

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