Beginner drool

Robert Cates · From: Maine, USA

In the beginning of my playing I was on stage with a band and I asked the bass guy if I sound alright. He said that he really couldn't hear me that well. But once in awhile he said that he could hear me drooling.
I have noticed that a lot of the new guys "drool" their notes. Do you know what I mean?
The bar hand needs to be quick and precise and the right hand blocking needs to happen, or else you get notes overlapping. Sounds bad.
Just another stage that one has to go through.
The sound that we are all looking for is not just your steel or amp or cords or gadgets that we add.

Its in YOU and you need to get it out
Has anyone ever heard the phrase.."its in your hands"?(just checking)...Well.. its in a little deeper than that but it comes out through your hands.

Record yourself

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

I have never heard the word "Drolling" used in playing pedal steel. I have heard "It's in the hands". I can tell you it takes time, practice and playing to get advanced on the pedal steel. If you will notice most players, not all of them, have been playing for many years that play really well. Occasionally I like to record myself with a video camera when playing just to see if I am smooth and clean. Some people just do not want to hurt feelings and will not tell you the truth. I would suggest you play as much as possible and with a band every opportunity you get. That is the way you will improve.

Ransom Beers · Posted 18 May 2010 3:49 am

Drooling? Maybe you need a bib.

Les Green · From: Jefferson City, MO, R.I.P.

Been playing steel 50+ years, never heard that term before.
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Les Green
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Larry Behm · From: Mt Angel, Or 97362

Here is a player so young and new at playing steel that he drools, but at his tender young age he really gets it. The hands are an extention of your brain, they do what the brain tells them to do. Your hands do not play with emotion without the brain telling them to.

Good job Paul

Larry Behm

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Never heard that term either, except when "drooling" over the babes in the audience Cool

But, being in a band and having to do it is a great way to help and speed up learning. Being "under fire" is a great teacher. You can do whatever learning and practice at home but it's a different story when you are up on the bandstand and under the gun to pick - whether a seasoned pro or a beginner.

Ransom Beers · Posted 18 May 2010 4:46 am

Exactamundo,what Mr. Stoner says.

Robert Cates · From: Maine, USA

Well..I have never heard of the term "drooling notes" either but I am just a baby at playing this steel. We all drooled for awhile after we were born and then we got better at breathing and stopped.(some of us).

Same way with steel. We are just babies when we start on the steel and we drool alot untill we figure it out...makes sense.

Larry who are you talking about...Paul Who? Paul King
Did Paul say that?

Hey Paul King..you are right when you say that some people don't want to hurt your feelings. Everyone will say.."oh that sounds beautiful" and you might even think that you are doing alright..BUT when you get to the point where you can .REALLY play the steel..you can look back and see that you wasn't really playing worth a darn.

Just my observation
What say you?

Carson Leighton · From: N.B. Canada

It almost sounds as though the bass player was being sarcastic...I'm not sure what he meant by "drooling over it",,but he could have meant something like "don't you wish you were better"?......I have never heard that said before either,,but I have heard "milking it" and I don't mean a cow....... Smile

Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · From: Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)

Can't say as I've ever heard the term "drooling" used quite in that context, but for everything there seems to be a first time. Smile

Ah, this takes me back to my early days of playing. I agree that the stage is a great place to learn ... for me, that was exactly a huge part of my steel learning process. The first time I ever tried playing on stage was when I'd been playing only a week and a half Shocked

(got railroaded into that one). Then I joined my first band when I'd been playing only five and a half weeks. A friend of mine once told me it was a very gutsy move on my part to get with a band and play on stage that early in my development, and perhaps it was, but I value everything I learned in the process. The pressure was on and I had to learn quickly and accurately. I was totally steel crazy in those days and put in at least 5 to 6 hours of practice each evening on Mon-Fri and no less than 18 hours of practice per day on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Jim Mathis · From: Overland Park, Kansas, USA

I started playing cleaner after I started taking voice lessons. I don't know if there is a connection, but my voice teacher insisted that I hit the notes pure and clean. I realized that I played like I sang and vice versa. I think I am now singing and playing more in tune with less "drooling." I'd call it smearing rather than drooling, but the idea is the same.

In terms of time, I was playing about 8 years before I started getting a tone I liked. And yes, it was in the hands.
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Jim@MathisPhoto.net

Mike Bowles · From: Princeton, West Virginia, USA

i agree with mr stoner once you start playing on stage everything changes i just started to play steel out some it is nothing like playing along with cds in the bedroom
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Mike Bowles

Robert Cates · From: Maine, USA

I think that it has something to do with sliding the bar. That is what drooling your notes are. Also Some people have timing issues which adds to the drool.

Very nice to have the experienced boys on here talking about their early playing days. Its very interesting to hear and could be very good lessons for the steel player wanna-be.

I think that if you're a singer, you have an advantage. You will be precise in your playing and drool less...

Mike..how do things change when you go from CD's to the band?

Robert Cates · From: Maine, USA

Steve helped me identify the drooling problem that the bass man heard. I didn't realize it until Steve PMed me and said it could be misuse of the volume pedal. ...Now that I think about it......thats it..I have had a problem with pumping the volume pedal and this would cause drooling sound at the stage level

Thanks Steve and this great forum

Bob

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