Seldom a day goes by that I don't learn something NEW SGF

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Anyone that listens much to You Tube and steel guitar exhibitions found there one can readily notice a major difference in the manner lap steels are being played as opposed to pedal steel.

I seem to detect more staccato playing on the lap steel than otherwise would be the case. Additionally, an appreciably greater amount of sloppy bar work is often heard.

Is this a new style? OR, is the lap steel being played like a second class citizen when compared to most pedal steel playing?

Just curious because one never should tire of learning something new.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Staccato picking has been going on since the days of Sol Hoopii in the 1920s. As far as sloppy bar work, well, that's just sloppy bar work.

As in anything else, there's good and there's bad. Just because it's on YouTube doesn't make it good. I think that a lot of players who post videos are are not completely dedicated to the steel guitar, but play it in addition to other instruments. And some players who play other instruments tend to bypass a lot of the hard work that goes into building technique, just to get instant results. That's their choice and it doesn't affect me one way or the other.

I think a lot of people are just mystified with the instrument.
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Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Well put Mike.
If I might add, the greats make it sound so easy, on lap & pedal, so when some folks are starting out they figure, hey, that sounds easy, I can do that.
By the way Mike, I've been listening to some of your clips lately. You make it sound so easy!
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Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Mike and Bud, I think you're both on the money. As with many pursuits, skills and endeavors, I think quite a few people don't really grasp the subtleties and intricacies of performance on steel, and with a somewhat rudimentary grasp of them they may think they're well on the way to mastery. And hence, teaching.

While more advanced players may sometimes be disturbed or disappointed on viewing a somewhat sloppy performance on a video intended for "teaching", I think anything's ok if it brings more into the flock. Anyone with minimal discernment will probably quickly come to see or hear the lovely differences in advanced players and their touch, tone, and execution, and begin to strive toward that in their own playing.

There are certainly some stellar and advanced performances on the internet, and I wonder if everything people were exposed to was fast, or perfectly executed, if their first somewhat fumbling and disappointing efforts to copy such performances on their own instruments would tend to cause more people to easily give up. Being able to quickly conquer some simple phrases or songs is certainly encouraging.

I'm thinking of some of the rock guitar movements like 50's Doo-Wop, Early punk styles, or the Kiss phenomenon, where millions of kids heard something that sounded easy enough for them to copy, and so many moved on to much more advanced playing. I can't even count how any interviews I've read with very advanced guitarists who say their initial attraction to the instrument was a Kiss record or concert!

If anything, I think some of the more simplistic "teaching" videos many be bringing more students to the table.
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Barry Blackwood · Posted 25 Mar 2015 8:57 am

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