Breaking The Mold

Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

I have played steel guitar for many years now, at Country Bars, High School dances, Rock concerts, Hawaiian Luaus, in church, and countless recording studios, on small stages and in large concert halls.
But let me share a constant frustration that some of you may have also encountered.

"Anti-steel guitar bias"
From other musicians, record producers, audience members, even family and friends.

Let me illustrate by using actual quotes I have heard throughout the years.

"Can you make it sound less country?"
"Can you make it sound less Hawaiian?"
"Stop wiggling that metal thing in your hand"
"Do you know sleepwalk?"
"Don't use the volume pedal, I can't set your level"
"I hate country but you play that thing pretty good"

Ok some of the prejudice is due the steel's popularity in Country and Hawaiian music, but I have really tried to break the mold with my style of playing, song choices, effects and tone changes.
Yet somehow the steel guitar seems to have been stereotyped more than other instruments.

Dom Sad

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Bill McCloskey · Posted 12 Dec 2012 5:18 am

I doubt David Lindley faces these biases, but on the other hand I doubt David Lindley ever played any hawaiian or country licks. Part of the problem, I imagine, is that the musicians themselves are so steeped in these styles that country and hawaiian sounds are just a natural part of the way they play music and it comes through when they play in a way that those less familiar with the instrument can hear.

The sacred steel artists also don't face this problem, I'm thinking, because everything about their style, from tunings to technique, where not influenced by country and hawaiian.

Look at the forum: for the most part people who come on here want to play hawaiian, or country and they learn to play sleepwalk.

I think if you want to truly unique style, you need to remove all influences of those other styles and I think that is going to be difficult.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Hang in there, Dom. I get people coming up to me at my shows with Go Van Gogh all the time who are surprised that I manage to make this instrument fit into our music.

And I like both Hawaiian and country music. There's no shame in fitting your influences into whatever you play.
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Mike Anderson · From: British Columbia, Canada

My problem wouldn't be with country or Hawaiian, but with the people who have these prejudices against them.

Personally, I loathe almost all rock. But if I attended a rock concert (hard thing to imagine), I can't picture myself saying to the lead guitarist "could you please quit playing that antiquated hackneyed pentatonics ear-bleed distortion crap and try a few country licks?"

Thought this might be a useful analogy you could try on these people next time.

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

Hehe, Mike. Well put.

Rick Aiello · From: Berryville, VA USA

Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

Hate is such a strong word...
I guess other instruments have been stereotyped...
It could be worse...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMitYmUzMTU&feature=share

This video was made by a friend of mine Curtis

Dom Confused

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David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

If someone asks: "Could you make that sound less Hawaiian?" I have to wonder what their idea of Hawaiian is. Most people these days, musicians included, are completely ignorant of the Hawaiian era, and the Hawaiian repertoire. I would be delighted if they actually knew what they were talking about. Or should I say, about which they were talking.
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Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

I have heared a Talking Heads record that has pedal steel on it an nobody would call that country, although the guitarist does not use any other changes than those that have made pedal steel a "country music" instrument.

This is a difficult matter and I have not found an answer for it. One difficulty is, that you almost exclusively only get country (resp. Hawaiian) biased training material. Or does anybody know of any learning material from Lindley & Co? Smile

As far as other people´s opinion goes... I play Hawaiian music in the heart of the Alps, not because I love it so much, but because this is the way my learning curve goes. Some people dislike it, some like it. Whom would you listen to? I have grown tired thinking about others.

Our world is so flooded with anaemic music that it is refreshing to hear somebody play from the heart.

Carry on with your path.

-helmut
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Chris Gabriel · From: Oregon, USA

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I'm like Helmut in that I don't really care what others think, even you guys! Laughing

Just kidding, but not really. After playing music in public for so long as a leader and a sideman, I prefer to be a leader. I have effectively retired from all gigging situations just so can I re-tool. I'll be back, but on my own terms.

One important point for me: I want to play jazz, but I don't want to be "a pretty good jazz musician for a steel player". No, I don't want the instrument to be a factor, I just want to do it all or nothing.
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David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

When asked what the country sound was, I think Chet Atkins replied by jingling the change in his pocket.
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Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

Mike Anderson · From: British Columbia, Canada

Mike Anderson · From: British Columbia, Canada

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

i've been lucky to never suffer such criticism even though i play mandolin, banjo and steel - each of which has its own ingrained stigma.

my opinion is that if you LISTEN and try to fit your instrument of choice into the mix of music tastefully, then you wont have any problems.
what i often hear is - say someone is a blues guitarist - well, they want to be a blues guitarist where the tunes dont call for it - this is because thats all they know. same with some drummers - they have a limited bag of beats and they try to force them down the throat of the other musicians - these two scenarios seem to be the most prevalent. if you dont need to play, or its taking away -dont play - i just did a Christmas cantata on mandolin and i only played 40% of the time - thats what the score called for - if not, you'd have everyone banging away all over each other.

i wouldnt let someone else dictate the style/what i wanted to play ... i'm saying as a musician - now if you are a hired hand or hired for a certain job, then you do as the guy writing the check says (and we've all been there) - and i dont consider bar gigs, or backyard parties for tips or $50 a man under this clause.
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Mike Anderson · From: British Columbia, Canada

What, Jerome - no accordion? Wink

+1 on what you said.

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

mike -funny you should mention that - the musical director at this church is also an accordian player (he's a monster musician) and he went with me to a week long hard core bluegrass festival up in the hills of Virgina - they dont take kindly to anything outside the box - you play the banjo the way Earl did or pack up and go home, you're "tainting the music".

but we had so many wonderful jams, good music and fellowship that it was hard to not be impressed and have a blast. of corse, there were some harmonica players that rambled in that we quickly got rid of. he was a big hit because he listened, played tastefully and added something unique to the jams. the white liquor was passed around and all had a hoot.
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

Mike Anderson · From: British Columbia, Canada

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