Mr. Seymore is right

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

I agree with Bobbe [in Bobbe's tips]I don't know why the steel scares so many people.When I was a kid in school I played flute in the school band,later I played tenor and alto sax,guitar was my main money making instrument for three decades,also play banjo and mandolin[could never do ANYTHING with fiddle[I admire a good fiddle player]But the steel was easy compared to the other instruments,I do know that playing another instrument helps,my years of playing guitar and applying that to steel helped me a lot.Every body can not and will not become an Emmons,Seymore,or Curly,but it's not that hard to become a DECENT steel player.If you love the sound of steel music,and someone tells you how hard it is,PAY THEM NO MIND.

Jerry L Miller · From: Sublette, Kansas, USA

I agree also its like driving a stick shif, acc, clutch, brake, gear shift, steering wheel. two feet two hands the two knees are just extra gravy. so i know i'll never be a Emmons or Green. i play in a small band and i sure do enjoy myself, i try not to copy other players an just play it the way i feel it. some times the band members will look at me and ask " not where did that come from" but " what was THAT " Shocked

i just keep on playing.....
jerry Very Happy

Brendan Mitchell · From: Melbourne Australia

I agree , I read Bobbe's newsletter with interest , for too long pedal steel has been known to be the "hardest " thing to play ! Bull !! I came to steel via guitar and one of the main reasons for sticking with it was it was so easy compared to guitar . Play some strings , you have a chord , push some pedals you have another . throw in a lever you have another . Heck , you can play a song on one fret without having to make chords with your fingers !

Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

I think anyone can play any instrument bad.Does that count? Very Happy

Jerry L Miller · From: Sublette, Kansas, USA

Bobby,you must have heard me playing some where. Rolling Eyes

jerry

Larry Strawn · From: Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.

I've been told before that you needed to be a rocket scientist to play steel! Shocked

Well that leaves me out!
I've been told you have to do to many things at the same time to play a steel [most of those folks can't chew gum and walk at the same time]. Very Happy

My music theory is very weak and limited [I'm working on it].
My coridination is excellent.
To me my playing still sucks!
I'm definatly no rocket scientist!
I'm no Emmons, chalker, Seymour, Green, etc.
But, I play steel with our band or some band 2-3 week ends per month! And I'm having lots of fun doing it! Very Happy

Larry
_________________
Carter SD/10, 4&5 Hilton Pedal, Peavey Sessions 400, Peavey Renown 400, Home Grown Eff/Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Ernie Pollock · From: Mt Savage, Md USA

Bobbys right, steel is not that hard to play, especially if you play guitar, I was 30 years old when I took it up and it has been very rewarding too me. I love steel & try to convince people that it is not that hard to play. Just takes a year or two to get really good on it, after that, its all downhill!!

Ernie Pollock
http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm
PAC Custom D-10, Electric GeeTar, Bass GeeTar & Tenor Sax

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I sort of agree/disagree with Bobbe. The very simple stuff makes steel easy for just drifting along with tunes. But it has SO much versatility and there are so many styles, copedents, etc that "sensory overload" kicks in and it becomes very, very hard to learn...just dues to the sheer mass of materials. It's tough to set specific goals.

4 chords with little slides and bends in a 3-fret span is easy. Becoming an "competent player" is not.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

James Sission · From: Sugar Land,Texas USA

Well, the original question seemed to be "why are people scared of the steel?" I think the answer is pretty simple, just look at the endless threads on this site alone that contain hundreds of posts stating how hard it is to play steel. I am no great guitar player, although I have a firm understanding of theory and how it all works, but I have not found steel to be overwhelmingly difficult to play in its most simplistic form. Just like guitar, learn the basics and then play it. When I first decided to give steel a try, I called a friend of mine who has played steel for over 30 years and asked him about it. His response was "you don’t have to be a great player to get work and to sound tasteful. In fact,the simple stuff is more pleasing to people than when you play over their heads. Since you play guitar, you really already know how to play steel, you just need to get your body adjusted to the physical movements." He was right; the basic fundamentals of steel were much easier than trying to play a I, IV, V on a guitar. A few months after I talked to my pal and I got my Carter Starter, John Fabian and Joe Wright said the same thing on the start up tape that my pal told me, "its just a guitar". All that being said, I am never going to play like Buddy Emmons or my favorite, Paul Franklin, but then again, after many years on tele, I don’t play like Brent Mason either. Keeping things in perspective and measuring ones success by use of realistic goals is important. If I measured my success on how closely I could play like Paul, I might think the steel was pretty difficult. But, I don’t have to play like Paul to achieve my personal goals as a player. It is NOT difficult to play steel at the local lounge band level and still sound reasonably good. However, I measure my steel progress on my own goals and with the full understanding that all I am ever going to do, and all I ever want to do, is play in small country bands on weekends. I don’t think it is all that difficult to reach that level of playing, since I am already doing just that. I have even had people tell me how much the steel added to the band even when all I do at this point is play in the pocket. So, I would say that most people are scared of the steel for the same reason I was for a long time and the same reason my guitar player in my band now is scared of it. Steel players in general scare them away with tales and warnings of how it will take years and years just to be able to play Together Again. I recall the turning point for me was one afternoon in Joe Mchams living room in Houston. I asked him to play something really simple on his steel. Joe showed me how to play a I, IV, V in G only moving the bar 2 frets. In that 2 minute lesson, I learned to play a I,IV,V in every key possible without having to learn different chord foramtions like a guitar requires. It sounded great and he said “steel is not all that hard, its fun, you should get one.” A few phone calls and week later, I did just that. Once I got past all the hype and realized that is was just a guitar, the playing became much easier for me….James

Fred Wright · From: Minocqua, Wi USA

Thanks for the encouraging words, guys! As you have stated, most Forum posts suggest the PSG is "the hardest.." For me it is, but only because I've never played ANY instrument before. However, I'm persistent and seeing some progress, finally, thanks to the help from a gentleman from Elizabethtown, Ky, and Don Sulesky's E9th course.

Jeff Coffell · From: Killeen Texas

I totally disagree. I've been in a band of some kind as long as I care to remember. I play several instruments (not a master of any). I started playing steel on the stage about 3 years ago. I've had a lot of problems along the way. Mostly tone tone and tone. I didn't have the normal pitch problems that I've heard other beginners have. I still have (ZERO) speed and am working on it now. I will be getting some help soon from one of the MASTERS the one and only Russ Hicks. Am looking forward to this learning experience. I'll slip over to Bill Dearmore's on occasion and "steel" what I can from him.

Yes, most can play it, or kinda play along with others, VERY FEW MASTER, or become very good players. I am improving daily but God knows I need to. I have a very long road ahead of me to become a respectable player. I am fortunate to have great players in my area. Bill Dearmore, Steve Polusik, the LATE GREAT SKEETER BLACK, and of course our TSGA Pres. Albert Talley. I find just listening to these guys gives me ideas and inspiration.

I RESPECT ANYONE WHO ATTEMPS TO PLAY THIS MONSTER.

Thanks

JC

Mark Lind-Hanson · From: Menlo Park, California, USA

Where I think it might be difficult (esp for the people who transition over from 6string like myself) is getting used to the interval jumps from the 3rd, 2nd & first strings & learning how to USE them. (or learning you can also just plain ignore, the top strings)
Also for some people the concept of "speed picking" is probably intimidating. Which is one good reason knowing your way around a banjo or previous fingerpicking on the 6 is pretty helpful. It isn't quite the same, no, but at least, your fingers have that inherent memory of longterm training at it.
And probably a lot of people (though not myself) do stumble over elementary theroy on their way into the thing.
But I always tell people it is both simpler than you think and probably, just a little more complicated than you'd like.
That said, I love playing mine, though I'll always feel it's not but a second instrument to me. I think I was ready to play with folks after 2/ 1/2 yers (getting overripe for it now!) - like anything in life the more you spend at it, the easier & clearer & the better it all is.

Jeff Coffell · From: Killeen Texas

When you think your getting better or just kinda O K. Just tape (record yourself) not playing with tracks. I mean LIVE ON STAGE with a band. I guarantee you'll go back to the practice room. IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD ON STAGE MY FRIENDS. I find myself after every gig just kicking my ass for not playing as well as I think I am capable.

JC

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

I disagreed with Bobbe and have emailed him direct with my reasons why.

I know what he was getting at though - many potential players are put off of trying to learn to play pedal steel because of the long held (and correct IMHO) reputation that the instrument is one of the hardest to learn. It certainly didn't come easy to me. I had to put in countless hours of practice over many years just to get to a halfway reasonable standard.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I don't know how hard it really is as I'd been playing lead guitar professionally 5 or 6 nights a week for years when I took up steel and less than a year later I was gigging six nights a week on steel only. I've often wondered how hard steel would be if you'd never played another instrument before. Is anyone here in that catagory? That's a person who never played another instrument.......... There's probably not too many out there. I think the fiddle is much harder to play than the steel guitar. My first instrument was mandolin which is tuned the same as a fiddle but I've never been able to do justice on a fiddle to save my soul. I just can't get a good tone or intonation up the neck going. Steel was a piece of cake compared to that.....JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Fretted instruments made my finger tips hurt.
In 1963 my goal in life was to be able to play Bud's Bounce like TB did...
Weren't no other instrument capable of taking me down that road.
The obstacle always was, first, the cost of the gear, then the time investment to even begin to see the forest for all them trees in the way.
In 43 years you can chop a few trees down...

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

There are really two questions:

How hard is it to play a given instrument?

and How hard is it to play that instrument really well?

I agree that pedal steel is relatively easy to learn to play competently, at least if you do have prior knowledge of music.

I came to steel from guitar, like many others (I have also studied trombone and piano.). Guitar is easy to get started on, too. You can strum the chords to lots of songs in the open position in almost no time. But I'd say guitar is one of the hardest instruments to play really well. Mastering the mental map of the hundreds of possible chord voicings, and having it in muscle memory when changing one note of a chord a half step often requires a complete rearrangement of the entire hand position is a lifetime's work. Likewise melodic patterns.

Fiddle, or violin, is a whole different ballgame. Just to sound one note that sounds half decent on the thing requires considerable skill. Any idiot can pluck one note on a guitar or steel.

How about drums? Much as we all like to joke about drummers, they're using all four limbs with each one having to be able to "think" independently of the others, unlike a steel player who uses various body parts as a group for the same purpose.

Piano has a relatively easy mental map with its linear layout, but calls for independence of the two hands and fingering issues make the muscle memory map more of a challenge.

To play steel really well requires a complex mental map, but the physical execution seems to me less difficult than these other instruments.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

I still agree with Bobbe 100%,The steel is an easy instrument to play compared to some others,I think it is bad that some people won't even attempt it because they hear someone say[hey man you don't want to try that thing it's too hard]Yes if you NEVER have played an instrument of some kind,it will be hard,ANY instrument will be.But any one that is already a fair six string or banjo player[if you play banjo you are already used to wearing finger picks and using rolls]Then you should have no problem playing steel,You can get good at it if you have the desire and determination to PRACTICE.You can't play ANY instrument if you don't do this,the steel is no different.If you get bored and put in an hour or so a week,you will NEVER be a good player.DON'T LET THE DAMN THING INTIMIDATE YOU!

Joseph Solomon · From: Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA

I'm sorry but, I don't agree in full with Bobbe. I took music lessons, and played guitar for many years before I began playing steel guitar. I started out playing a lap steel back in the late 50's. Over the years I finally graduated to pedal steel back in the 70's. I am now 75yrs. old, and I'm still learning something new on the pedal steel from time to time. I beleive there are people like Bobbe who are natural-born musicians, and playing any instrument would come easy to them. I am not one of those people so, I have struggled quite a bit to get to where I am today. I play well enough to suit myself but, as many of you have already stated, I'll never be an Emmons,Chalker, or a Tommy White.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I also disagree with Dr. Seymour on this one. I played six insruments before I took up steel. I was quite advanced on two, and knew music theory. The pedal steel guitar is the hardest instrument in the world by far. People think classical violin is difficult. Pedal steel makes it look like a toy. I've seen a few advanced Telecaster players try to take up pedal steel and all give it up within one year. The amount of permutations and the technique involved in pedal steel is astronomical. Then theres playing in tune and intonation. Something that takes most beginners years to accomplish. I'm learning five string banjo right now and it is a piece of cake as compared to learning steel.

Jeff Coffell · From: Killeen Texas

I'd like to know. How many of us gig on a regular basis and how many just play in their pickin rooms. I'm speaking of the ones who are posting to this topic. There are natural born pickers and I know some of them. It just comes easy to them. But when you reach a certain level of playing, I think the big boys will tell you that you practice or you will loose some of the skills it takes to play at that level. God given talent or not. It still takes skill to play this instrument and play it well or just play it reasonably well.

I've heard that E practices all the time. I think when you reach his skill level you have to to maintain it.

I'd like to hear some comments from some of the top notch players out there to see if they agree or disagree with me.

Thanks

JC

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Jeff, I play every weekend (5 instruments). I'll be opening for a Nashville act on the 18th. I thoroughly agree with you about practice and playing level.

Terry Miller · From: Hammondsport NY USA

I have to disagree that pedal steel is easy to play. I have been trying to play for 38 years and I still don't understand all there is to know about the instrument. Can someone play a song after a short time with the steel, sure but that is not really playing the instrument and knowing what you are doing.Let's not take anything away from the greats like Buddy, Lloyd, Hall, Weldon, Paul, lBobby and several more by trying to simplifing this instrument. It takes alot of hard work, technic and ability to accomplish what these great musicians have done. These guys really play steel. I only wish I had the ability and talent to play half as good as these players. Terry

John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

I think that stating, that, the "pedal steel guitar" is an easy instrument to play, is a convoluted statement. By that, I mean to say that, there are too many variables to deal with in mastering this instrument.
I've found that, guitar players in general, have an easier time initially making musical sounds on it. With an E-9th neck, the frets match with the guitar and many notes are easily recognizable. Dexterity is where the challenge lays. The hands (fingers), feet, and both knees are now being used like never before. Not everybody is dexterous enough to handle this situation and that's where the frustration and possible failure comes from. And yes, I know that sliding the bar up and down the fretboard creates musical notes and chords, but when you start adding all the rest, dexterous timing and musical timing have to co-inside or you'll never make it sound right. These skills usually come gradually for the most of us, but, some never get it. The lucky ones acquire it almost immediately.
Other instruments do certainly require a form of symbolism, but, not the complicated arrangements of a pedal steel. Also, one must have a good "ear" to play a steel. Good intonation is a must in order to sound right. If you don't hear it correctly, you won't play it correctly.
As to practise, or just playing on a regular basis- If you lay off from playing for a while, I honestly believe that, you'll lose some of your skills. Your right hand technique can suffer, your bar movement can suffer and your speed at attaining a note or chord can slow down. The only way to get it back is to play your steel as often as possible. Keeping a keen edge on your skills is paramount for a good steel player.
All in all, the original statement has too many variables to be addressed by the many different aptittudes, that would be players might have.
BTW- I've never told a student or a friend, that is is too hard for them. I always say that, it'll come in time. Just be patient.

ken collins · From: Oklahoma City, OK.

Any attempt to play any instrument "well" comes with some difficulty. The steel has many challenges over and above the musical end, such as application, tuning, tone, mechanicis, and let alone using all extremities. All instruments have'em, and maybe the steel has a couple more, but it should not be a deterent from pursuing the most rewarding musical sound and experience a person can have playing music. But that's the way of everything it seems. The greater the effort, the greater the reward. My 2 cents. Ken Collins

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