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Topic: Rhythm Steel? |
Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 4 Sep 2015 8:20 am |
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This is one of my favorite things about playing. I like to think of my steel as a piano or organ, and occasionally as a guitar.
Just about every track I've recorded over the last few years uses rhythm steel.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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David Knutson
From:
Cowichan Valley, Canada
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Posted 4 Sep 2015 8:30 am
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Thanks for those links, Nate. I play in an acoustic swing trio with guitar, bass and me on 8 string reso. Effective comping for the guitar solos is always a bit of a challenge, but those videos have got me thinking in a better direction.
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David K |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 4 Sep 2015 9:33 am
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Check out Cindy Cashdollar - especially in her clips with Redd Volkert.
And (if you can't get past squeemy feelings re the allegations against him that are still unresolved), the late Bob Brozman in his Dancing Cat CDs with Led Kapaana and Cyril Pahinui. He had to come up with all kinds of rhythm steel approaches for those duet records.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Joe Burke
From:
Toronto, Canada
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Posted 4 Sep 2015 6:38 pm
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I was just thinking of posting something about playing rhythm on lap steel. Nate, you beat me to it!
I'm always looking for new ideas. Thanks for these! |
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Rick Bernauer
From:
Kansas, USA
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 5 Sep 2015 11:46 am
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| Hmmm, not sure how I missed your blog Nate. Good info there, thank you. |
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 6 Sep 2015 5:46 am
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| Andy Volk wrote: |
Check out Cindy Cashdollar - especially in her clips with Redd Volkert.
And (if you can't get past squeemy feelings re the allegations against him that are still unresolved), the late Bob Brozman in his Dancing Cat CDs with Led Kapaana and Cyril Pahinui. He had to come up with all kinds of rhythm steel approaches for those duet records. |
Andy, thanks for the homework assignment! Awesome. |
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 6 Sep 2015 5:48 am
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| Thanks, all. I'm glad there's some mutual interest here. |
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Jamie Mitchell
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 6 Sep 2015 6:44 am
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| Mr. Dave plays good rhythm steel! solo, duo w/ Ry... |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 6 Sep 2015 8:24 am
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Very cool blog post, Nate! As I recall, there's some good rhythm steel in here too ....
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 6 Sep 2015 10:06 am
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| Andy Volk wrote: |
And (if you can't get past squeemy feelings re the allegations against him that are still unresolved), |
sorry...can't get passed the squeemy feelings! |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 6 Sep 2015 12:54 pm
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I hear ya, Chris.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2015 8:52 pm
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Yep, that's some fine playing. I will say, if I was the guitarist in the Blue Monk clip, I though his tone was a little too bright maybe, but more importantly in the first part of his solo he was playing in the exact same range, some of the same notes as you, and there were a few sour moments there... as soon as he moved up an octave it cleared up. Those Western swing guys were really, really careful around that stuff, sometimes it's, ahem, easier to play harmony notes "in tune" than unison. Or live in the same house and eat the same meals and practice your band 14 hours a day, maybe...  There's seemingly less and less and less time for musicians to practice together, and we're all worse off for it.
One of the reasons I stick around 10, 11, 12 strings is that you CAN play chords in different registers.
I'm fairly obsessed with being able to play "guitar parts" well enough on a steel so as to not need another guitar, and holding a partial mute on the strings while playing is essential to rhythm guitar. Not just on-and-off palm blocking, but what guitarists call a palm mute - chugga chugga chugga. I have to be right on the bridge, a horseshoe-type pickup is crippling. And it can be hugely cramp-inducing, though that gets better (tennis ball + automobile =  ). For many things I do find that holding on to the thumbpick with the index finger and playing some alternating strokes mixed with middle & ring finger gets more thump to it. Meandering, drooly pad-type playing is the enemy - All Hail the Mighty Thump! (make Viking faces - torches 'n' pitchforks etc) |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 7 Sep 2015 5:15 am
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Welp, Chas, that is awesome! And perhaps slightly different than what I meant even though I didn't really specify in the of blog post (my bad!) which is: strumming rhythm steel with multiple chords and voicings in a ringing style - like a standard guitar- is harder at best if not impossible. Power chords were meant for steel, no doubt. Agree? |
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 7 Sep 2015 7:39 am
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| David Mason wrote: |
| For many things I do find that holding on to the thumbpick with the index finger and playing some alternating strokes mixed with middle & ring finger gets more thump to it. Meandering, drooly pad-type playing is the enemy - All Hail the Mighty Thump! (make Viking faces - torches 'n' pitchforks etc) |
Hey, David, I'd love to see a video or hear audio of what yer talkin' about here. |
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Stephen Abruzzo
From:
Philly, PA
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Posted 7 Sep 2015 3:32 pm
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| Nate Hofer wrote: |
| David Mason wrote: |
| For many things I do find that holding on to the thumbpick with the index finger and playing some alternating strokes mixed with middle & ring finger gets more thump to it. Meandering, drooly pad-type playing is the enemy - All Hail the Mighty Thump! (make Viking faces - torches 'n' pitchforks etc) |
Hey, David, I'd love to see a video or hear audio of what yer talkin' about here. |
Nate, check out any of Steve Cunningham's YouTube videos. Steve plays with a flat pick and he fingerpicks with his middle and ring fingers. |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 7 Sep 2015 7:45 pm
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| Quote: |
| strumming rhythm steel with multiple chords and voicings in a ringing style - like a standard guitar- |
Nate, the closest I came to that was way back when I played in a rock-a-billy band for Dee Lannon and on the up tempo stuff, I wore 4 finger picks and I'd comp/"grab" chords on the up beat and damp with an audible thump on the downs. There's a video, but you can't really hear what I'm doing because it's lost behind the bass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6v0spuQByM
Back to Tack at the Viper Room, steel guitar plays repetitive patterns followed by glass-bowed chords followed by power chords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK7xrCf0Lek |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 7 Sep 2015 8:13 pm
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rhythm
gotta have it
the sound may be offensively moronic, but when that lewd, pulsating rhythm snags your reptilian brain, you are its slave. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
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Posted 14 Sep 2015 6:28 am Re: Rhythm Steel?
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| Nate Hofer wrote: |
Rhythm steel? Can it be done?
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Full strumming. Yep I Do.
Like a guitar Yep.
and not just power chords Yep.
 
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
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Kenny Rolling
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 12 Nov 2015 10:12 am
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I've been experimenting lately with a 3-piece group; Drums, bass and lap steel. We are playing classic rock so my steel is almost all rhythm playing.
Here's a few tunes we recorded off the mixer....
www.reverbnation.com/bigtrainwreck |
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