Just some thoughts

Russell Adkins · From: Louisiana, USA

The whole reason to learn to play steel is to play a song right, thats the end result you as a player is after. Why bother with learning many chord positions scales etc etc when its all there on a tab right in front of you right? Learn that first song then go get another learn it then do it again . Learning the road maps as to where a song comes from and is going can teach you alot as to how a song is constructed. Now on the other hand spend most of your time learning scales and chord positions and whatever else there is to learn about playing a song will teach you about scales and chords but where is the song ? you still have to learn the song . I kinda dought the old guys never spent much time learning scales and such Im thinking they learnt by ear or just picking notes then many years later they knew so much that learning scale and chord stuff was right there anyway.If you are familiar with robert conti ( a jazz guitarst ) he down plays learning scales and such , any thoughts on this would be helpful

Judson Adair · From: Oklahoma, USA

It depends on your goals. I personally don't care much about playing other peoples songs. I work on chords and scales and such so I can construct my own songs. Bottom line though, decide what you want to do with the instrument and use that as a guide for what you work on.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

That's a sad world you describe, where everybody plays a song 'the way it's supposed to be played.'
No thanks.

Russell Adkins · From: Louisiana, USA

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

you practice other people's playing to eventually develop your own style by mixing everything together, and adding your own flavor to it, at least that's how I see it....years ago I played a big gig up north, and soundman complimented my tone and playing, I said tone may be ok, but I'm no Lloyd Green or Paul Franklin...he looked at me and said " and why would you want to be Lloyd Green or Paul Franklin? we already have one of each" ...my days of trying to sound like Buddy or anyone else are long gone, I don't want to play what someone else feels, I want to play the song my way, the way I feel it...and that is how I see it...
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

About a year ago I learned Buddy Emmons' Blue Jade "right". I copy every lick off the record meticulously. The first time I performed it I was a nervous wreck, but I pulled it off. It became a part of my repertoire. I've been playing it several times a month since.

Last weekend I noticed something. I have become so familiar with the melody and chord structure that I spontaneously see and play other positions, other ways to phrase it. It doesn't sound "wrong" because it's a beautiful melody wherever you play it, whatever way you choose to slide between the notes. I wouldn't have been able to do this if I didn't know my scales and chords.

I once saw Evelyn Glennie demonstrate the difference between playing what's written and being an artist. She played a piece perfectly and it was just okay. Then she played it with heart, feeling, or whatever you want to call it. The difference was striking.

Reading the tab doesn't make a part sound right. You have to understand the music, how the notes and chords work together, to get to the point where you are an performing artist, not a just human jukebox. You also have to develop good technique and control of the strings. The right notes from tab are just a starting point.
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Rick Schacter · From: Portland, Or.

Learning scales, chord positions and even how to read music is not a waste of time.
They are all skills that can help you:

-learn songs quicker
-communicate with other musicians
-help you to possibly create your own songs

I don't understand this "knowledge is bad" type of thinking.
I would assume this is a group of people who are suppose to be music lovers.
Why wouldn't you want to learn as much as you possibly can about it?

Any skill that you can learn will help you not hurt you.

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

Chords, scales and such are what we who are among the 99.999% of people we call musicians use to ply our trade. We are tradesmen - those things are our tools.
The other 0.001% don't need or think in those terms. They are the artists (few they are) - the ones we (often belatedly) admire the most and try to imitate (often pitifully). They connect human emotion directly to sound.
Unless you're aren't deluding yourself and really really are one of the chosen ones - Learn your frickin' cords and scales like the rest of us proletariat wishers.
{The term "artist" is meant in an archaic sense. In contemporary culture the term has simply been superimposed over the more appropriate word "pidgeon".)

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

I think learning the chords to a song IS important, or knowing the chords if it's your own song.

The chords ARE the scales! so if you play chords the "runs" or notes between are just parts of chords.

I mean 1-4-5 plus a few minors now and again is STILL doing the job. It's mind boggling how artists can still create something new.

Personally just playing along to unknown songs on Pandora helped me a lot. Figure out the chords as the song was playing etc

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

One of the most significant things I ever learned about playing the pedalsteel came from Lloyd Green. He told me to take any lick I know and learn how to play it so it sounds exactly the same in 3 different places on the neck. Then he showed me. I'm still a long way from there but it takes really knowing your scales and intervals to pull off.

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

Spoken like a true journeyman.

Ray Mangrum · From: Nashville, TN.

For many years I thought the same; Learn the song and play it. However, After learning a song to the "T", you get on the Band Stand and the singer says I do that in a different key!!!!!#%&. Now What??Knowledge of Music and your Instrument is a must if you are going to be successful. "This old business of I read, but not enough to hurt my picking" is total non-sense IMO.

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

There really is no right or wrong way to play, there are only different approaches and styles. Chalker played one way, Drake another; as did Emmons, Leisz, and Kleinow. Each player should learn the basics to suit whatever he or she wants to ultimately do. Some players are experts at just playing, while others are experts at music theory, the whys and wherefores. While only a portion of players are experts at both, I think it's important to keep in mind that there are advantages and disadvantages to everything.

Learn what you want to learn, and play what you want to play.

Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

Music is a language

Speaking is key - playing a song to apply your grammar

Understanding/reading - understanding music makes what you say not only meaningful but now you know how to apply it in many different contexts.

Very Happy

So who cares if you were asked to play that one song in 4 different keys at a moments notice. Or change key in the song for the crescendo

This takes time. I a, now starting my musical journey and am loving being able to apply the basics to many different contexts. It makes me appear more knowledgeable and "gifted" when I am not. I am now learning. Laughing

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Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

I just crank up the old CD player, with Alan Jackson, Vern Gosden, Highway 101, or any other country artist you can think of, figure out what key the song is in, and off we go. Sometimes, I play over the vocal just to practice the melody, and usually lay out when Pig Robbins is doing his fills on piano, cause I never get tired of his playin'. As far as learning a song note for note, "It Ain't Gonna Happen", at least on pedal steel it ain't happened yet. On the old Tele, Les Paul, or 335, there are some things I do like the record, and some are never played the same way twice. Looking at Tab is useless to me, I just never did figure it out, number charts, I can read, but mostly it's in my head, the tune and chord structure of most songs is something I've always been able to remember. Now Words, That's a Different Story, I can't even remember the words to songs that I've written.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Well....do you just want to play tabs and perform music that you have tabs for? So your whole repertoire is a compilation of songs your have either memorized or have tab to read from. Am I understanding you correctly? I guess that's fine if that is your goal, but don't you aspire to play with other musicians and probably play a gig or 2? What happens if you go out to play and they call a song you don't know and don't have tab for? What then?....besides doing a dis-service to the other musicians your play with who have spent a lifetime learning music.

I can't imagine playing music and not educating oneself on at the least the very basic roots of music theory. I can't see it being a very enjoyable experience. That will open many doors for further exploration. Creativity is a large, maybe the largest component of playing music. I don't see how one can manage that without the proper tools....but maybe I'm misunderstanding your premise.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

So then how would create songs if you didn't know what they were built with? Would you just copy from the ones you already know, or rely on limited vocabulary with which to build them? Would you simply recycle those things you've managed to pick up?

I can't work like that.

Music has to continue to grow and move forward. Without new compositions, I mean what's the use? Music is living art.
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Steve Berthel · From: Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

I got my first pedal steel 7 years ago, and have been teaching myself how to play. I have no background in string theory, just trumpet and french horn. It is fun to learn a song off tab and I think that it is beneficial to learn the dance, but as with anything, one must learn the basics to be proficient. You are either an artist or you paint by number. an hour a day of scales and chord practice for me, makes the songs come to life in my head and makes everything a lot easier and less frustrating in the long run. If it was easy everyone would do it!

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Whatever it takes to find your own voice, and use it! Smile

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Darrell Criswell · From: Maryland, USA

Different things work for different people.

I remember reading about WC Fields who was one of the greatest jugglers of all time, he was phenomenal, go to youtube and watch his juggling. Late in his juggling career he read a book about juggling and afterwards he said he could never juggle as well.

I have talked with musicians who had a similar experience...they learned initially by ear and then studied music theory, they had trouble reconciling the two approaches and never felt as comfortable.

I am continually amazed that some of the great old steel guitarists were farm boys who largely learned by experimentation and from watching other people play.

Bobby Hearn · From: Henrietta, Tx

Give a man a fish (tab) and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish (scales chords theory etc) and he'll eat for a lifetime.

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

as a listener, when I listen music, I want to be emotionally moved,and excited, I don't care how many chords, or how fast you're playing, but you have to excite me with something...playing fast scales from your tabs won't do nothing for me, I may think, he has a good technique, but that's about it, I will stick around for 10-15 min ,and then leave, because that stuff gets old and boring quicky...player has to speak to me, I have to feel his music, I want to see something awesome, and be moved....and I haven't been musically moved in a long time...because everyone is playing same old crap, from same old tabs...
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Russell Adkins · From: Louisiana, USA

Got some enteresting replys Thank you all for your comments

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

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