Out of the bedroom for the 1st time..

Tim Vandeville · From: Wisconsin, USA

I was finally able to get an opprotunity to play out of the bedroom so I thought I would write about what it was like because it may be intersting to others.

Here is the readers digest version to get you up to speed...I took up the PSG even though I have never played a musical instruement before. I took skype lessons for about a year from a member here that got me familiar with the levers and pedals. About 6 months after my lessons ended I get the itch to get out of the bedroom. My wifes cousin sang in a local classic country band for quit a few years. The band broke up and now he sings against backing tracks and sometimes has a guitar, fiddle, or banjo player sit in with him. So I talked to him and asked to sit in when he was practicing at home. He said no problem. I get over to his house and set/tune up. The deal is he will say the song and the key and then its off to the races. Let me tell you..Im all set to get this thing going..Ive got all the knee levers down..hands set correctly.foot ready to pump the pedals..what could possibly go wrong. Long story short the train jumped the tracks with the very 1st song and I got my ass handed to me big time. It all boiled down to...I couldnt apply what I knew to songs. So I stunk up the place for 2 hours and then went home with my tail between my legs. He was nice enough to not say a word. So I get home and toss my gear in the room and figure Im not even going to set it back up until I can figure something out so this never happens again. My confidence was completely shot. The next morning I come up with plan B. I figure Im going to go back to square 2 (Square 1 is knowing which side of the steel to sit on and how to wear the picks..which I have down pat). I was trying to do to much at once and I was comletely overwelmed(plus not having played any other intruement didnt help at all)so I started practicing with only the A,B,F. The plan is to get very good and then start slowly adding things. Then I contacted a local player and explained my problem of not know how to apply things to songs. So I started taking lessons and he broke down things down to a level that I could understand.

So now my wifes 2nd 25th birthday is coming up and Im going to have a party for her at a local bar. I hired her cousin to play. Then I ask if its ok to sit in becasue the way I figure it..if I can survive this in front of friends and family..I can survive a open jam night (which is next on my list). He says ok and we will do a set 60 song list. I have 1 month to just get familiar with the list when he gives it to me. 2 weeks before the wifes birthday he says scratch the set list because he plays whatever people yell out to him. He has about 350 songs to choose from. Now I want to throw up and my pucker facter just hit 10. He gave me 75 backing tracks without vocals for songs so thats what I used to practice with. Basically it was to get a feel for the progressions and try to add something on the fly to it.

So the big day is finally here (this past Saturday)..going to post this and then write up the 2nd part.

Don R Brown · From: Rochester, New York, USA

Give the guests a couple hours at the open bar before you start - your playing will be perfect as far as they are concerned!

Tim Vandeville · From: Wisconsin, USA

The big day finally arrives. I go in early and set up and then head back home to get the wife. Im so nervous I get the shakes and my mind starts to race big time. The wife keeps telling me it will all be ok. We get back to the bar and it sfull of friends and family. Its a real small bar and there were 60 people there so it was jammed. The wife goes off to enjoy the party and then my gear has been moved. When her cousin set up he moved us farther back into the corner so now instead of my amp being behind me it is next to me. I didnt realise at the time that it would be a problem.

We are about to start so I finish tuning only have 2 levers down and plan on staying on the A/B pedals. Im going to make this as simple as possible. So Im sitting there and realise everyone is looking at me. Only about 5 people in the room knew that I was trying to learn the PSG because I never talk about it. So now in my head I have another problem..I know if the rolls are reversed Im going to pay close attention to the person playing to see how they do.

1st song is up..I ask him to do "I know one" by Charlie Pride. Nope..he always does "Dont rock the jukebox"..here is the key and were off. Right after the 1st line I hear it..the steel wasnt taken out of the backing track. So I took my hands off the steel and put them in my lap because I dont want anyone thinking thats me when its not. Next song up is the one I wanted..off we go again..As soon as I wen to playing the intro I realised what a problem it is to have a amp right next to you. You cant hear yourself playing. His part was extremely loud and I couldnt hear myself play. So I turned the amp up to 7 and then I could make out what I was playing barely. Maybe I was holding back to much on the gas pedal. I had know way of knowing how my playing was mixing in with the rest of the music. I looked out and saw my brother so I pointed to my ear and then him and he shook his head that he could hear it fine. Who knew you could barely hear an amp sitting next to it..well the answer is I do now.

Final part coming up...

Tim Vandeville · From: Wisconsin, USA

So we are up and running now. The songs are one right after another..heres the key..go. Because Ive never played to most of the songs I would wait until the 1 chord came along at the end of a line and play something. That helped me out a bunch because for me it was easier to hear the 4 and 5 once the sound of the 1 was in my head.

An hour in and Im getting comfortable. Then he says we are going to do "Family Tradition" and I have the lead during the break..here is the key and were off again. No discussion or anyting..Im like wait..what?? The song gets to the solo and I did what the local player had taught me. There is no way I can get the melody on the fly so it was just mix up the scale in the correct chord (pedaling on and off to get the flavor)and just play along with the rythum. Can be done in one spot of move the bar when the chord changes. That worked out great..it sounded like I actually knew what I was doing..lol

2 hours and its break time...I had people coming up and saying it was great. I asked my brother becauswe I knew he would be honest and he said it was great and he could hear me clear. The most asked question I got was..how hard is it to learn? I could have answered them and explained the different aspects of it but I knew they wouldnt have any idea of what I was talking about so I told them...its like trying to whipe your rear end with a set of crutchs and its taken me 2 years just to figure out how to keep the toilet paper on the end of the crutch..that they understood..LOL The 2nd most asked question was how was I able to learn all them songs. It was kind of difficult to explain the I really only knew 6 of them and the rest were just listening and then playing something.

Next set was 3 hours long. My biggest mistake was during your cheating heart..I know the solo part and I was halfway thru and my mind went blank..I forgot what to do next..so I just plucked around and made it to the end. A couple of time the singer didnt tell me the key and just took off so I had to lean over towards the amp and pluck till I found it. He told me afterwards he forgot I never played guitar because he was actually turning towards me so I could see what chord he was in.
Lessons learned...My mind was my greatest enemy because I was way overthinking everything leading up to this day. You grab a wrong cord and still fix it by just walking it into the correct one (sounds like it was mean to be that way)...the audience could care less if you cant burn up the fret board. All they are expecting is to hear the twang of the pedals being rocked on and off because thats what they associate steel guitar with...playing like this was worth more than any practice bedroom time..and last but not least..I am 10 times harder on myself than the audience was. I know immediatly when I hit a wrong string but it goes my so fast no one seems to notice.

Now what would a story be without a picture. It looks like the amp is facing me but its not..it is however behind the singers tower system..(which probably added to me not being able to hear)

Next up for me is to start going to open jams and see what becaomes of that. This was a huge confidence boost for me. It wasnt perfect playing but I survived and its time to move forward.

Tom T Taylor · From: Western Australia

Great story Tim.
I commend you on your perseverance , plenty folks would give up after a week on a ukelele. Smile

I quite often find myself playing in situations that are unrehearsed (by choice) and I regularly jam at home to the internet radio. Throws you in the deep end without the pressure... Great for the ear. Keeps you on your toes.
Of course it is only one part of a full practice, besides learning intros,outros,solos etc, but it sure is fun.
Classic Country 1630 is good with a great variety and no adds.
Best of luck with your endeavours.
TTT
_________________
'78 LDG.Peavey Classic 50, Laney 250BC ,Fender basses

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

sounds like you've discovered the magical key to playing steel. if you don't know it, fake it. it's what we all do and the more often you do it, the more fun it gets.
your story kind of indicates that it might be a better idea for any brand new player to start with a simple setup of only one or two knee levers. it gives you the opportunity to get comfy with the basic pedal changes. so many people on the forum advocate starting with no less than 4 levers when that can actually hold you back at first by too much confusion.
i started with either no or one lever (?) as have many older players. that way you can focus more on a new lever when the time is right.
good story. keep it up.

...and...i went to an american legion hall jam in rio linda sunday.(the heart of country music in the sacramento valley. i hadn't played for quite awhile and was quickly reminded that no matter how much i should know by now, once you're up there playing with a bunch of guys who are half out of tune and have lousy timing, that you need to fall back on simple solid playing just to hold everything together. ...and i mean 'very simple playing'!
just work to play in time with good tone and it will make everyone play better and have fun and be happy!

Frank Freniere · From: The First Coast

Good for you, Tim.

Nothing will speed your development more than playing with others and playing in front of an audience at this point. Plus it's fun, innit?

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I second the advice about learning to fake it.
To your practice regime, I suggest adding playing along to the radio. Add your fills in places, listen t9 Paul's rides and step on Brent Mason's.
It helps you recognize the changes, keeps you on your toes.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I will maintain that one MUST KNOW the fret board and a typical chord progression before he/she attempts to play out in public.

Playing without thinking about using pedals is the way to go......... The pedals enhance your non=pedal playing.

Hearing the key called out is typical in most bands, I do believe. From there on, it's exciting and fun to play an evening's worth of songs without knowing any of them. That's the challenge and the REWARD.

When you have the basics down pat, you'll not be troubling yourself with things like which pedal to mechanically stomp on. Good Luck to you!

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Way to go Tim. I think the most important thing is to have that desire to learn and do it. You seem to have that desire. So go set in any place you can and pick. The best learning lesson is on the stage and haveing to do something behind the singer and take your turn at lead. Caution! Always listen and be aware of other leads and don't overplay. At the same time don't hold back. When it is your turn let the hammer down. It looks like you have very good equipment which is a plus as a beginner. Always set your amp on a chair, custom stand or tilted back on tilt legs and I perfer to one side or the other but looking at you when you are seated. On a bigger stage it works well right behind you. All rooms are different. You will learn what works for you with time. A small monitor speaker by your steel of the vocal is a good thing also. You apparently must know a little about music and hear chord changes. That is a big plus. So just jump in and pick anytime you get a chance. Experience is the best teacher. J.R. Rose

Bo Legg · Posted 21 Oct 2014 4:16 pm

In the beginning the best thing I learned was how to fake it. Further along in years the worse thing I ever learned was how to fake it!

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

Hey tim, glad to see you back. Loved your story. Been there, done that. lol Panic attacks in the middle of songs are the best. right? Talk about a rush. I call it playing by the seat of your pants. Never knowing what note you are going to hit, until you hit it? Wanting to crawl in a hole after it's all over just to have people come upt to you and tell you you did great. Nothing else in the world like it.

congratulations on taking the step out. It just gets better from here. Way to go!

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

Tim Vandeville · From: Wisconsin, USA

Thanks for the replies and advice.

I believe getting past the initial fear was my greatest hurdle. Im sure there will be plenty of more stomach turning wanting to throw up moments coming up but nothing will compare to the 1st time.

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Great story.....I was on the edge of my seat reading it....thanks for putting in the time to write it....

Jim Hinds · From: Gallatin, TN USA

Great story Tim. Thanks for posting.

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