***RIP*** Steel Guitar

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 10 Sep 2009 7:42 am

This was the original title to Miss Leslie's latest Article/Blog on www.the9513.com ; but is now called:
STEEL GUITAR: UNDERGROUND OR UNDER THE GROUND.
You can find the direct link here>
http://www.the9513.com/steel-guitar-und ... he-ground/
There is no bigger fan of the steel guitar than Leslie. We've discussed this topic so many times and I've had this discussion with Lloyd Green(who is mentioned in the article along with John Hughey).
This is a BLOG site, so you can certainly add your comments to it.
I for one; will not let the Steel guitar die. I'm doing all I can to put the steel guitar voice back in Country music. With numbers; we can resurge, so get out and support REAL country music; call your stations and demand Country Music with "The other Voice in Country Music" in there.
Now go to it.
Miss Leslie is a featured Columnist on this website and I am so proud of her for speaking her voice about steel guitar and the steel players that play it.
www.missleslie.com
is her site and she blogs frequently there too and she offers FREE downloads of our recent new singles and you can bet you will hear Steel guitar on EVERY one of her songs and links to artists that feature steel guitar and steel players on their music.
Have fun.
Ricky

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 10 Sep 2009 8:25 am

That was very well written and thought out and I like that is was presented in a non-judgemental and non-confrontational way so your average person who might know very little about music in general, let alone country music, can understand it. So often what you hear instead is some old guy very pissed off and yelling "Country music just aint the same as it was !!This new stuff is rubbish!" and while I dont disagree with that, I think that comes off like the angry grandpa from the simpsons to your average music listener. "Consarnit!!"

I like when people make their case rationally and calmly, using specific examples to support their argument as Miss Leslie did here. bravo.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 10 Sep 2009 8:44 am

"The good news is that there are artists who are still making this music. "

Meaning that they include the pedal steel in the accompaniment..."

“Honky tonk doesn’t sell.”... at the moment, but it will be back.

So, keep them fingers nimble.

If I was Johnny Bush I'd be ticked at not being named too...

What about Willie's support?

There will always be a market. It just varies in size over time.

Twayn Williams · Post by **Twayn Williams** » 10 Sep 2009 10:14 am

I find this the most telling quote:

And the majority of us typically have less than 200 audience members at most of our shows. Quite a few of us travel without a steel guitar in our road bands.

The economics of the road.

Let's face it, the core of a modern pop/rock/country band (I'm not talking about the big acts) is rhythm guitar/vocal, bass, drums. If that gets expanded out with a lead instrument, that instrument is almost always going to be guitar. The trio/quartet is the main ensemble size. Who can afford that steel player, or that fiddle player?

I see it as more of an economics issue, less of a genre issue.

Delvin Morgan · Post by **Delvin Morgan** » 10 Sep 2009 11:03 am

I am going to an outdoor country show this weekend in Brainard, Minnesota. I am sure there will steel there.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 10 Sep 2009 11:42 am

It's about the money. A few think about the MUSIC,most think about the MONEY. The band I play in [STROKIN DIXIE] have been together over twenty two years,always four pieces. Rhythum guitar,lead guitar,bass and drums,about a year and a half ago I ask if I could sit in with them,been there every since. They liked what I added to the band and hired me. They ALL agreed to take a twenty percent pay cut to hire me.We play classic country,and a LOT of rock and Southern rock,For years I have played steel in country bands AND rock and blues bands. Knowing the rock and Southern rock as well as classic country is the reason I landed this job I'm sure. My advice to newbies learn to play SOME of every thing. YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 10 Sep 2009 12:03 pm

I listen to atleast 3 different country radio stations a day. I hear steel on atleast every song or every other song all day long.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 10 Sep 2009 12:08 pm

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 10 Sep 2009 12:13 pm

I dont think steel guitar is dying at all
in fact I think it has increased some
in other forms of music
the fact is Music has changed.....
even though I dont like some of the changes
at least you still hear some steel in country music im like other steel players I want to hear intros turnarounds and solos there are some
but not as many as we would like
but I think this to will change and we will see
those things we like come back strong
at least I hope so
its alive and well at my house and will be
if the good Lord allows it Mike

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 10 Sep 2009 12:38 pm

Its poping up in more non-country places though. I have so many bands that want steel in them here in Seattle, but most are not country. A lot of the music exec folks I talk to up here say they dont use steel live due to the lack of available GOOD steel players, stating that all the good ones are taken and they would want a player dedicated to their label or signed band and not someone who sits in once in awhile. There are thousands (millions?) of good guitar players available so that may be part of the problem.

disclaimer, Im not pro so this doesnt speak for people making a living at this. It does speak to the demand at the mid-level for steel players.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 10 Sep 2009 1:10 pm

You have to read the article.
Responding to what I said; is just another boring thread on whether you hear steel guitar or not today or if it's dieing out or not......>that's NOT the point.
Read the article.
Ricky

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 10 Sep 2009 1:24 pm

Theresa Galbraith wrote:I listen to atleast 3 different country radio stations a day. I hear steel on atleast every song or every other song all day long.

Did we read the article? She acknowledges there IS steel on modern radio country, but points out (and rightly so) that it is relegated to background status...no fills , no intro, no solos, no "other voice"...at least not occupying a prominent role the way it was with what most consider classic or "real" country music.

what Steve Norman said has been my experience here in Seattle also. maybe thats the future of steel?...or maybe thats the fate of country music to be co-opted and assimilated by rock and folk music. I only know a couple bands here in town I'd consider real country but tons of bands that have or want steel. I'd wager its the same in a lot of major cities that arent in Texas or the south...a few country bands and a ton of younger bands that dont really know what country music is all about but really like the sound of the pedal steel.

I answered an add for a rock guitarist last week, but after listening to their demos, I decided to just show up with a pedal steel instead cause i thought it really worked for their stuff. Rock band, female singer...they had never seen a steel before, asked me if the pedals were for dampening. At the risk of sounding like im tootin my own horn here, they were blown away..and I kinda suck so..go figure.

edit: oops Ricky beat me to it.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 10 Sep 2009 1:46 pm

Ricky is right........Read the article.

I hear some steel in today's radio country music, but if it was not there I don't think it would change the song very much at all. What I do hear is a repeated raising of the first string.... over and over. That lick is getting old to me.

I don't think steel guitar is dead, but it doesn't seem to be an important part of the country music scene like it used to be. Kind of like the fax machine. I used to get 20 faxes per day, now due to email, I don't get 20 per year.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 10 Sep 2009 2:00 pm

"What I do hear is a repeated raising of the first string.... over and over. That lick is getting old to me. "

sorry to hijack, but I'd love to know that lick your talking about. I dont know how to use that change at all. got a tab? or even quick explanation of it?

I promise not to use it on any top forty hits

Jack Dillard · Post by **Jack Dillard** » 10 Sep 2009 3:32 pm

Double post

Jack Dillard · Post by **Jack Dillard** » 10 Sep 2009 3:36 pm

I'm new here and don't have my first Steel yet, I have one on order from Bob Simmons, but I'm going to take a chance here and probably won't "win friends and influence people" with my opinion.

One thing that will never change is that there will always be change. Maybe for Steel it's time for a change, it's time to move on and become the "other voice" of some new genre of music. I don't know, it just seems to me that if Steel is not going to wind up "under the ground" maybe it's time to approach it from a different perspective? Try some new music? Maybe I'm all wrong and shouldn't even be expressing my opinion, since I don't play Steel yet.

I do play Guitar and Bass and have found that in the 40 years I've been playing I needed to change what/how I play once in a while to keep working regularly.

Thanks,
Jack

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 10 Sep 2009 3:42 pm

Jack Dillard wrote: Maybe for Steel it's time for a change, it's time to move on and become the "other voice" of some new genre of music. I don't know, it just seems to me that if Steel is not going to wind up "under the ground" maybe it's time to approach it from a different perspective? Try some new music? Maybe I'm all wrong and shouldn't even be expressing my opinion, since I don't play Steel yet.

No, you're right. I like your opinion, and we need more steelers who think the same way. It's time for PSG to shed the 'country' stereotype.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 10 Sep 2009 4:17 pm

this horse has been beat to death, but top 40 anything is pretty sterile and oddly similar now. I personally think that country itself is going underground, as are many styles of music including hip hop punk etc that are trying to sound pure and not poppish or over produced like other top 40 clones.

Ben , hit string 3, then string one with 3 ringing, and raise string one for a unison.

I think that classic country like Ms Leslie plays will always have an audience. After a few years it will come back in style on a large level, then get unpopular with the masses again. repeat to infinity.

Gerry Simon · Post by **Gerry Simon** » 10 Sep 2009 4:42 pm

I'm a pedal steel guitarist, NOT a country steel guitarist. If you take the country view then I guess we are all Hawaiian steel guitarists... If you bag the accordian as only a polka instrument, then you kill a lot of its potential...just as bagging the steel as only country. I look around the International Steel Convention in St. Louis and I see a sea of grey heads, mine included; not a good sign for the future of our instrument. I know there are young people working on the steel but they must be very disenfranchised from the rest of us...wonder why?

Twayn Williams · Post by **Twayn Williams** » 10 Sep 2009 4:49 pm

Leslie, I've seen your sig for awhile and I'm really curious to hear what you do with a Marshall stack and a PSG. Do you have any links?

Thanks!

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 10 Sep 2009 5:32 pm

When an instrument is solely dependant on one genre of music and the whims of the people in charge of that genre of music and the whims of the people who buy that music......it might as well be considered dead........ and while we are at it as long as the majority of the people who play the steel guitar are musically living in some old whiney honky tonk fog they might as well be considered the musically living dead...sort of like two left pedal mashing zombies....

WAKE UP!!!

John Coffman · Post by **John Coffman** » 10 Sep 2009 5:58 pm

Thanks Ricky and Miss L. Love you guys. This is a very fine article. Miss L is so talented. Hope to see you guy soon.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 10 Sep 2009 6:25 pm

Country Music Personified,Ms Leslie and Rick. Jody.

Dennis Graves · Post by **Dennis Graves** » 10 Sep 2009 6:42 pm

I read the article and agree with what Miss Leslie said. Keep on "keeping on" Ricky and Miss Leslie. Let me hear some more of that "whiney" steel. I love it.
Guess I must be one of the "musically living dead". I don't bend my ways to someone elses ideas just because it's the "now" thing to do. I say the pedal steel is what makes a good country song. I'll never change. You can put a steel in rap if you want to.
You can drive a bulldozer down the freeway, but that doesn't mean it belongs there.

Just my opinion folks...

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 10 Sep 2009 6:42 pm

Hello; read the article.
Leslie is speaking of STeel guitar in COUNTRY music....not any other music....duh!!
Sure; go out there and Long live steel guitar in any music....bla bla...more power to ya(tried it; doesn't work either by the way).
Read the article.

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