I can hardly listen to Buddy

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 30 Mar 2017 10:08 am

Consider it a blessing from God to be able to play anything on a musical intrument.

Well said, David.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 7 Apr 2017 4:19 am

I struggled for decades comparing my playing ability with others. Thankfully, in my old age I'm now at a point now where I'm comfortable just playing what I play. Clear simple lines played with the best technique and tone I can muster go a long way in a song and for an audience's enjoyment.

Chris Templeton · Post by **Chris Templeton** » 7 Apr 2017 12:17 pm

Being at the forefront of the rise of the pedal steel, Buddy had the INCENTIVE to create lix and pedal steel innovations.
A unique lick on a recording could create demand for that player on upcoming sessions.
Along with the standard competition between players, with the steel guitar, there was/is a special affinity, especially amongst players in Nashville.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 10 Apr 2017 7:55 am

Buddy has an awesome Flow.

Jernigan has a clean crisp speed and touch and phrasing

Tommy White - clean articulation but I find makes the steel sing in and out of chords better than anyone except for Billy Robinson.

My own observations.

I get inspired by them everyday. Legends all.

I really don't care if it takes me a month or a year to get a song or a line. I'm pretty sure though if I am able to reproduce it with any of the above legends accuracy and skill I will be happy as a lark.

Buddy recordings are far less as impressive as his live lines which are smoking.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 10 Apr 2017 12:16 pm

I agree completely with Chris. It was a unique time in pedal steel.
Unaware of what was going on in the steel world in those days, I assumed Emmons came from some association like The Wrecking Crew,
some good musician accustomed to heavy hitting jazz sessions and deigning to accompany Judy Collins and a few others.
Then you learn some history of steel and it's nothing like that.

So it's good to be an outsider, never depressed, because he played that and I didn't have to and couldn't anyway.
I mean, to me, he played Blue Jade so I wouldn't have to think about how he did it (and even if I had a couple of clues,
that wouldn't be it), remembering that by and large he's playing this for folks to enjoy.

Somebody was going to break through--this is a very recent instrument development--and I think the guy that did it had the sharpest mind.
Or at least, it appeared that way, because he was well-read, well-spoken, interested in people and had great humor in himself.
It can't be overlooked that humility and other traits were equally responsible for his place among Nashville musicians.

I don't think Mr. Emmons would want me to listen to 'So What' and be depressed. If it doesn't inspire, like Stefan said, so what?

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 13 Apr 2017 2:00 pm

Well to shed a little light on this post, I've had it's original poster, Steve H. over to my house a couple times as a new student. It took me about one minute to realize that he "has what it takes" to play this instrument. For a teacher, that's a joy and often a rare one. In his case, he's feeling this way because he's got great ears!