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Topic: Suggestions for adding pedal steel for a stripped down song |
Andy Gill
From:
Kentucky, USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2018 5:47 pm |
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| Preparing for studio session. Looking to add some steel guitar for a stripped down track. It has some mandolin and acoustic with vocals. Just having trouble finding some licks I like with it being so bare. I'm trying to avoid padding the majority of the song but also don't wanna over play as well. Any suggestions? |
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Jim Robbins
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 25 Feb 2018 7:13 pm
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| When I'm really stuck (in my limited studio experience) I try turning the last phrase of the sung melody into a signature lick, seems to work ok. |
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Ben Waligoske
From:
Denver, CO
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Posted 25 Feb 2018 9:03 pm
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Get (or write out and think seriously about) a copy of the lyrics, that can help give some guidance on the types of emotion/vibe etc you want to go for...
Also, listen carefully to the melody of the tune - work it out exactly and also use it as a motif, including the last phrase of the chorus line as mentioned above. Use those melodic ideas to work with/support the singer, chord pads/changes and lead lines are all fair game as long as you are helping the song...
Nothing has to be fancy or overly complex - just find the vibe and run with it! Also, a little extra reverb/delay can be your friend on sparse arrangements... |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 25 Feb 2018 9:48 pm
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Some typical tricks I use:
Take the low or midrange voice and play a simple counterpoint.
Double any low note riff the guitar player might throw in
Harmonize/twin a part the mando is playing.
Don’t play anything at all till the chorus then come in big.
Find a short repetitive phrase to use as a hook.
If there is no bass player you have a lot of territory that is wide open.
Sometimes pads are the only right thing to do. There can be a world of expression in how pads are voiced and phrased.
_________________
Bob |
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Andy Gill
From:
Kentucky, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2018 4:37 am
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| Thanks guys all these replys are giving me some fantastic ideas! I'll sit down this afternoon and try to explore some more using the suggestions as well as write out the vocals and maybe chart it out. |
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Art Beard
From:
Once upon a time out west (deceased)
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Posted 27 Feb 2018 12:16 am voicings
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I am not that experienced, lol. But in my song writing , I try to think of the "Moon". Ralph had the ability to play just enough at the right place and time. His staying away from over play was grand. His backing of Waylon showed his talent to the max. JUST ENOUGH.
CAA
_________________
"like an old stallion, lonely for freedom, still trying to out run the wind" Seals,Setser,& Davey.
GAS -1969 ZB D11/10,1974 Sho-Bud D10 Professional,1975 Speedy West S10, 150 yr okd Barn Board tele, Beard signature Gold Tone Dean Acoustic/Electric Bass, Tennessee 12 string Bass, 3 String Shovel.2 Fiddles., Sho-Bud amp, Epiphone valve special amp, Fishman loudbox artist amp. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Andy Gill
From:
Kentucky, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2018 12:22 pm
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| Excellent I'll give them a listen thank you all for the suggestions and help! |
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Norman Evans
From:
Tennessee
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 28 Feb 2018 4:11 pm
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Two bits of advice that have served me well...
Don't shy away from playing single notes...or single note lines.
And, don't feel you always have to play on the downbeat of the chord change...wait for your spot. |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 1 Mar 2018 5:00 am
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We know almost nothing about the song.
Therefore it's tough to say.
Is it uptempo?
Slow?
Male vocals?
Female?
Etc etc etc.
The suggestion to play the melody or a altered version of it was an old Jeff Newman trick.
The other suggestions were good, too.
However, not knowing anything about the song, these are just general suggestions.
However, after reading the original post and seeing the instrumentation, two things came to mind.
The first was to not play the "steel" per se.
Break out the Boss EQ or the Matchbro, and play "dobro".
Or play another acoustic guitar.
The second is maybe the toughest of all.
Listen to the song, and if it fits, don't play at all. Maybe the song doesn't need anything else. |
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Peter Leavenworth
From:
Madbury, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2018 8:54 am
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There’s a fairly common technique used in many studios when there’s little guidance in coming up with backing fills. “Track comping†means you go through the whole piece once using one specific approach - say single note runs. Then you repeat on another track using, say, harmonics. One run-through theme may be simple and chordal, another rapid runs. You build a selection of fills for each appropriate space on separate tracks that the artist/producer can choose from, or leave unfilled, in the mixing stage. It’s a flexible alternative, kinder to musicians, to slogging through relatively unfamiliar music, trying to get each backing phrase perfect. With digital recording it’s fairly easy for engineers to grab a phrase from one place and drop it somewhere deemed more desirable.
_________________
2008 Zum D-10, 1996 Mullens PRP D-10, 1974 Emmons D-10, 1976 Emmons D-10, early 70s Emmons GS-10, Milkman Sideman head w/Telonics 15" speaker, 1966 Fender Super Reverb, 1970 Fender Dual Showman head, Wechter/Scheerhorn and Beard Dobros, 1962 Supro lap steels, Gibson 1939 RB-11 banjo, Gibson 1978 RB-250
banjo......and way too much more |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 1 Mar 2018 11:20 am
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| Do you have time to work on it for awhile? My approach to playing in a "lead" or "ornamental" capacity is to play, play, play. More correctly, OVER-play, OVER-play, OVER-play, until I start hitting on some things that sound right to me. Then I start chipping away at it until all that's left is a cohesive part that follows the contours of the song. For me it's like finding the statue that inhabits a block of marble. |
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Art Beard
From:
Once upon a time out west (deceased)
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Posted 1 Mar 2018 7:49 pm July, your a woman
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Listen to John Stewart's song {July, your a woman"], leave you wanting more steel in the song, beautiful steel work , but not enough, Thats producers for you, can mess up anything, lol. This is under play to me. Correctly arranged with less finger style six string and more steel, it would have sounded better.
Good Luck it's a fine balance, but you'll get it.
CAA
_________________
"like an old stallion, lonely for freedom, still trying to out run the wind" Seals,Setser,& Davey.
GAS -1969 ZB D11/10,1974 Sho-Bud D10 Professional,1975 Speedy West S10, 150 yr okd Barn Board tele, Beard signature Gold Tone Dean Acoustic/Electric Bass, Tennessee 12 string Bass, 3 String Shovel.2 Fiddles., Sho-Bud amp, Epiphone valve special amp, Fishman loudbox artist amp. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2018 7:27 am
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Hi Andy,
Here's what I did as the soundtrack for a family video project. I'm a novice with recording,
I tried to make my steel fills complement vocal phrases and guitar accents. It took a few attempts (record, listen, discuss, repeat) to get there.
The song choice was already made. I did the arrangement, vocals, two acoustic guitars, bass and pedal steel. A friend played drums and keys.
River in the Rain on #SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/dan-robinson-33/river-in-the-rain-mp3 |
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Neal Vosberg
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2018 1:09 pm
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| Dude, great tone. Tasteful. |
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