Steel on NY American Stars N Bars

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

I really love this record. Does anyone have tab or advise on figuring out Ben's playing on the steel.

I know there's a generation of players who found steel hearing Ben.

Thanks
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RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer

Greg Milton · From: Benalla, Australia

Hi Rick,

I'm no expert, but I do love Ben's playing and try to work out his parts here and there. The thing to remember is that he has A, B, and C pedals and the E lowers lever, and that's it:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=1097154&sid=09847dce7ea2b2c9b0f75dceaefd3133

I use Amazing Slow Downer to slow down the song and isolate the steel with the EQ and balance functions. His stuff isn't too technical - he's more of a 'feeling' player than a technical one, it seems to me. He uses lots of 3rd and 6th intervals, which fits in well with lots of non-country and rock songs.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

I had forgotten about that thread, thanks for bringing it up!

I notice most folks mention the Harvest album and the concert movie.

There's less love of American Stars N Bars, On The Beach or others. Ben played some sweet stuff on them.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Sehy #112
1975 Peavey Pacer

Mark Hershey · From: New York, USA

I'm terrible on the pedal steel and I've had success figuring out Ben Keith parts.

My pointers are find the chords to the song -

http://songx.se/

That link is a great resource.

Next sit down at the steel and find the chords at different positions on the steel and just play along with the changes to the song on the steel. Try it at the open position, and the a & b pedal position pushed down position.

You will be amazed at how you can find the chords and notes to his playing just by doing this. At least for me when I try the different grips int hose positions the notes just jump out at me. Next I slow it down with a slow downer and from there I can get it down really well.

I figured out Tired Eyes and tabbed it. I figured out the intro to Winter Long and I also figured out his playing on Bob Dylan's Wallflower doing this.

Good Luck!

Luke Schneider · From: Nashville

Ben started out as a dobro player as a kid in Kentucky and then non-pedal steel as a youngster in Nashville. To me, his pedal steel style always reflected that. He wasn't all over the pedals all the time.

Im one of the guys that started playing because of ben. I am a Neil Young fanatic, and in my opinion Ben's playing on American Stars 'n Bars might be the best work of his career. 'Hey Babe' isn't hard to figure out...just write down the chords from the internet and play along and you'll pick it up. Ben and Neil really were born to make music together. aside from being best friends, Ben had the knack of playing the perfect simple lick for each song...he had to make it NOT sound like a lick because that's what Neil wanted. And, Ben showed us that a 3+1 push pull and a fender twin was all you need.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

ben was a great player early on.
later he got the neil gig and played very simple droney space steel with neil's whiney voice.
what a great gig. very simple, high profile and prestige. and it came with a place to live.
i could use that gig!
if you have trouble figuring out the licks, you're really going to have trouble with emmons and chalker.

Mark Hershey · From: New York, USA

Steve Vroman · From: Albany, NY

Greg Milton · From: Benalla, Australia

Hi Mark,

Thirds are two notes three frets (minor third) or four frets (major third) apart, so on the usual grips on E9 (using strings 10, 8, 6, 5, 4 and 3) it is any two strings next to each other that makes either a minor third or a major third. Ben uses lots of these string grips (e.g. strings 2 and 3, 3 and 4, 4 and 5, 5 and 6, etc.).

Sixths are two notes eight frets (minor sixth) or nine frets (major sixth) apart, so on the usual grips any two strings that are two strings apart (such as strings 3 and 5, 4 and 6, 5 and 8, 6 and 10). Ben uses these string grips a lot too.

Most people starting pedal steel start with thirds and sixths without really knowing what they are and what part these intervals play in creating melody and harmonised scales.

Some of the players considered 'simple' players (for want of a better word), such as Ben, Pete Drake, and perhaps Sonny Curtis and Jimmy Day to some extent, use them predominantly. Of course, the most respected technical players (Lloyd and Buddy for instance) use them a lot, too. I'm just flicking through Buddy's 'Intros and turnarounds' course and more than half of them are made up of third and sixth intervals.

Thirds and sixths are all over rock music, and lots of other types of music as well. For instance, most lead guitar in early R&B and soul music are totally thirds and sixths (think Steve Cropper).

I love this book for learning more about music theory: http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Music-Theory-Real-World/dp/0786645261/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1454127808&sr=8-2&keywords=music+theory+in+the+real+world

It's written by the forum's Mike Perlowin, and has an addendum that he can send you that relates the theory specifically to the steel - you should get it! It makes it so easy to understand.

Sorry for the thread digression...

Bryan Staddon · From: Buffalo,New York,

To Chris Ivey, Mr. Ben Keith was a great player early on and later on. he played the song and he played with soul,,everybody has trouble figuring out Emmons and Chalker, not everybody wants too though, I enjoy all the amazing players out there that I've heard, and it's fun and they make me want to practice more , but there's only a few who move my heart like Ben did. I know this is a vast subjective subject about skill and technique,vs soul and goofiness,but I am very happy that we can all experience it all and some of us can relish our differences
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You are me as I am you

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I'll second that. The Neil Young stuff was pretty simple, but soulful. You're not going to get that sound unless you are thinking/feeling in the same frame of mind.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

Before I started playing steel, I listened to Ben Keith's "Seven Gates" record, which is a collection of Christmas songs as steel instrumentals-there are a few songs with vocals too, but the steel work that Ben did on that record was awesome! Ben was definitely a great player!

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