An Old Lesson Re-Learned

[Chris Bauer]

I’m doing some dates with a new artist. Before the first rehearsal, the band leader and the steel player who referred me both told me that it’s largely a rock gig, to be sure to bring a lap steel or two, and be prepared to play most of the show through a barrel full of overdrive pedals. That’s right up at least one of my alleys so I was good to go.

Once I heard the songs, though, I realized that I was hearing a bunch of them differently than I’d expected and figured I might as well at least try playing them like I was feeling them.

The feedback from the artist and management? “We love the twang you brought to the music and dig what ‘that other neck’ on your pedal steel sounds like.”

The lesson? Unless you’re in a copy/tribute band, etc., where you have no choice, just play what you feel fits the music. The band can always say no to what you come up with but if they don’t, sounding like you and not who you think someone else wants you to sound like will leave you and the others happier at the end of the day.

[Fred Treece]

Excellent advice. Steel playing is as steel players do.

One of the bands I play in does a cover of Overkill by Men At Work. I figured what the heck. Sounds good to me on steel.

[Bobby Nelson]

Hey, it sounds like you may be educating them on what PSG ought to sound like - in my humble opinion (I think distortion is for Les Pauls but, who am I?).

[Chris Bauer]

Interestingly, Bobby, in this case the band leader is an accomplished steel player and a far better dobro player than I ever hope to be. Your comment certainly could apply to many situations, though.

(As for saving distortion for Les Pauls, you and I might have some different opinions from one another, though. . )

[Kevin Fix]

Years ago a group hired me to play "Only Slow Country Songs". Yeah Right. The group I was working for did a mixture of Rock and Country. "So" Long story short I started putting some fill here and there. After the first set the guy that hired me said to me, " Man I Did Not Realize What You Can Play On That Thing". After that he had me splitting leads and fills on everything they did!!!! My old Sho Bud Pro II took them into a new level of gigs. I worked for these guys for about two years. Back in the early 90's I could play as much as I wanted. No trouble finding a job once word got around. "This guy will play anything and it fits" Never under estimate the Steel Player".

[Bobby Nelson]

Haha! Well Chris, AI'm not a fair one to judge about distortion - never liked it too much, other than natural drive of the amp.

[Barry Blackwood]

I’m doing some dates with a new artist. Before the first rehearsal, the band leader and the steel player who referred me both told me that it’s largely a rock gig, to be sure to bring a lap steel or two, and be prepared to play most of the show through a barrel full of overdrive pedals.

I'm feeling this is the new paradigm for country music.

[Chris Bauer]

Barry - My impulse is to agree. Yet, I took stock in my last week’s work and it was three shows of 60s/70s country, two road dates of 40s/50s western and western swing music, one eclectic show that had as many shuffles and 60s country ballads as anything else, one session of pretty folky stuff and another of stone, hardcore country. This coming week looks close to identical other than the road dates.

Last night I played one of the above road dates in Kansas City. Three bands; one with a Rickenbacker D-8 playing cowboy songs, me on my Clinesmith D-8 playing western and western swing music, and one with a Zum D-10 playing Haggard, Waylon, etc. (Among other things, it was a fun meeting of forumites.)

So, easy as it is to listen to the radio and be some combination of pessimistic and cranky, when I take a step back and breathe for a second, I realize things maybe aren’t so bad....

[Barry Blackwood]

So, easy as it is to listen to the radio and be some combination of pessimistic and cranky, when I take a step back and breathe for a second, I realize things maybe aren’t so bad....

Indeed. I'll suspend my pessimism then -(but only until the next awards debacle..)

[Clyde Mattocks]

Most people, including musicians and producers are unaware of what a steel guitar is capable of since they've heard lots more amateurs than players. I've told this story before, but I want to hear it again myself. I got a call to do a recording session and on the phone, the guy told me, "This is not a country session, we only want some texture." When i got to the studio, he emphasized the point again. When the machine was turned on, I did a few swoops and harmonics. He came on and asked me to play more. Then he wanted me to be more aggressive. By the time we were thru, he was intoxicated with the sound of the steel and had put more on than I would have put on a Buck Owens record. His reaction was, "I didn't realize what a steel could do for this song."

This was quite a few years ago, but I had an almost identical experience recently when I got a call for a Praise and worship track.

[Bill Sinclair]

I've told this story before, but I want to hear it again myself.

Made me chuckle. As good a rationale as any for repeating a good story!

[Bob Ricker]

I was recording with a country band over in Clyde's part of the world. This woman who was the lead singer, producer, told me,"Kick it off with that old Buddy Emmons lick".
I had no idea what she meant, so I asked her, which one? Hoping she would name an intro to a song or song with a certain lick.
She said you surely know that old lick.
So I just created and played an intro on the c6th neck and she yelled "That's It"!