"Smokin Steel Guitar Licks"

Kenny Martin · Posted 10 Mar 2009 5:15 pm

Ok, i have received on 600 emails asking if i would explain some of the speed licks i play. I spent a few hours today on two i use alot. Let me know what you guys think and by the way, i'm working on the teaching thing because i don't know how!!
here ya go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbId3uGw6ug

Hit me and hit me hard!!!!

You to Bill Hankey!!!

Thanks!
Kenny

Austin Tripp · From: Nashville TN

Hey Kenny. Im working on the first lick you taught but I cant seem to get it right now, but maybe I will be "sick" tommarow so I can stay out of school and work on it. Smile

Please keep them coming, dont worry about what other people say about your style of playing. I love learning new stuff that I would have never thought of. Thanks Kenny

Austin
_________________
"Hotrod"
Steel guitarist for Cody Jinks
Member CMA

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Kenny,

I enjoyed both of your performances as teacher and player. If you are creating those licks from the top of your head, you are a force to recognize. It is wonderful to witness at close range the suppleness of your speeding fingertips. Very little doubt is left in mind, concerning the physiological aspects of speed picking. You possess a quickness of motion that is rare indeed. I hope nothing deters you from continuing to share your abilities with others, who move closer to capturing some of those impressive and enjoyable hot licks. I am deeply engrossed in the beauty of your resolving the well thought out note patterns.

Vernon Hester · From: Cayce,SC USA, R.I.P.

Kenny,
Great job and good idea sharing your talent.
Wish my old Fingers could move that fast.WOW!!!
Vernon Hester

Kenny Martin · Posted 11 Mar 2009 3:51 am

Thanks Austin, Bill and Vernon!

Ya know its not easy to sit down and figure out how to tell somebody how to play what i do. The hard part is to slow it down.

Hey Vernon, yep they come out my head somewhere but i believe after playing all these years that somewhere down the line my licks are a part of everybodies!

I'm a nobody in the scheme of things but i love steel and friends to share what i do with. One Forum member said i was looking for recognition!! Don't need it because i'm not looking for a job playing steel or looking for praise!

I'm looking to improve and be able to go to jams, have fun, share licks and yea, be a little hot dog on fast stuff some times!

Austin, ya doin fine young man and please stay with it! We need new young pickers to help keep steel alive!

Ramblin again so i shut up! I'll stick a few more out there in a few days and see what you think!

The SGF is great for me and i thank Bob and all the members for allowing me to be a part of it!

kenny

Rick Johnson · From: Wheelwright, Ky USA

Kenny
I sure appreciate this.
Now I can take my time
and get it right.
The best thing is its FREE Wink

Rick

www.rickjohnsoncabs.com

Kenny Martin · Posted 11 Mar 2009 4:13 am

Thanks Rick!

The first part of the lick in A i think i made it up. Now it's probably part of something i heard but it seems new too me!

I appreciate the help i have received free in all my years.

Take care!
kenny

Mike Archer · From: church hill tn

nice work Kenny you are a great player!!

I play a lot of the same licks you do with my own

twist on um....you have a solid right hand

these kinda speed licks call for just that!!

keep up the good work buddy and thanks for

doing the video for us Mike Very Happy

Paul Wade · From: mundelein,ill

kenny, great job. whis i cold have this when i was
learning the p.s.g. Smile

could you tell us folks about
your gear too.. keep up the great work

p.w
www.countyoutlaws.com

Charles Curtis · Posted 11 Mar 2009 5:53 am

Great job & great picking. I, personally, like to know who is really good, like you, IMO, because I'll go out of my way to listen to a great musician. If I had your talent, I'd like to share it too. This Forum is the best ever, IMO, for guys to share knowledge. I wish all this had been around when I started picking the psg. I hope that you keep up the good work.

John McGlothlin · Posted 11 Mar 2009 7:18 am

Thanks for sharing that with all of us Kenny...your speed picking is a gift that anyone would treasure. I love to do the speed picking to but I'm a long long way from playing as well as you but the fun is in the hard work that is put into it and that hard work pays off.

Kenny Martin · Posted 11 Mar 2009 7:34 am

Thanks Mike, Paul & Charles!!

Yea, wish i had them when i was young as well. I learned spinning vynl albums of Lloyd, Emmons,Myrick and all the other great players.

As for my rig here's what i use:

1984 Session 500 15" black widow
Line 6 Tone & Compressor--setting level about 3 or 4
Boss DD3 Delay------------setting level about 4
E66 Pick-ups

That's it! I don't use much of the affects and reverb about 3!

I had a problem a while back with too much affects so i turned everything off, even reverb, and started adding a little back at a time. That gave me string seperation that i was missing!

I am by no means a pro so that's just my way of doing it.

Thanks so much for the kind words and i'll work on a few more!

kenny

Pete Walthall · From: Arkansas, USA

kenny thanks for posting your licks
great picken really some super stuff.

Kenny Martin · Posted 11 Mar 2009 12:04 pm

Thanks Pete!

I'll have a few more out there soon. I just received some rythm tracks from Mr. Hartley i ordered so i'll spend a little time on my version of Hwy 40 Blues and break a few licks down.

Thanks David Hartley for the quick turn around on the two CD's. Good clean tracks and i look forward to practice with them!!!

kenny

Allen Peterson · From: Katy, Texas

I like it!! Keep'em comin'

Allen Peterson
_________________
2008 D10 Rains Pedal Steel, 2000 D10 Carter Pedal Steel, BR-9 Lap Steel, Nashville 400, Nashville 112, '65 Fender Twin Re-issue, MB 200, Telonics Volume Pedal

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Kenny,

Those RHYTHM tracks will allow you to enjoy your skills. My cage is still rattling from your display of musicianship. In all likelihood, you are a diamond in the rough. Thanks for your generous support in helping others.

Kenny Martin · Posted 12 Mar 2009 4:12 am

Thanks Bill & Allen!

I'm watching the forum to see how much interest there is but either way i will continue to put some out there just to offer help to anyone who would want it.

Again, i am not a pro but love to play.

Bill, you are very kind and i appreciate the support.
As i have said many times, i don't have anyone around me to bounce things off of so the SGF helps alot and a good bunch of players on here.

I have been ask to play a version of "Rocky Top" fast in A so now that i have a rythm track i will get started on it. Also a forum member gave me a sight to down load a program to slow a song down and that is a big help.
What? Me slow a song down? Yea i'll try!! Shocked

Take care!
Kenny

Kenny Martin · Posted 13 Mar 2009 4:44 am

So based on 600 veiws and over 400 veiws on you tube should i continue??

It would be cool to hear from one or two of the major pro's on this clip.

Thanks!
Kenny

Trevor Fagan · From: Newfoundland, Canada

Hey Kenny,
Thanks soooo much for sharing this with us. I've always wanted to try and play the fast stuff.... but could never figure out what those guys were playing on the recordings, due to the speed. Now, thanks to you....and if my fingers will co-operate, I gotta a chance. I really hope you continue to post "slowed-down" versions of this fast stuff in the future. Thanks again.
_________________
'73 Sho~Bud Pro II, '71 Emmons D-10, '75 Sho~Bud Maverick, Guyatone D-8, Session 500, Nashville 112, Sennheiser e609

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Nice stuff Kenny! I got the first two licks down using just the thumb and middle finger with crossover fingering. I've just recorded the country classic Jealous Heart using a modified version of these riffs showing that they also work at slower speeds (120 BPM). I'll have this posted and tabbed out soon. Your riff at frets 12/13 opens up a whole new world of possibilities for my playing. Thanks so much for sharing!

Greg

Kenny Martin · Posted 13 Mar 2009 10:29 am

Thanks Greg & Trevor!

Glad that this helps somebody!

Trevor, yep works just fine with the cross over!
I do both but for me, you will find that in really fast stuff being able to use 3 fingers helps you through a passage that can be tough crossing over.

Buck Reid is a master at both and if you have his new CD "A Work In Progress" he uses 3 fingers after the first lick of his first solo on Alabama Jubilee! I tried it with 2 fingers but it was killing the timing. Went to 3 and made it alot easier!

Anyways, if it continues to help any of you guys i'll keep workin on some more!

Keep in mind, i'm not a pro and just giving my spin on how i do something.

Thanks so much to all the forum members for being so kind!

Kenny

Kenny Martin · Posted 15 Mar 2009 9:29 am

Maybe Dick Sexton can tab this out because i'm very slow at that. Its the only thing i do slow! Shocked

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