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Topic: Top 10 Songs To Learn |
Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 6:14 am |
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and The Bottle let me down.
_________________
MSA 12 String E9th/B6th Universal.
Little Walter PF-89.
Bunch of stomp boxes |
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Ron Forrest
From:
Logan Ohio, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 7:34 am
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J D,
I completely agree. I don't want to try to emulate or copy someones else's style. From a lead guitar stand point I've seen so many people get caught up in chasing the tone of iconic players and it's just a frustrating rabbit hole to go down. No matter what, amp, guitar or effects that i buy I will never sound like Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads. The style and sound was their own and i believe that 99% percent of there sound was in there hands, technique, voicing, and of how they wanted the music to sound. They could have walked on stage with a 99 dollar guitar and Crate amp it would have sounded like them.
My favorite steel player is John Hughey for the simple fact i love the phrasing and emotion that he puts into his playing. I don't want my playing to be a carbon copy but rather use some of the techniques that i like an incorporate them into my own playing to help develop my own sound and style.
The song list I asked about was more for learning technique and helping me practice. I figured there would be transitions, passing tones, and other things that stood out to me so i could start assembly a "library" of things to help me identify what the steel was doing when i listened to songs. I've always had the mentally of "Practice to you potential and play live to your ability" and to work things into my playing as I became more comfortable with them and could play them consistently well. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 8:02 am
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| Ron Forrest wrote: |
| The song list I asked about was more for learning technique and helping me practice. I figured there would be transitions, passing tones, and other things that stood out to me so i could start assembly a "library" of things to help me identify what the steel was doing when i listened to songs. |
You could do worse than obtaining the old BE-E9 course and applying the transitions, passing tones, and other things that stand out to your arsenal.
Long out of print, but there are sure to be some copies floating around out there. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 9:13 am
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You might also consider the Paul Franklin introductory course.
https://www.mmmlearn.com/courses/the-paul-franklin-method-e9-c6
The Forum is packed with people who have a lifetime of experience on guitar (myself included), professionally and otherwise, who have loved pedal steel since the first time they heard it and finally decided to start playing. Most of those players probably followed some sort of method to get where they did on the guitar, even if it was just the bar band school of hard knocks.
The ten song idea might seem like it is a methodical way to start, but it’s not really, since any ten songs might have ten ways of being played by ten different players. In a way, that’s good news because those ten players might have ten different copedents, which means there is probably a way for anyone to at least get close to a carbon copy, if that’s what you’re after. But it is also a road to confusion and frustration.
It is also a mixed blessing to have all that musical experience on another instrument. On one hand, the theoretical concepts are probably second nature. On the other, you are a beginner on a difficult instrument, and the advanced musical ideas in your head will not soon transfer into music making on your pedal steel. Patience will be tested.
If I had to start over, I would definitely give the PFM a shot. I might do it now anyway, just to see what I’ve missed for 5 years. I’ve been following Joe Wright’s “My Approach To Pedal Steel†for a couple of years now, and it has been a tremendous help. People swear by this method or that. Just start with something, give it an honest shot, and if it’s not floating your boat try something else.. |
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Larry Baker
From:
Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 10:09 am
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Ron, another great one is:
Lloyd Greens: Midnight Silence
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 3 & 5 The Eagle
NV112 amp===Earnie Ball V.P. |
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Ron Forrest
From:
Logan Ohio, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 2:52 pm
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Jack, I'll keep an eye out for that course definitely something id be interested in!!
Fred, I've looked into the Paul Franklin course and am considering it for sure.
Larry, This is a great song!!
I think my biggest benefit is to just get out and play, make mistakes and improve in general. I love sitting in my home studio and playing to backing tracks but i also love the pressure of playing live and being forced to make decisions on the fly.
I do find that my guitar playing doesn't translate well to the steel but playing steel has helped me be a better guitar. Does that make sense?
Thank you all for the great conversation, advice and tips!! |
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Larry Baker
From:
Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 4:41 pm
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Ron, Chubby Howard is near Dayton, Ohio. I don't know how close that is to you, but he would be a good contact. He is a great steel player and fine person.. He used to play with Boxcar Willie, and others I'm sure.
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 3 & 5 The Eagle
NV112 amp===Earnie Ball V.P. |
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Jeff Neal
From:
Johnson City Tennessee, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 6:39 pm
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| Anything Hank Williams, Steel Guitar Rag, Sleep Walk, Last Date. Then anything Ray Price, Faron Young. Remember you will spend most of your time playing stuff you don't like.LOL |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 25 Jul 2021 6:56 pm Words to live by!
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| Pete Finney wrote: |
If there are any places near you where you can hear live music with a steel, I would strongly recommend you spend as much time as possible hanging out and listening closely, and speaking to the players. You'll get a much better idea of what kind of skills (and songs) you need to be working on...
For a long time going to see live music with a pedal-steel would have likely meant a band playing country music. My feeling is that things have shifted a lot and a lot of whatever opportunities are out there may be more about accompanying singer-songwriters or music that might have been considered more "folk" at one time (what people often call "Americana" these days). It seems to me that's a likely place these days to get first playing opportunities (that's true even in Nashville) and that becomes more about getting the skills you need to learn songs from a basic chord chart and by ear rather than knowing a group of songs.
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Supremely good advice. Thanks Pete!  |
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