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Topic: Mental Practice Of The Steel Brain |
Kenny Martin
From:
Chapin, S.C. USA
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Posted 12 May 2014 10:20 am |
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Well I have not put anything out on the forum in a topic for years but over the past 20 or so gigs I have spent a lot of time thinking about this topic.
From the Pro's out here, I wondered if you guys, prior to a show, practice without touching your steel? For me, it has and always will be the way I am prior to any show or gig I play.
I listen to CD's on the way to the gig or show of the Pro's I admire the most. Tommy White's, Paul Franklin's, Buddy Emmons, Buck Reid and Sonny Garrish to name a few.
I have been playin a little over 38 years and use the time by myself in the car or bus to mentally practice by listening to others play. Things I have worked on they played, always take me to a different mental state prior to playin.
I hear something and then get to the gig and play what I thought they played from memory but most of the time its in a tune it wasn't played in.
I know I'm not playin it as they did but it sounds somewhat like it. So in short, it becomes something new I play but from my mental thoughts when I heard it, I'm trying to do my impression of the lead or lick I heard from memory.
I then spend time thinking about how I played it and expand it by adding a note or two or even cutting it in half and add half of another run I heard from memory. I do this riding in my brain and put it together when I sit down at the steel.
From the Forum, is this crazy, creative or do I need a steel doctor?  
Easy now........Thx!
_________________
www.youtube.com/krmsr59 |
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Fish
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Posted 12 May 2014 10:46 am
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I don't recommend mental practicing while driving through busy intersections.
But otherwise, no you're not crazy. Mental woodshedding is a normal activity for me as well. My only problem is that sometimes I can't turn it off. It's usually accompanied by vacant stares at those around me. |
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 12 May 2014 11:15 am
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| I second the remark about practicing while you're driving. If your right foot nails that volume pedal just as the light turns red, and your left foot stays off the B pedal, something other than the notes are apt to be a bit flat! |
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 12 May 2014 2:18 pm
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| You are crazy but it has nothing to do with your semi-fast pickin' so don't worry about it. Just keep on keepin' on. |
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John De Maille
From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
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Posted 12 May 2014 2:52 pm
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| I'm not a pro, but, I've done that many times. I'll go through different variations of tunes and mentally play the parts, I've stolen from other steel players. And, you're right about changing the licks around and splitting them up a bit. It teaches you how to use them in other songs and diversify your playing. The only dilemma I have is when it happens when I'm trying to sleep and it won't stop. I usually get up and play the steel to imbed a phrase in my brain. The big drawback is that, I think I'm playing for 30 minutes and it turns out to be 2 hours or more..... No, you're not crazy, you're being creative and that's a good thing. |
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 12 May 2014 6:41 pm
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LOL John!
HER: "Wha??? where are you going?"
ME: "Downstairs"
HER: "What for?"
ME: "Uh, I thought of something I want to try on the steel"
HER: "NOW?!?! It's 4AM!"
ME: "I'll be right back"
HER: "yeah, sure.....zzzzzzzz"
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Craig Schwartz
From:
McHenry IL
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Posted 13 May 2014 6:34 am
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Kenny, your very creative but I`m going to tear into your psychy just a little, Truly no offense given here.
Here we go:
You Are
99% Dreamer, 1% Real
??% God Fearing, ??% Evil worshiping
99% Hard working, 1% Lazy
99% Gung Ho, 1% Screw you
99% full, 1% Hungry
99% vested, 1% Failing
99% adjustable, 1% Mule Headed
99% Loving, 1% Sinning
99% Understanding 1% Angry
??% healthy ??% sick
1% clean 99% dirty
100% Human being
Lets face it head on, The variables change when you have someone at a gig blow the wind out of your sails,
After all, We all try to stay as close to 99% stable, its impossible to be 100%
But don`t kid yourself of what we are all made of and God knows it.
If you turn the volume up on any one of these,
You are: a Real, evil worshiping , lazy, Screw you, hungry, failing, mule headed, sinning, angry, sick & dirty human being and you start to play things your way. Not what you want to hear...
While adjusting your volumes on these you`ll find the right and wrong setting and it will change the way think mentally, Its just like tuning in your amp. The hardest part is turning it on and off or off then on.
Kenny you sound like a nice guy and you already play great, Try changing these punishments and apply them to your playing, Dont let your team know anything about it. just once try it and let me know how that works out for yourself. 
_________________
SO MANY LURES, SO LITTLE TIME.... |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 13 May 2014 8:39 am
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| huh? |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 13 May 2014 10:23 am
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| huh 2? |
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Ben Greene
From:
San Antonio, Tx.
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Posted 13 May 2014 11:35 am
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“Every act of perception, is to some degree an act of creation, and every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination.†Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia
In his book Musicophilia, neurologist Oliver Sacks covers music/brain oriented subjects and their neurological basis. In one section he explains that when musicians visualize playing or are "mentally practicing" ,even though they are not physically playing their instrument, their brains are are firing all the same neurons and using all the same pathways that it does when they are actually playing. Many musicians in his studies state that just thinking about playing or practicing in their minds helps them prepare for concerts and performances. So no, you are not crazy.
This book is really cool. I would recommend any work by Oliver Sacks if you're interested in neurology, memory or the how the brain works. His writing is great and you don't have to be a scientist to enjoy it. But I would highly recommend Musicophilia for any one who plays an instrument or loves music.
_________________
'80 Emmons P/P D10, '75 Emmons P/P SD10, Milkman Half and Half, BJS Bar, Telonics Volume Pedal,Steel Seat, G&L ASAT Classic Bluesboy |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 13 May 2014 12:06 pm
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I'm only a beginner, but I find the steel has such a massive mental component compared with other instruments that I can do a lot of useful practice in my head. My other instrument, the trombone, is 99% physical and thinking about it is no help at all 
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 13 May 2014 2:11 pm
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I recently read that Derek Trucks, this slide guitar guy you might have heard of, usually listens to great music 8 to 10 hours a day, and only plays a couple of hours a day. He's comfortable enough with his technique that he'd rather listen to some masters, and incorporate the feel and not the exact licks.
When he joined the Allman Brothers he had to rearrange that timing somewhat, as he also does when preparing to record with his own various bands. And he and Warren Haynes often traded the slide duties, as they both first entered that band as the "Duane" unit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8xPXKgvYOY
Seems to work OK for him.
I think it was David Lindley in Andy Volk's excellent book on lap steel, who pointed out that anything played with a slide, or fretless, requires a much greater, constant attention - frets and keyboards will take an approximate input - steel or slide of any sort, no. |
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Mike Selecky
From:
BrookPark, Ohio
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Posted 13 May 2014 3:20 pm
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Nice clip of Derek - though I swear Bill Murray introduces him as "Daryll"
Am I hearing it right? |
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John De Maille
From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
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Posted 13 May 2014 4:08 pm
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| Jeff Newman once told me that, he used to work out and tab tunes while flying in a plane or riding as a passenger in a car, all in his head. I believe what he said. He was an intense teacher with a vast knowledge of steel guitar. |
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Bud Angelotti
From:
Larryville, NJ, USA
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Posted 14 May 2014 3:30 am
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Kenny - I'm no supersonic pro, however I do have a "routine" before a gig. Real simple too. I just play loud music in the car on the way to the gig. I've found it sorta "warms up" my ears for when the loud music starts. No big deal. Cheers, Bud
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Just 'cause I look stupid, don't mean I'm not. |
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Kenny Martin
From:
Chapin, S.C. USA
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Posted 15 May 2014 4:02 am
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Wow sounds like I need to drink the Kool-Aide Craig!  
_________________
www.youtube.com/krmsr59 |
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Kenny Martin
From:
Chapin, S.C. USA
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Posted 15 May 2014 4:03 am
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"Hey you played shitty but your tone sucks"
A famous comment from one of my Nashville Pro Buddies! 
_________________
www.youtube.com/krmsr59 |
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Craig Schwartz
From:
McHenry IL
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Posted 15 May 2014 8:51 am
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LOL... Good one Kenny, Go towards the light, LMAO
_________________
SO MANY LURES, SO LITTLE TIME.... |
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