Textbook Examples of Steel and Guitar Playing Together?

Joseph Carlson · From: Grass Valley, California, USA

Hello,

I often find myself playing with tele pickers who feel like they need to fill each and every tiny gap in the music with a hot lick or three.

I'm looking for some textbook examples of songs where the steel and the guitar work together to support the song, not show off their hot licks. My thought is I could use these as a way to show the "offender" what I'm talking about when I try to enlighten them.

I'm fortunate in my main band to play with a very tasteful picker, but this happens a lot with sub gigs or pickup dates.

Also, I've heard of some bands using a formula, guitar fills the first verse, steel comes in on the chorus, split the solos: guitar, then steel, etc. Anyone using something like this in their bands?

Thanks,
Joe

Andy Henriksen · From: Michigan, USA

My band does it mostly like your 2nd idea - I take turns (predetermined) with my lead guitarist on any given part with vocals. The other plays nothing or just plays chords quietly. On solo breaks, we generally have one lead instrument, and the other is "filling in the gaps." We just added a fiddle player, so we are in the process of re-configuring some of our assignments.

A strong bandleader (or a strong full band) can make some of that happen on the fly, but for us it needs to be mapped out in advance (because otherwise, my lead guitarist won't ever stop playing!)

Brian Hollands · From: Geneva, FL USA

Not textbook but I always liked the interplay on Whiskeytown's "Dancing with the Women at the Bar"
Particularly in the solo which starts around 2:30.
Greg Leisz on Steel (left side) not sure who played guitar on that track (right side).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jziBKTgLepM
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Nicholas Scott · From: Norfolk, VA USA

Brian, Great tune! One of the first I learned on steel.

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

All the early Alan Jackson recordings (his hits) feature Paul and Brett with wonderful Tele/PSG interplay.

Russ Tkac · Posted 5 Jun 2019 10:16 am

Textbook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzXcUjwDhQk

Colin Swinney · From: Wisconsin, USA

The Buckaroos wrote the textbook as far as Iâ€™m concerned. Truck Drivin Man is a great example that follows your formula idea, otherwise just watch any of their live videos on YouTube. Great interplay between the lead instruments.

Josh Braun · From: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

In most of my projects, we either work it out in advance, or just listen to each other. Sometimes I fill a lot (if, e.g., the guitarist is singing and focusing on a riff/rhythm for a song). Other times less. I try and always have a line of sight to the lead guitarist, as sometimes we'll swap/split breaks on the fly.

There's innumerable great examples of all this, but I've recently been listening to Vince Gill and Paul Franklin's "Bakersfield" album again, and they have great interplay on it.

Shawn Brown · From: Ontario, Canada

"Someday Soon". Buddy Emmons and James Burton.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Some of the videos on ET with the Texas Troubadors had incredible twinning of guitar and steel.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

James Burton & Ralph Mooney
Jimmy Bryant & Speedy West
Jim Holstein & Bob Pauole

Larry Ball · From: Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

Here is a pair of favorites of mine:

Stuie French and Michel Rose (Michel is a member on the forum) Their group is "The Feral Swing Katz" and they play a lot on "Utube" at various venues. Tamworth Festival being one, They both have played with the "Spin Drifters". They have played together for a least 20 yrs, they both have great style's and are able to mix them. Redd Volkaert, who once played lead for Merle Haggard plays a lot with them when he goes to Australia.
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Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

I use the formula method you are speaking about. Works Ok for me and the group I am with right now. I will, at times, play behind the lead guitar to compliment his playing.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Records are formally arranged. Listening and anticipation is required, plus eye communication. Not every song should be the same formula as that would get monotonous and boring quickly. The mentioned formulas are a starting point. It takes two. I've worked with Steel players who gave concerts in every song and filled every hole with notes. Good musicians will play good music together.

If you have a written set list, talk about it , TALK TO EACH OTHER ahead of time. talk it out , take notes.

If a player is indeed just winging it and playing all the time, they are not poor Tele players, they are poor musicians, period. The Tele has nothing to do with it.

good luck !
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Bobby Nelson · From: North Carolina, USA

I don't think it gets more "textbook" than just about any Ernest Tubb with Buddy and Leon.

https://youtu.be/53mHUgJoeWc?list=PLDIG6OVJm7ZBTM1ljseRPcRY72EPflsAz

Barry Blackwood · Posted 6 Jun 2019 8:21 am

Joseph Carlson · From: Grass Valley, California, USA

Hello all,

Thanks for some great listening suggestions, I've been listening to all of them and really diggin' it. Some I've heard before, some are new to me.

I have to confess, I think I might have been "that guy" back in my 20s, overplaying instead of doing what was best for the song.

I think what really changed my thinking was getting into recording. Now I find myself deleting half of what I play on a track and just leaving in the most crucial parts. It seems to have carried over to the bandstand!

That ability to think beyond just your part and think about how the band sounds as a whole appears to be a rare commodity.

Again, thanks to my FoBros for coming through once again.

Gotta love this place!

Joe

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Brian Hollands · From: Geneva, FL USA

Jack Stanton · From: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey

I always thought Hank DeVitio played some tasty twin stuff with both James Burton & Albert Lee in the early Hot Band.

Russ Tkac · Posted 6 Jun 2019 3:31 pm

Amen Jack!

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

I think the 1960's recordings of Ernest Tubb and Ray Price are some of the best examples of lead instruments working together, "trading off" on vocals, as it's often called. Price was very controlling when it came to the arrangement of his music, and in his band, the steel was usually kept simple and reserved. However, the (acoustic) guitar parts were usually flashier and more busy. Of course, some of this was due to the timbre and lack of sustain with an acoustic guitar, and how it's played on slow songs. In Tubb's band, the playing always seemed, to me, just the opposite. The steel was often given free rein to do just about anything in the solos and backup, and the guitar parts were simple and basic. I asked Buddy Emmons about this once, and he said that Ernest knew that his "trademark sound" for his band was that dirt simple, single-note guitar styling popularized by Billy Byrd (and others). But when it came to steel, Ernest was more liberal, and pretty much let both him and Charleton do whatever they wanted.

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

https://richhinmanvsadamlevy.bandcamp.com/releases?fbclid=IwAR2BMoBRj-S6W6VfmiXoVLPv8jrLEP9GWHTw3d1A9CaTKjRNC0af2S8iO2M
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Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

I almost forgot about the amazing Doug and Bucky album, released on the Flysing Fish label in the late 1970's. Doug Jernigan and Bucky Pizzarelli on 7-string guitar. Here's "Moonlight in Vermont" from that album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noeskw6dTyg

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
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