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Topic: So, how do you answer the question? |
Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)
From:
Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 9:27 am |
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For the last two and a half weeks, I've been teaching my 53 year old nephew some steel guitar (steel lessons are my belated Christmas present to him since I'd drawn his name for Christmas, but had no money to buy a gift for him). He's really surprised me with how quickly he's coming along (I always suspected there might be a little steel player in him wanting to come forth). But, he's also showing signs of impatience and wanting to be able to do it all right now.
This morning, as we drank our coffee, he asked me a question I've seen posted on the Forum numerous times in the past ... "So, how much do I have to learn, or how long do I need to play, before I can call myself a steel player?" 
I actually choked on my coffee and had to go outside for some air. How does one accurately answer that question? Back in 1976, when I started steel guitar, no such question or thought ever entered my mind. I had one concern and one focus only; to learn and excel at this beautiful instrument that captured my heart so fully. Philosophical questions as to "when" I could call myself a steel player were simply never part of the equation ... for me, the only elements were practice and determination mixed with desire and due diligence in my approach to steel.
Sheldon also shocked me this morning when he asked how fast he should learn, how much he should practice and then he reminded me of his personal observations that he thought of me as being "possessed by a demon of steel guitar" back in my first early years of playing.  I never knew my family considered me that obsessive about it. Possessed by a demon of steel guitar? Good grief!
It is true I was pretty eaten up with steel and I did spend a little time practicing daily during those first five years. A typical weekday practice (because of my duty day at work) consisted of no less than five hours in the evening (and those sessions usually became more like six to eight hour sessions causing me to go to bed late and lose sleep). And weekends? If I practiced any less than 14 to 16 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday, there was something wrong. I wouldn't consider that as too much practice; certainly, not at all as being possessed by some steel guitar demon ... I was just having a heck of a good time! 
But, I'm getting sidetracked here. I just hope my answer to Sheldon's question this morning was accurate and wise. I told him not to be concerned by trivial things like wondering when he could call himself a steel player; rather, concern himself only with the focus of his practice habits. Don't worry about speed at first. Get the basics and fundamentals down. Clean picking technique without pick noise or chirping, blocking, bar position and control, intonation, etc. As far as how quick to learn, there is no set time table; he's not on a production clock. Everyone has a different learning curve. Whether he's a quick learner or slower to get it is unimportant; the important factor is the quality of his practice time and approach to the instrument.
As far as becoming an accomplished player, I told him that time mixed with his own due diligence will determine that; rather than wondering when he'll be ready to play with a band and trying to rush himself into it, sit back and enjoy the adventure of learning. Work hard at it, yes, but also let the learning of this great instrument be a source of pleasure and enjoyment. If he encounters an execution that's proving difficult, don't get frustrated and start getting impatient ... instead, take the approach that I did; begin to dissect the lick or phrase and experiment with different ways to execute each section of it ... turn it into a game of "how well can I learn and execute this" and have fun with it instead of getting frustrated with it and wanting to throw the bar across the room.
Being patient with it and having fun with the learning adventure is what worked for me. It allowed me to learn quicker and at an exceptionally accelerated rate as opposed to what might have happened if I'd let myself get frustrated each time I was faced with difficulty.
It's one thing to acknowledge that steel can be complex and is a precise and demanding instrument, but quite another to look at it like some enemy or monster that must be conquered at great price. I cannot stress enough how important a positive mental and emotional approach is to steel when learning to play. If one approaches steel with the attitude that it's going to be difficult and hard to play, then one is already defeated before one begins; a person's actions will always follow their beliefs.
I told my nephew, when you're learning something that's proving difficult, do not say or even think, "man, this is hard" or "I can't get this" ... rather, approach it thinking, "ah, this is a fun little challenge and I can get it" ... that was the approach I had and it worked great for me.
I also sit with him as he performs the myriad of repetitive exercises that I've laid out for him. When I see him begin to get bored with an exercise, I verbally point out something fun or interesting about the exercise and he seems to be enthused with it again.
I'm hoping this philosophy of patience mixed with positive thinking will work well for my nephew. He usually excels at what he does, but he's also a "hurry up, I want it now" kind of guy who looks for instant gratification. It's been my observation over the years that the words "instant gratification" and "steel guitar" are not always synonymous of each other. 
_________________
1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks) |
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Jeff Scott Brown
From:
O'Fallon Missouri, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 9:37 am Re: So, how do you answer the question?
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| Jim Lindsey wrote: |
| (steel lessons are my belated Christmas present to him since I'd drawn his name for Christmas, but had no money to buy a gift for him) |
Well done!
_________________
GFI Ultra S10 Keyless
Peavey Nashville 112
Goodrich L120, BJS, Peterson StroboPlus HD |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 10:14 am
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I remember years ago someone asked Ricky Skaggs the similar question "how long does it takes before someone becomes a bluegrass musician?" his answer was 20 years, after 20 years playing an instrument you can call yourself a bluegrass musician... now that was Ricky Skaggs talking about bluegrass players, not sure if that translates to steel guitar, but it may be pretty close...
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www.steelguitarsonline.com |
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Ray Thomas
From:
Goldsboro North Carolina
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 11:16 am Practrice
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Heard that Tiger Woods said "The first thing I want to do after getting up every morning is go to the golf course" Take your steel to the course and stay there until you get a hole in one
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Ray Thomas
Livesteel Strings Dealer
Call 919-920-5482
Text rayssteel@gmail.com or email |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 12:36 pm
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I thought it was really cool that you are using your steel guitar knowledge as a gift. That is an excellent gift to the right recipient, but also a kind gesture.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 12:38 pm
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I think what's important is to not get mired in a quagmire of "labels", brand-names, gizmos, speculations, theories, arguments, and the like. Learning pedal steel (likely one of the most complex musical instruments out there) is like anything else - you'll probably get out exactly what you put in. For some, it has certainly become an obsession. And for others, it's merely a hobby...a challenging exercise for the head and hands. Go with what your heart tells you, and what your mindset, family life, and character allows you to do. And remember, it's not the destination, but the journey, that provides the most enjoyment.  |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 1:13 pm
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What Donny said.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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bruce fischer
From:
florissant, mo. 63031 USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 2:42 pm
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I believe jeff newman said; practice, practice, practice.............and if ya get bored, go mow the grass or wash your car and then go practice?
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sho-bud super pro II, blue darlin' VI |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 5:04 pm When are you a steel player ?
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I remember playing one of my first big festivals , Jazz Fest New Orleans, and someone from the audience kept yelling " Hey Steelman! " I didn't really hear him, but apparently he was persistent. He kept yelling, and finally a bandmate cued me , and I realised this guy had been yelling "hey Steelman ! " for quite a while as we were setting up and sound checking. I actually heard him, but it didn't register.
My point, I didn't know I was the steelman. I guess there is a time when you consider yourself a steel player, and a completely different time when others do. It happens gradually as you commit the time and effort. There's no single moment .
I think I was maybe three or so years into playing gigs, but I didnt see myself as the steelman. Come to think of it, after he heard me play he stopped calling me steelman.
Maybe he started yelling " hey, steel owner ! " and I didn't hear him. |
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Edward Rhea
From:
Medford Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 6:36 pm
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It's difficult to fathom, but even Buddy, Lloyd, Hal, Paul, Tommy, etc...were at my(our) level of playing, at one time...
Good on ya, for teaching and sharing the pedal steel, I suppose your a "steel player" when you understand it well enough to teach someone?
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“TONESNOB†|
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 6:43 pm
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| Edward Rhea wrote: |
| It's difficult to fathom, but even Buddy, Lloyd, Hal, Paul, Tommy, etc...were at my(our) level of playing, at one time... |
Yeah, but they each passed through it in about 6 hours... 
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 7:05 pm
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I can just see little Buddy Emmons wearing the pre-war equivalent of a pull-up, no shirt, no shoes and a jelly-stained chin...he's got his uncle's Oahu six string steel, no picks and a corn cob pretending to play steel. And he's already surpassed MY playing 
I guess I figure if you can play in tune and somebody wants you to play with them. Or, maybe you just feel good about your playing, you're a steel player. Of course, you should be playing a steel for the above formulas to be useful.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer |
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John Scanlon
From:
Jackson, Mississippi, USA
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Chris Grigsby
From:
Boulder, CO
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Posted 27 Jan 2015 10:21 pm
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Free lessons?!? How do I register for your next Christmas gift drawing?
In all seriousness, I've only been playing PSG for a few weeks, but I tend to lose track of time and space when I practice because I'm having so much fun. I'll keep your tips in mind when I invariably hit a wall of frustration. Right now, I'm just committed to learning one new thing every day in the hope that I'll be a decent player someday.
Best,
Chris
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Mullen Discovery S10, Hilton VP, Kemper Profiler Head and Kabinet. |
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Tom Gorr
From:
Three Hills, Alberta
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Posted 28 Jan 2015 12:52 am
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Great story.
To the question of How much...how long...until he can call himself a steel player?
My thoughts on being a steel player tend to a religious idea not unlike being born again... a commitment of heart to the idea of it... fellowship at the church of b0b... etc... lol... |
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Steve Hitsman
From:
Waterloo, IL
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Posted 28 Jan 2015 4:53 am
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Don R Brown
From:
Rochester, New York, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2015 6:36 am
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Steve, I love it, that's something I have to print out and hang on the wall. Come to think of it, I'll make multiple copies and place them at places around the house where I might otherwise waste time - the fridge, the dinner table, the shower, the lawn mower, etc! 
We've had the discussion before of when you are a steel player. Opinions ranged from 25, 35 years, all the way down to "as soon as you play your first note". Personally I don't consider myself one yet, but my wife points out that she enjoys listening to me play along with YouTube songs and that I've played on stage at a few music jams so therefore she considers that I am one. Who am I to argue with her?
Lastly I'll repeat my favorite word on the subject, which I read on this forum. I don't remember whether it happened TO the forumite who posted it, or if it was being passed along second hand, but whoever it was, early in their steel career, met the great Tom Brumley, and was in awe. "Mr Brumley, I'm learning to play the pedal steel..." at which point Brumley grinned, shook his hand, and said "I am, too!"
Bottom line, for your nephew or anybody else - have fun! |
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Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)
From:
Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)
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Posted 28 Jan 2015 9:58 am
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These are all great replies, guys. Thanks! My nephew is loving practicing on my guitar, but I don't expect him to go practice crazy like I did during my first few years of playing. He's good for an hour's worth each evening, sometimes two hours, but if he tries to go for three hours he says that he hurts and aches in places he never knew he had. LOL Perhaps that's the price of starting steel guitar as a member of the Over-50-Club? LOL
The important thing is that I'd like him to just enjoy the adventure and not be in such a hurry to rush through it.
Chris Grigsby, saying he'd lose track of time because he was having so much fun, really summed it up nicely. It takes me back to those days when I'd sit down at my steel and feel that maybe three or four hours had gone by only to realize when I finally quit that it had actually been 14 to 16 hours (or more, occasionally). Practicing was literally so much fun that time had no meaning and seemed to fly by!
_________________
1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks) |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2015 5:43 pm
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Well, Mr. Hitsman's chart hits upon a killer question - "Are you a Musician?" I've heard a lot of steel operators with good knowledge of where some positions were, playing in-tune and in-time, but it didn't sound like music. In fact, that excruciating absolute-on-every-beat is what makes it mechanical. It's certainly not exclusive to steel guitars, but swing can only be taught to someone who can hear it too. Unless a person really can function well on a few hours of sleep a day, I would amend a 14-hour-a-day practice schedule to include at least 2 - 3 hours a day of listening to music, concentrated listening, and another hour taken out for playing what you're hearing.
We have all heard the technicians who have a family of "great" speed licks saved up, and they unleash them in the appropriate high spots of their solos - the same licks, in the same spot. There are positively hordes of "blues guitarists" out there nowadays, they know all the same licks, the same faces, the same things to say about feeling... if you drop-kicked them to 1969 they'd be big stars (I wish somebody would).
If he's got the time for it, learning to play music, slowly, is in many ways harder than learning to play notes fast. What does he want from his playing? |
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Glenn Demichele
From:
(20mi N of) Chicago Illinois, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2015 8:19 pm
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23 years ago, I was playing steel for about 6 months. I had a gig on bass with a really hot country guitar player. He said "Glenn, I heard you started playing steel". I said "yes". He then asked how old I was. I told him, and he said "You'll never make it".
Those words were the magic spell which unleashed the steel demon mentioned above.
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Franklin D10 8&5, Excel D10 8&5. Both amazing guitars! Homemade buffer/overdrive with adjustable 700Hz "Fender" scoop., Moyo pedal, GT-001 effects, 2x TDA7294 80W class AB amps, or 2x BAM200 for stereo. TT12 and BW1501 each in its own closed back wedge. Also NV400 etc. etc... |
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John Peay
From:
Cumming, Georgia USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2015 8:54 am
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Jim,
...Not until he has joined this forum and read all of Bill Hankey's posts...
Seriously though there is some great advice in this thread that I am now focusing on.
Tell Sheldon to have fun, enjoy the journey, and practice hard! |
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