Fast playing vs. slow and pretty, what say you?

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

We all seem to judge each others playing by how fast we are. However, speed has very little to do with the value of a steel player on the bandstand or in the studio. A steel player gets paid for his tastfulness, tone, beauty and playing the right thing at the right time. But, I know what you all are thinking, it sure is great to be able to burn the socks off the lead guitar player if need be, once in a while. For instance, what do you play when the fiddle player plays "Orange Blossom Special"? He backs up from the mic and says "Take it!". Well, I'm here to say "Take it". Burn him alive, you'll get more applause than he will, then on the next slow song, you'll get him again, along with the guitar player. HOW?
Well, contact me , but first, listen to my excuse for not really being known for being a fast player,
Click here for my version of: .

"Orange Blossom Special"

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I play a lot of slow stuff and sometimes I play fast songs along with cds. I do a lot of experiments on steel to see how fast I can play. I If I can't play a fast tune, I stick with slow tunes. Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel

Al Miller · From: Waxahachie Texas

Bobbe
Slow and perdy I say !!!
the fast stuff is great but slow ,tone ,and perdy is where its at

Boo
Bobbe Do you have those licks on the second half tabbed out .. let me know
Boo

[This message was edited by Al Miller on 24 November 2004 at 03:17 PM.]

[This message was edited by Al Miller on 24 November 2004 at 03:20 PM.]

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

I can appreciate the fast playing, when it's appropriate and I always appreciate excellent technique, fast and slow. I prefer the musical and lyrical player to the speed-wanker. I don't automatically equate quantity with quality, like the bulk food emporiums.

Every year, at the NAMM show, they have a 'who's the fastest drummer competition', need I say more....

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

People that can't play fast and accurately, often can't play slow and pretty any better. It's just easier for them to make excuses. And boy do they ever.

GREAT playing.

Too Fast, Too much echo, too much reverb, too much distortion.

Just the way I like it.

I swear Bobbe, I've been working on Thanks a Lot all week, and still am stumped on a couple of C6 runs, and an E9 phrase or two.

Now what was the question....?

EJL

[This message was edited by Eric West on 24 November 2004 at 03:27 PM.]

Gene H. Brown · From: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

Hi Bobbe,
I would have to say, it all depends on what mood you are in at the time.
Gene

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If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!
;)

Bobbe Seymour · From: Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.

Boo, I tried to tab them out but I couldn't write that fast, I burned out three ballpoint pens.

Remember this if nothing else; Playing a song on steel is like a conversation;

You can talk very quietly and sweetly for a while, but this should be punctuated by laughter and inflection!

Who said that? (I did, just then, didn't you just read it?)

Now go back and click on the words:
"Orange Blossom Special", in my opening post, and dig the humor! Many different styles of speed there, Even fast things don't need to be boring.

I have a slow waltz version of this song on the way, talk about humor!

bobbe

James Cann · From: Phoenix, AZ

"but first, listen to my excuse for not really being known for being a fast player,
Click here for my version of: .
"Orange Blossom Special" "
===================================
With all due respect and in all good faith, Bobbe, who the hell are you kidding!

SB LDG

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Bobbe, 'ya sure are gettin' good on that thing!

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

The ride that Paul plays on Honkytonkville ( I think that's the title) comes to mind for something to work on lately. Working on playing fast is something I never do. Some nights I can play faster than others but I can usually keep up. Playing with Johnny Hiland kept me pretty busy. What I'm looking for is the best tone I can get. For me, if the tone is in the pocket the rest will come along and with no delay or tricks. A couple of weeks ago there was low voltage coming into the building and none of us could dig out a decent tone. Nights like that I just wait for the clock to run out.

slick · From: Calhoun Georgia

Hey Bobbe i play mostly the slow purdy stuff
because i can get my delay set the way that you do.He! He! He! Just kiddin Bobbe,great pickin.Eric with all due respect i have heard some stellers who played some fantastic slow songs but didnt have a lotta speed,no excuses.

Slick

Fred Jack · From: Bastrop, Texas 78602

Bobbe, What about us guys that don't even think that fast? Fred

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

{I have a slow waltz version of this song on the way, talk about humor!}

Sorta like the bassakwards verse in steel guitar rag??
If it's slow enuff,mayhaps I might learn it.

Bill

[This message was edited by Bill Ford on 24 November 2004 at 05:27 PM.]

Bill Bosler · From: Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, USA

Some guys play more notes in one song than I've played in a lifetime. I never let it bother me.

Joe Finley · From: Ozark Arkansas USA

Bobbe, I liked the quarter note triplet chords toward the end....they were cool.

Howard Tate · From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.

I think if I could learn the notes you're playing, it would take me two weeks to play them. Takes me all night to sing "The Auctioner". I love the slow e9 stuff with all the pedal moves, but the fast stuff is SO good.

Joe Finley · From: Ozark Arkansas USA

Bobbe, I liked the quarter note triplet chords toward the end...they were cool!

Joe Finley · From: Ozark Arkansas USA

Bobbe, I liked the quarter note triplet chords toward the end....they were cool!

Jennings Ward · From: Edgewater, Florida, R.I.P.

I must compliment the fiddle playerer as well as you Bobbe. Now that is some thing to work on..Who ever it is , I like it. That guy playing the steel is no slouch either.The guy running the effects does a good jog also.... Now I can play the fiddle and steel but not at the same time, knees get in the way. but I dont know how in the hell I could do the effects at the same time as playing steel and fiddle. Do you have any suggestions you will give me, no I cant hire someone,,,,,Help me figure it out.....Serously I like your verson.. I have been playing that tune for over 55 years...and it is still good.. Thanks ,,,,Jennings

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EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +

Billy Joe Bailey · From: Jackson, Mississippi, USA

Bobbe I can just see you burning up them three ballpoint pens on that tablature.
knowing the way you talk and bareing that in mind, I can just pick up my Tape to orange blossome special,and liston to you burn them strings. We'll be wizzing thru that little nursery ryme in no time.I hope everyone has a
Happy Thanksgiveing May God Bless BJ

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Cody Johnson · From: Cleveland, TN

Both are equally important depending on the situation. You obviously don't want to burn it up during the altar call at church.
Accept no limits on developing both. Do accept limits when deciding when to use which.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Well Bobbe, I finally broke down and ran TAL through Cakewalk, and slowed it down. What was kind of hanging me up was that tricky little E9 walkdown to three frets below the D fret ending on an A note ( as the fifth of D). You do two of them, the last one starting with a trill.

Not being "there", I know that a lot of those things are "floating around town", like all the fragments of the Myrick "Two fingers one pedal and like the lightning fast triplets run I heard on "Me Neither". I heard that run on your TAL version, and realised that it's probably a lot older than I thought.

I'm going to do it like the Franklin E9Courses I did last year, and just keep them there to run over from time to time after I get them note for note, and up to speed.

There's a long time between stagecoaches out west here..

NOW.

The C6 stuff...

The slower I run it, the more I realise that it will never be duplicated. I'm figuring that some of the runs were done with pedals down, because NOBODY could half hit all those notes twice in a row. ( I'm laughing so hard I'm glad I'm strapped in..)

I used to get a kick out of Bud Charleton trying ever so hard to find little glitches and "mis..... " that Mr Emmons made, and duplicate them. I'd listen to him practicing inbetween lessons in the music store from the hallway. He made them make them sound just like the original "mis.....". I swear.

One of my favorite young bandleaders, Monty Moss, after doing "Hummingbird" or "Nervous Breakdown", used to tell me "I liked what you were trying to do there....". It'd never fail to crack me up. Especially when I was pissed off for blowing a run...

If it weren't for making a REAL living, I'd move there and starve, having the time of my life.

I hear some bumping around in my other basement room. I think My Muse is trying to get untied. Time to go in and spray some more #2 diesel on her.

(Somebody asked me what my basement looked like. I told them it was like the one in "Silence of the Lambs" without the butterflies....)

Anyhow Bobbe,

Thanks a Lot.

Eric L

[This message was edited by Eric West on 25 November 2004 at 01:24 PM.]

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Great stuff Bobbe..Is your new name Bobbe Jernigan ??

Playing at meter certainly requires excessive seat time..over and over and over again..and a complete knowledge of where you are going and how to get there and back without consuming wasted energy..

I play with a very talented young Tele player, each week when I think I am catching his licks and phrases he shows up with a whole new bag of tricks..I hate it !

I have found myself playing melody lines in those situations where they turn and say "Take it"..although I do work regulalry on playing at meter, I'm still a tad sloppy on the gigs..but..they still pay me so I guess it can't be that bad

t

erik · Posted 25 Nov 2004 6:21 am

You are very nearly a journeyman, keep practicing one you'll be a household name.

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

Bobbe, You bring up a excellent topic. I like to try to play fast and enjoy doing so. I have found that the public in general thinks the steel to be a slow and crying instrument. I have shown the Emmons/Rugg video to some friends and the C6th and speed was over their head. When Buddy started playing the "Nameless Shufle" one man commented that is the way a steel is supposed to sound. I did play a singing one night and did a couple of instrumentals slow and fast. One lady told me she had never heard a steel played that way before. My response is you should hear Emmons, Rugg, Green, Seymore and some of those other players. I am nowhere in their class when it comes to playing. I just love the pedal steel whether it is fast or slow.

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