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Topic: steel is so alluring to me |
Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 8:51 am |
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I am retired and can get up when I want, but I find myself getting up at 5 and cant wait to go play my lap steel! After playing the pedal steel for all of these years, I find myself right now spending more time on the lap. I am not sure if it is the simplicity of the instrument, the ease of transporting it, a kind of a return to my younger years in playing, or just the pleasant sounds that you can get out of the instrument, but I have recently really been hooked on the non pedal steel. I have two of them now...the Melbert that I have tuned to C6th and the Remington that I have tuned to A6th....I havent settled on those tunings yet...the verdict is still out...I would like to try the E13th again also. Back in the 60s I had a four neck Fender but honestly I dont know what each neck was other than C6th and E-something. Beginning to think I "need" a 3 necker !! Anyway, I am rambling but just wanted to share my enthusiasm for this wonderful instrument that as Carco Clave says is "a steel guitar", the others are "pedal steel guitars" !
Last edited by Larry Lenhart on 28 Dec 2013 5:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 9:36 am
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| Quote: |
| Non pedal steel is so alluring to me ...cant get enough |
ditto! Larry, I know exactly what you're saying, and I agree with you 1000%  I still play some pedal steel, but I find the non-pedal steel far more interesting. It's the challenge of getting the sounds without pedals and levers, it's the simplicity of the design, unencumbered by hardware, and it's the portability of the instrument. And the many different tunings, each offering a unique sound. I particularly like vintage steels for their history, beauty, and sound. Play on!
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 9:52 am
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Thanks to you Doug for your great books...I have both volumes now and work out of them daily...they are so well done, tasteful arrangements and a great collections of tunes...I highly recommend them to anyone who is interested in the steel ! That is a very big part of my excitement in playing these days. Put out volume 3  |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 9:57 am I know this is gonna sound thilly..................
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A steel guitar is a steel guitar.......
They each have strings stretched out over a flat area referred to as a fret board. By sliding the steel bar up and down the neck, different tones are produced. Enuff!
When I first saw a Bakelite Ric I tho't it was kinda corny. All black, with shiny metal plates thereon.
It looked like a kids' toy, and appeared to be quite small compared to my earlier Gibson leaving me unimpressed. And.......... On my first job, some band members were pointing and laughing at me as they announced they'd advertised for a steel player and not a fiddler.
After placing it on my lap I discovered this black jewel was something to behold! It was NOT a plastic toy!
It played so easily, fretted so naturally. You could hear its true sounds by strumming the strings without amplification. I knew immediately what JERRY BYRD had found decades earlier, that this guitar was a "special" dream come true.
Like you, I actually discover something new every time I sit down to play it. The steel guitar presents quite a challenge if you're a serious player. I can't imagine those that see only "a growl" or 'screaming noise' coming from those delicate pickups.
Hopefully, you'll never lose your interest and motivation to capture all there is that awaits you. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 11:42 am
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| What sounds really thilly is calling a steel guitar a non-pedal anything. But that's indicative of our upside down world today. |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 11:52 am
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Ditto all of the above...
The lapsteel (or non-pedal) is very addictive to me. Far more so than the pedal steel or armpit guitar ever was. My only suggestion to you is to find just one or two tunings and stick with them. So everything you learn will build upon what you already know. There is no need to re-invent the wheel so to speak, by relearning the same licks in another tuning.
Just my opinion.
Dom 
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 12:52 pm
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I does get under your skin. Every time I walk away in frustration the siren call of the steel lures me back.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 12:53 pm
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| Quote: |
| What sounds really thilly is calling a steel guitar a non-pedal anything. |
True, it's a negative term, unfortunately, and I only use it in a context where the pedal steel is being discussed too, to specify which steel I'm referring to: pedal or no pedals. Normally I call all steel guitars "steel guitar".
And saying "lap steel" is not correct for console steels without pedals, so that's another problem.
Does anyone still use the term "straight steel"? I kinda like that one.
I think it's time to consult an expert. A true genius!
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 1:20 pm Re: Non pedal steel is so alluring to me ...cant get enough
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| Larry Lenhart wrote: |
| I find myself getting up at 5 and cant wait to go play my lap steel! |
Hi Larry, when I get up early I use head phones so not to bother anyone with my practice. Sometimes 10AM comes around and I realize I forgot to eat breakfast. 
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 3:24 pm wrrrrRRRRrrrr, pull that steel over!
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| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| Quote: |
| What sounds really thilly is calling a steel guitar a non-pedal anything. |
I use it in a context where the pedal steel is being discussed too, to specify which steel I'm referring to: pedal or no pedals.
And saying "lap steel" is not correct for console steels without pedals, so that's another problem.
Does anyone still use the term "straight steel"? I kinda like that one. |
Not to belabor the point at Larry's expense and we've certainly beat this horse hide before but there shouldn't be any confusion, pedal steel describes that and steel guitar is the original. Lap steel and the rarely used term console steel cover the minutiae, but straight steel is currently heard a bit and if you're not familiar with the genre it merely adds to the confusion. People not familiar with steel will always be at a loss to comprehend even the easy parts.
What worked for all those decades when steel was king and nobody messed with it seems to have been abandoned lately, mostly by newcomers that have yet to learn basic terminology and the rest must not care. It'll just get worse if not addressed properly and it'll be an endless steel correctness battle, and that's without the (even worse) overly cute names some tend to call them.
But the real expert, Jerry Byrd, said it best, "It's called steel guitar". |
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Tom Snook
From:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 3:38 pm
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Your Genius forgot to factor 7 and 8 string lap steels into the equation.Back to the drawing board!
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I wanna go back to my little grass shack........ |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 4:07 pm
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Because I play a rather eccentric looking 8 string guitar, people often ask, "What is this instrument?" I simply reply, "Its a Hawaiian guitar." Those who have some knowledge of instruments will ask, "Is that a lap-steel?" I reply, "No, its a Hawaiian guitar." If they don't let it go at that, they are in for the full lecture. I also like to needle unsuspecting bluegrass and country players by asking, "Is that a Hawaiian guitar?" 
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 4:30 pm
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I too get questions from listeners about what I'm playing, and I always say "steel guitar", regardless of what type of steel guitar I'm playing. But sometimes when talking to other steel guitarists it's necessary to clarify what type of steel guitar we are talking about. The heading of this Forum section, Steel Without Pedals, is a good example of that.
| Quote: |
| Your Genius forgot to factor 7 and 8 string lap steels into the equation. |
He can't think that complicated!
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Greg Booth
From:
Anchorage, AK, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 5:05 pm
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I usually say steel guitar in general and if I need to clarify or be specific, pedal steel or straight steel. I like the term straight steel because it includes lap steel, lap steel with legs on it and the console steel. I'm sure it's been discussed here already, but would it work to call this forum straight steel rather than steel without pedals?
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Greg
Kathy Kallick Band
www.youtube.com/user/aksliderdobro |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 5:23 pm
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lap slide...
steel slide guitar...
autoharp...
Hawaiian slide guitar...
and that's just the names I have heard since Christmas. (I played at Church for several services and several solo gigs)
The autoharp comment came from a lady at church,
I just chuckled and explained the difference...
Dom
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 5:33 pm
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I never intended for this thread to go in this direction...I posted it in the correct section according to the index...all I was saying that I am enjoying playing that piece of wood with strings on it sitting in my room waiting for me to play,,,and thats where I am headed, to practice some more
Last edited by Larry Lenhart on 28 Dec 2013 6:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Frank Welsh
From:
Upstate New York, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 5:36 pm
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Larry, with "non-pedal" steel all the expression is in your bar hand (with the help of picks of course). No pedals, rods, changers, etc. to come between you and your sound. Like fingerprints it's just about impossible to duplicate perfectly the touch of another guitarist on the strings and the playing of this instrument is highly individual.
I find that playing my Remington is much more like singing than playing my Carter U12. My vocalist has commented that when I accompany her on my Remington, she feels as though she is singing a duet with another singer. I believe this is because I concentrate much more on expressive things like vibrato, pick-to-string placement and other little things that make my playing much more "vocal" than when I play the pedal steel and half my attention is focused on hitting the correct pedals. The U12 especially requires quite a dance routine across the seven floor pedals while keeping the five knee levers in mind also.
I am in complete agreement on the highly addictive nature of this instrument and it has caused me to neglect my other instruments (regular guitars, banjos, etc.) to the point where they will extract their revenge on me when the time is ripe. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 11:20 am
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| Frank Welsh wrote: |
| My vocalist has commented that when I accompany her on my Remington, she feels as though she is singing a duet with another singer. I believe this is because I concentrate much more on expressive things like vibrato, pick-to-string placement and other little things that make my playing much more "vocal". |
That's one the beauties of steel guitar and one of the most important aspects that is so often overlooked. Once when struggling with an easy passage my teacher simply said to hum the line with feeling and play it like that. I've used that common sense thot ever since. If you can't make it sing, it don't mean a thing.
Larry, threads often go elsewhere than expected and it usually profits the reader with more than originally intended, one of the many good things about forum discussions. |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 2:24 pm
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Yep, this thread has been fun to follow fer sure !
I just commented to someone that I dont know why I didnt think of playing the lap steel along time ago !
I have been so hooked on the pedal steel and playing it for the last 40 years that I neglected the lap steel that I took up 45 years ago. To be honest, I thought it was tougher and took more bar skill, etc. to be expressive on the lap steel, since you could let the pedal squeezes, etc. do a lot of your expression with the pedal steel. I am not sure I am expressing that right, but anyway, I am loving the steel that I have on my lap and getting the sounds out of it that I enjoy ! Now back to practice more |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 2:55 pm
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| Byrd's left hand was his money hand and where all the magic resides. Anybody not making the most out of that is missing the majority of fun and benefit of the steel (the bar) and the steel guitar. It certainly is tough to get the type of expertise expression Jerry had with it and few will ever come close, but that's where it's at, too bad most focus their energy on the picking aspects. |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 3:52 pm Right on!
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Ron.....you are 100% correct.........
So many folks have been misdirected and it's a shame as they are walking blindly down the wrong path.
Heard a nice looking gentleman just today.....with a very pretty pedal steel guitar......playing a famous artists' recorded tune.........and technically sounded quite accurate.
HOWEVER, no vibrato..........
It was quite simply 'lifeless'. There was no inspiration in what he was playing. It was sorta like one who mouths the words of a song without any feeling in them, whatsoever. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 4:25 pm
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Ray, you're one of the few left around here to fully appreciate great bar technique, especially the way Jerry did it. One really has to study his moves and sounds to grasp it sometimes, and video really helps, it was often so subtle that it get's lost, or worse... ignored.
And vibrato is may be the least of it, important to keep it within proper context of the moment and make it musical for sure, but his heartfelt slants and the way he'd emphasize a minute portion of his glissing to make it speak and add dimension/depth to the part can be stunning. Sometimes an entire tune can be highlighted by one little thing done with the bar and make the whole thing memorable. |
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Webb Kline
From:
Orangeville, PA
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 2:36 pm
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I moved from pedal steel to 8 string non-pedal out of necessity--I play both piano and steel in my swing band, and the non pedal allows me to place it on the 2nd tier of my keyboard stand, where use of pedals would be impossible.
I soon discovered that I could do nearly every thing I did on a pedal guitar, and now I've discovered that I can even do much what of I did on E9. In fact, I am amazed. I never dreamed that I could do so much on a non-pedal guitar. It's a challenge--developing good intonation on the slants, learning all the positions, learning how to execute chord scale runs up and down the neck without the pedals, etc., but so rewarding.
It is flat out addictive. I have mine within reach most of the time. |
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