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Topic: Playing Backup rhythm |
Deirdre Higgins
From:
Connecticut, USA
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Posted 24 Aug 2014 1:09 pm |
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This may sound like a dumb question, but please bear with me, I am fairly new to steel. I am learning songs to play solo, but what would a steel player normally do when accompanying other instruments when not playing lead? Are there certain chords to learn for that?
In the future if I ever get good enough I'd like to play with the church worship musicians. Thanks
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Jerry Byrd Fan |
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Bill Liscomb
From:
MA
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 24 Aug 2014 5:47 pm
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Thats really the hardest part! I wish I can help you! I try to work on this, I think the volume pedal help a lot. I try do some fills between the vocal that embellish the melodies, sometime I play the melodies with the vocal, at unison or harmonies but it don't always sound good you have to be careful. Sometimes just some chord syncopation, like a piano sound chord or horn riff for a swing tune is cool but just for a chorus or 2. By horn riff I mean doing a phrase on the I then repeat it on the IV but lowering the 3rd...
I suggest you listening to this video, Kayton Roberts play a lot, maybe to much for a modern full band context but is a genius and in this band setting he really shines!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfkSI5bpbzY |
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Adam Nero
From:
Wisconsin
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Posted 24 Aug 2014 6:40 pm
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I'm no expert but I like to build through a given verse and chorus and then drop out entirely on the following verse... make 'em miss you for awhile.
The Albert lee thread has me thinking about when I saw Cindy Cashdollar with Shannon McNally last month. She had this amazing technique where she'd alternate playing normally and pinching her thumb and middle finger together, thereby lifting the bar off the strings and producing a rhythmic muted noise... it was a very percussive sounding style. And worked well as a band and as a duo.
Last edited by Adam Nero on 25 Aug 2014 4:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 24 Aug 2014 9:23 pm
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I play on our church worship team all the time, and the steel fits in very well.
I have a tuning that offers II(2)chords like C add D etc. I find that the II chord fits in very well with contemporary worship and Hymns.
You don't have to play full chords all the time. Two note harmony really adds a lot and it's all you need to represent Major/minor and 7th chorts etc.
I also use my volume pedal to do organ type swells and punch through with more volume in between vocal lines.
Harmonics (chimes) also add a sweet angelic flavor at times.
Dom
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 25 Aug 2014 2:12 am
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Deirdre, I would suggest you look at some clips of Cindy Cashdollar on Youtube. she's particularly adept at rhythmic back up playing as are many of the sacred steel players. Jerry Byrd played a very liquid-sounding backing up style as well. Step one is knowing the chords of the song cold so you don't have to search. Step two is finding interesting ways to connect them.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Adam Nero
From:
Wisconsin
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Posted 25 Aug 2014 4:02 am
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Doubly echoing Andy Volk. Here's a video of her doing what I was discussing above, especially in the verse before her solo. I just love how good she is at being part of a song.
http://youtu.be/r6xigbpgkBA |
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Stephen Abruzzo
From:
Philly, PA
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 25 Aug 2014 8:02 am
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There's a lot to say about 'playing backup', but like Andy said, learn the chord positions very well, majors and minors, and then pad with chords quietly behind the singer or the lead instrument. Your role should be to support the singer or lead instrument by playing the chords or partial chords quietly, and playing fills between the melody lines. Some players play long, sustained chords, others may choose to pick and chop them in a more rhythmic way, that's a matter of taste, style, etc.
_________________
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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Deirdre Higgins
From:
Connecticut, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2014 3:14 pm
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| Adam Nero wrote: |
Doubly echoing Andy Volk. Here's a video of her doing what I was discussing above, especially in the verse before her solo. I just love how good she is at being part of a song.
http://youtu.be/r6xigbpgkBA |
How beautiful her playing is! she so smoothly blends out of lead into backup again.
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Jerry Byrd Fan |
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Deirdre Higgins
From:
Connecticut, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2014 3:16 pm
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| Dom Franco wrote: |
I play on our church worship team all the time, and the steel fits in very well.
I have a tuning that offers II(2)chords like C add D etc. I find that the II chord fits in very well with contemporary worship and Hymns.
You don't have to play full chords all the time. Two note harmony really adds a lot and it's all you need to represent Major/minor and 7th chorts etc.
I also use my volume pedal to do organ type swells and punch through with more volume in between vocal lines.
Harmonics (chimes) also add a sweet angelic flavor at times.
Dom |
Dom what tuning are you using for that?
Thanks
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Jerry Byrd Fan |
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Deirdre Higgins
From:
Connecticut, USA
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Posted 26 Aug 2014 3:20 pm
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| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| There's a lot to say about 'playing backup', but like Andy said, learn the chord positions very well, majors and minors, and then pad with chords quietly behind the singer or the lead instrument. Your role should be to support the singer or lead instrument by playing the chords or partial chords quietly, and playing fills between the melody lines. Some players play long, sustained chords, others may choose to pick and chop them in a more rhythmic way, that's a matter of taste, style, etc. |
Thanks Doug, I will have to memorize chords.
I think the guitarist in the church band,said they like to play in the key of A mostly. I don't know what tuning I would need for that.
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Jerry Byrd Fan |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 26 Aug 2014 3:28 pm
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Deirdre;
My 12 string tuning Hi to low:
F#
D
A#
G
E
C#
A
F#
E
C#
B
G#
The standard 6 string A6 tuning in bold
CHORD OPTIONS:
Just at the open position, I have E, E6, Eadd9,C#m, B2, Bsus, A, A6, F#m, A7, Edim,(C#dim,Gdim,A#dim)Gm, Gm6, Daug5... and those are all on adjacent strings! When I start skiping 2 and three strings I have tons more options!
Dom
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 26 Aug 2014 8:02 pm
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| Quote: |
| I think the guitarist in the church band,said they like to play in the key of A mostly. I don't know what tuning I would need for that. |
Any tuning will work. You just need to settle on one tuning (I suggest some kind of a 6th tuning)... and learn where the major and minor chords are on that tuning, to start. Your church band should give you a list of songs and maybe chord charts for the songs. If you come up here for a lesson sometime I'll go over the songs with you, show you what to play, how to write chord charts, how to play "back up" on the songs, etc. It's kind of hard to explain things on a forum, and each player/student is an individual, and we learn in different ways.
_________________
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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