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Topic: 1st Post playing 1 year in |
Mike Beley
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 30 Mar 2018 7:36 am |
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Hi,
Mike here.
First I want to say hi and thanks to all who contribute here. It's an incredible resource for new players like myself.
A year ago I bought a Maverick at a store here in Edmonton, then, 2 weeks later, I went and traded it in on a mid 70's MSA Classic, and I'm sure glad I did. (SD 10 3x4,mica,white). What a great machine, sounds beautiful and stays in tune forever!
I've been a country lead player for a long time, always trying to make a 6 string sound like a PSG, so I finally got one and went to work. I've been a finger picker since day 1, so that's really helped me out, to a point.
Wow. What a challenge, and just what I needed musically!
I started out working on the basic grips and finding my way around the fret board learning where the basic chords are...still working on the basics for sure.
While I was in his neighborhood I was lucky enough to book a lesson with Jim Pelenscar, and that was a huge help.
I should try and book a Skype lesson or 2, or even find someone locally, but most of my disposable income goes to the kids interests (youngest boy taking guitar lessons, sports etc, and just bought a grad dress for oldest daughter!!)
Most of my "studying" has come from youtube, with the great Mickey Adams videos and "Steel Picking" has been a very helpful channel as well.
I did buy the Jeff Newman A/B pedals video from Al Brisco, and I've been working with that a lot (really starting to get those 7th scales now!)
I have trouble with books, focusing or patience or something, but I do force myself to woodshed with the Winnie Winston book occasionally.
I'm at the point now where I'm starting to take the guitar to open stages etc and force myself to play in real world situations as I find I learn and practice better when theres a somewhat urgent purpose. I have 4 gigs this summer where I hope to play at least 50/50 steel and 6 string. (I've had the guitar on stage 5 times now, 1st time awful, 2nd time real good, 3rd time..ouch, 4th and 5th I saw light at end of tunnel)
My target is to play with the aggressiveness of Ralph Mooney, and with the feel and tone of Tom Detamore..LOL..hey, ya gotta have a dream, right!
Right now my technique matches a 13 year old city kid learning to drive a standard, matched with the tone of a wounded Canada Goose...but it's still waaayyy better than it was a few months ago!
I'm focusing the next while on learning my way around the lower strings. I love playing on 5 and 8, and the old MSA really growls down on 8 and 10, so I really want to get proficient on the fat strings!
Any advice on where to look or any exercises/scales/videos to get better down on these low strings?
Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to say Hi and thanks to everyone.
cheers
Mike
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2018 10:04 am
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Good report, Mike. I think doing gigs 50/50 on guitar and steel is a great gateway to developing your PSG skills.
It's probably normal that playing some of those lower strings will feel a little awkward. Most players lightly rest the heel of their hand on lower strings while playing higher ones... but that obviously can't be done when hitting those bass strings. You're forced to ditch your 'orientation anchor' and float your hand.
If you just approach it with the mindset that the level of difficulty is one degree higher and it is supposed to feel different, you can charge ahead with the right expectation. Maybe turn up the concentration juice along with some focused practice floating your hand, and you will be able to 'make it so.' |
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Wayne Quinn
From:
Cape Breton.NovaScotia
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Posted 30 Mar 2018 6:24 pm
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Nice looking guitar Mike,bet it sounds real good.
_________________
D10 Carter, SD10 Mullen .Nashville 400,. peavey 112 Boss DD3., RV5, |
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Pat Chong
From:
New Mexico, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2018 8:14 pm
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| You drew the two 1/16 notes on your guitar? |
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2018 10:02 pm
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Congrats on your first year of pedal steel. You are a seasoned lead guitar player so that will serve you well.
That mid 70’s MSA will take you a long ways, and sounds as good as many more expensive guitars.
The best advise is to play as many live gigs as you can. The more courage you have to put yourself on a bandstand or rehearsal room, the faster you will progress. If you can record yourself and listen to intonation and groove, all the better.
As far as learning the low end of the E9 tuning, it is not a symmetrical tuning like most instruments. Meaning, it does not repeat a string sequence in 2 octaves.
This can be a challenge on Strings 9 and 10. Grips on the high end of the tuning are not the same on the low end. The higher re entrant strings present the same challenge.
Finding melodies and scales on your own will be more fruitful than lessons. Using The Amazing Slow Downer or the other slow down programs will help you to learn stuff off recordings.
Take the melodies from common songs, such as Twinkle Twinkle or Happy Birthday, etc, and work them out in different octaves and positions.
This process of finding melodies, will help you learn the fingerboard in the low and high octaves.
Keep up the good work.
John
Last edited by John Goux on 31 Mar 2018 10:10 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mike Beley
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 30 Mar 2018 10:42 pm
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thanks guys.
Pat, Ha! They were there when I bought the guitar...they are under the finish.
I'm not a fan of them at all...the guitar would look great without them.
But, it's a great guitar, and I'm proud to have it!
Tucker, I'll watch for "floating" my hand, thanks.
John, great ideas, advice to me as a young guitar player was to play along with TV commercials, as they always had hooky melodies you could dig around in, so I see what you mean. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2018 11:08 pm
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I posted a similar review of my first year a couple months ago. It does feel like a milestone, so congratulations!
Regarding low string stuff, I appreciate Tucker Jackson's term "floating hand". I diddle with this tetrachord exercise on strings 9-8-7-6, no pedals. It is interesting to continue diatonically up the neck and see how the patterns repeat.
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 31 Mar 2018 2:26 pm
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Nice, Fred. Do you have a recommended right hand finger for this exercise?
John |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 31 Mar 2018 3:37 pm
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| John Goux wrote: |
Nice, Fred. Do you have a recommended right hand finger for this exercise?
John |
John, I think Buddy E would say “T-M,T-M,T-M, and T-Mâ€.
I also try T-I-M-T, I-T-I-M, I-T-I-M, to try some convoluted string crossing and pick blocking. And this is where Paul Franklin usually shows up and blows my rookie advice right outta the water  |
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Mickey Adams
From:
Bandera Texas
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Posted 1 Apr 2018 5:45 am
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_________________
ARTIST RELATIONS: MSA GUITARS
2017 MSA LEGEND XL D10, S10, Studio Pro S12 EXE9
Mullen G2, Rittenberry S10, Infinity D10, Zumsteel 8+9
Anderson, Buscarino, Fender, Roman Guitars, Sarno Octal, Revelation Preamps, BJS BARS, Lots of Blackface Fenders! |
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