What is important to YOU about playing the steel guitar.

Wayne Franco · From: silverdale, WA. USA

This is a difficult instrument to play. If you're not driven to play it you probably won't get very good at it. Many of us could have been doctors if we went to school and studied as much as we have practiced over the years.

A session of asking ourselves about 7 levels of questions and answers is a way of getting a deep thought provoking answer. With you framing the questions yourself instead of letting someone else ask you,you must make every level as honest as possable.

The questioning might go like this.
1. Q. What is important to you about playing the steel guitar.
A. I like the sound of the instrument and it is important to me to be able to play at the highest level I am capable of achieving so I can sound my best

2.Q. Why is playing at your highest level important to you.
A. Playing at the highest level I can achieve makes me feel good about myself.

3.Q. Why does playing an advanced level make you feel good about yourself

And so on until you get really deep. I think that the ultimate answer in the 5-6-7 range will really give you some surprising insite of why you really like to play, It might even be too personal for you to share to an international audiance! But I bet you could go back to it for reinforcement of why you have spent thoursands of hours behind the instrument you love.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

For me, as a steel guitarist with cerebral palsy, everything is important to me about playing steel guitar. There are so many things that are important to me. First of all, the steel guitar has changed the way I thought of playin' an instrument because for awhile, here I was, a guy with cerebral palsy, who was trying to figure out what instrument to play and I said "No" to certain instruments because of cerebral palsy, but that all changed when I started playin' steel guitar eight years ago. The more I play, the more my confidence grows. So, instead of sayin', "Playin' steel ain't gonna work with cerebral palsy in my left hand, I now tell myself "Playin' steel with cerebral palsy IS gonna work with cerebral palsy in my left hand. I also play pedal steel because of the way it looks and sounds and it's used in my favorite type of music-country music, and it's my favorite instrument.

Brett

Bill Dobkins · From: Rolla Missouri, USA

Brett, I have to say I admire you. You have become one of my hereo's. Your an insiration for all of us.

The biggest thing for me is playing in tune and with quality.
I have a long way to go to be where I want, at 64 I doubt I will ever achieve it.
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John Ummel · From: Arlington, WA.

Hi Wayne,
I took up pedal steel because:

1) Its less painful to the joints in my hands than playing fiddle.
2) It was easier to find jobs (less competition than guitarists)
3) It was harder for the darn banjo player to drowm me out than with the fiddle!
Very Happy

Seriously, I just love the tonal qualities of the instrument, and the way chords present themselves so nicely.
BTW Wayne, I've been playing fiddle with the Nudie Suit Stardusters, Tom Palmer on steel, his Emmons sounds sooo...sweet, & he says YOU are sounding GREAT!
Cheers,
Johnny

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

A personal peace of mind and personal satisfaction.

Dave Harmonson · From: Seattle, Wa

Hey Wayne, I just do it for all the groupies and big bucks. Smile

Haven't seen you for quite a spell. How's it going on the other side of the pond?

Les Green · From: Jefferson City, MO, R.I.P.

I don't know, it just happened! As Dave said, it could have been the groupies and big bucks!
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Wayne Franco · From: silverdale, WA. USA

John. Its great to hear from you. I remember the days you were with Jerry Andle. I cherish those times I went to see you guys play. You use to play and sell Excel guitars. Any of that happening now? As far as Toms comment about my playing goes hey what are friends for! Glad you're in a band with a great guy.

Dave. Great to hear from you. Hope there is a jam we can get together some time and play. Your youtube playing was great. To quote another forumite "a lesson in how to tastfully back up a singer was appropiate. Remember that club in Tacoma the Sportsman. Man, those were great times.

A little more info about the question.Some famous guy said the meaning of communication is the response you get. My instructions on the question sequence will lead us to a core response we may not even consiously realize. I think that changes over time as well. When I first started playing at 16 I was influences by my room mate in the hospital who had Hodgkin’s Disease. Probably the most influencial person in my life. I was very ill with collitus . We would play our guitars at night in the hospital. When we heard the nurses coming we'd put the instruments away real quick and pretend we were asleep until they left. I know some would say his influence on me playing 5 string was a bad one..lol but we went on and started a band called Rural Delivery that is know around here to this day.

Brett Days'answers blows me away! Imagine...how it makes you feel when you read that. I know him better and I have a deep respect for what he is doing. Right on Brett! In fact it inspires me to work that much harder.

Thanks for all your great, insightful responses. Keep em coming.

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

I just do it for the thrill of reading all the bickering and fussing on the forum.

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Uh-oh. When I got to Step 7, the answer came back: 'Please repeat from Step 1'. I've been stuck in an endless do-loop for 3 days. HALP!!!!
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

I'm turned on by the sheer weirdness of it.
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Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

BECAUSE I CAN!!!

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

what rick said...

and..

i heard steel guitar and loved it...especially the gooey acid-tinged tone of buddy from the judy collins era...of course, opening up a whole new world of music to me, once you start seeking it out to hear the steel.

i played some guitar at that point, but steel seemed to be a comfortable new challenge...which i found to be a little easier for me to progress on than guitar.

it's always been an oddball choice.. amazingly, many people still don't know what the deal is with them..
but playing something odd and different, that can sound so cool and pretty, is fun. there was much less competition at first, also!

i never will attain the level of my favorites, but i carved out a local niche for myself which allowed me to enjoy it for many years, and meet many wonderful players and people!

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

Good post.

What's important to me is to have fun. Learning, playing and mastering an instrument that always draws me to it like a magnet to, well, steel.

I have to constantly struggle against letting the business aspect overshadow the fun part. It's so easy for me to let that happen. And so much of that is due to the fact I let that happen when I played strictly guitar for decades.

I play because ........and I know this is going to come out all wrong........because I grew up and spent 40 years in the (then) small city of South Bend, Indiana. And Buddy Emmons, Sneaky Pete, and Herb Remington all came from there when it was a REALLY small place. And I feel an odd something-or-other because I played the same bars they did and lived there when they were playing, too. However, let me say that there's NO WAY I put myself in their category of playing or artistry. Frankly, in reality, I'm not that good at pedal steel at all. But it's fun and, God willing, I hope to keep it that way.

Wayne Franco · From: silverdale, WA. USA

Chris.I like how you got serious at the end and really came out with some very good answers to what is important to you about playing the steel guitar.

Eric. What a nice way to get introduced to you. Even if I never get to meet you guys in person

I feel like the camaraderie between you other forumites is much stronger.

Jim. You're looping

Mike.. I'd love that to be your first response. Imagine where you could go from there.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Hey Wayne. How is that new Zum hybrid treating you?

There is a thread in the "Pedal Steel" section about mica vs Lacquer. Which finish do you have on yours? And do you have any pictures?
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Mike Schwartzman · From: Maryland, USA

I'm still very green on steel as this month (Dec.) will be 1 year of playing, but I'll chime in.

1. Sort of like Brett, I have some physical challenges that make the PSG a good choice for me. (BTW...Brett's response encourages me too). A part of the picture is simply that one plays PSG sitting down.

2. After years of standing up playing bass at gigs, sitting down has become my only option when playing any instrument for more than short time periods. I like the photos of the steel shows where all the musicians are sitting down, but at gigs around here I've always played standing...I guess it's my stubborn pride that tells me that I should have to stand up while playing bass, so since I like stringed instruments the PSG seemed like a good fit for a case of bruised pride even though learning it is pretty challenging .

3. The sound of a PSG has sort of plucked my heartstrings since I was a kid watching old cowboy movies and Hee Haw, but I had no idea what made that sound. Circumstances that came later in life raised my awarness of what made that sound and also raised my awareness of the music that went with that sound that I loved.

4. Starting out a year ago (with many thanks to this forum) I thought there was enough collective knowledge and information to get started. I was also thankful to see the amount of instructional materials and the many great teachers and tips. So with an S 10, a halfway decent ear for for music, and a lot of good help I got hooked on day 1.

5. On getting better: I'd like to and I'm putting in the practice, but I was warned that this instrument takes a while to get going on. That's been true, but what the heck, I'm better than I was 364 days ago.

6. Since I have very little feeling in my left leg, it's important to keep on playin' ...that emmon's pedal set up is good therapy...instant feedback if you don't hit those pedals and levers just right.

7. Playing at a very high level: Maybe not in this lifetime, but it sure is a sweet ride so far. A smart man once told me no matter how much you know...remain teachable.
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Tom Quinn · Posted 14 Dec 2008 4:11 pm

$$$...

Bill Dobkins · From: Rolla Missouri, USA

Dave Harmonson · From: Seattle, Wa

PSG is one of the most expressive instruments around. It's a joy to sit and hear it soar when you nail it. That's the most legal fun you can have IMO.

And Wayne, the Sportsman, eh. I saw dead people in the street a couple of times leaving there. What we do for fun.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Aside from the sheer enjoyment of playing music, which also provides good relief from the left-brain analytical stuff I do for a living these days, what's important to me is that what I'm playing sounds good and expresses what I want in the context of what and with whom I am playing.

To me, everything else is secondary. Developing technical skill is purely in service of that one goal. If I didn't want to ever play technically difficult music, I wouldn't feel the need to know how just for the sake of knowing how. Instead, I'd prefer to focus even more intently on the simpler things I do want to play, which I have done at times with things like blues and country music. But in fact, I do want to be able to play some technically challenging music, so that directs me somewhat.

This doesn't matter what instrument I'm playing - steel, guitar, or heaven forbid - b@njo.

Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

Very timely post for me, W Franco.

I've been thinking long and hard about this lately.

I picked up the idea of playing pedal steel completely out of the blue. I didn't care for country music much at all, up until about 2 1/2 years ago. Then "that sound" stirred something inside of me and I've been a fanatic about learning the history of pedal steel and it's leading contributors ever since. I work hard to learn play well myself.

There's something about gaining control over the guitar that draws me back every day, and it's roots are deep and important to me. I'm afraid to go 7 questions in. Resistance is common. Smile

Also the expressive nature of the PSG serves a purpose for me, and again is important to me.

This is the stuff of psyco-analysts 2nd homes and sports cars ya know...

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

PSG is just another tool that I added to my rock 'n' roll kit. I can get a few sounds out of it that I can't get out of the electric guitar.
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Bill Dobkins · From: Rolla Missouri, USA

Drew Howard · From: 48854

That I get to play an amazing instrument with an amazing history with amazing people and get jobs on a regular basis - which is amazing.
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