Why young folks are not learning steel guitar

Bo Legg · Posted 29 Aug 2020 2:02 pm

1.The Minor Pentatonic scale
All they need is a Cheap guitar, cheap amp, distortion pedal and the Minor Pentatonic Scale and VaVoom instant Rock Star!

Blake Orsinelli · From: Apple Valley, California, USA

only problem is a "cheap" steel steel runs nearly over a grand, you can get a beautiful Gretsch for less. I just turned 22 the only reason I could afford my used Carter Starter was finding someone randomly that knew my dad's steel player halfway across the country when I was stationed there and he happened to like me. still had to dish out 800.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Its not the money, it's the time.
Youngsters want an instant result, not years of study.
My grandson says he wants to learn, though.
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Blake Orsinelli · From: Apple Valley, California, USA

Ian, I would disagree, now maybe if Steel is your first instrument I could definitely see that being the case. I would argue however, that 1) Steel is in general not as popular as guitar bass, etc. 2) Doesn't have as much exposure to young people. Kids that listen to country can usually pick out that "crying" sound from a steel but have no idea what it is or what it looks like. 3) The entry cost if you have no other equipment can be quite astounding for a kid working a fast food restaurant, or a kid with no job. I know a lot of parents think 300 dollars for an instrument is ridiculous, especially if their son/daughter hasn't already shown level of commitment to music. 4) Steel is unique in that it just doesn't have the support that other instruments have. There's not many people teaching steel, classes that are offered are extremely expensive, teaching youtube videos are typically not shot well and are often taught by someone who has decades of experience. To the student just breaking into learning an instrument or with some experience with basic chord structures and pentatonix will most likely not understand when an instructor says a 6minor or 2minor or talking about the circle of 5ths. One thing I have certainly noticed is the steel community is very well versed in music theory and that in itself is another hurdle to overcome for the young steel player.

Every generation has lazy folk, but I would like to think the young folk like me; That know what a Steel is were raised differently than the typical millennial and have more of a work ethic than those that fit the stereotype.

Jimmie Miller · From: Dothan, Alabama

I think one major reason is the music they here on â€œcountryâ€ radio stations is not really country ! You donâ€™t hear the steel guitar as much in todayâ€™s so called county, as you did in years past. Young folks are simply not exposed to it. I think if they heard it more, they would find a way to buy one and try to learn. I did ! A lot of great steel players have passed on, but we still have a lot of great steel players. They just need to be heard on records more !
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Travis Wilson · From: Johnson City, TX

The musical landscape is just different nowadays and the popular music just doesnâ€™t call for the steel guitar. Modern country really doesnâ€™t even use it as much anymore. Even 6 string guitar sales have been steadily dropping.

Also, steel guitar is not popular because itâ€™s simply not a versatile instrument and it inherently sounds country no matter what you do. Itâ€™s not like piano where you can effectively play any genre. There is experimental music with psg, but who listens to that? Certainly not the average music listener or average musician.

Basically itâ€™s the same reason thereâ€™s no more harpsichord players.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Maybe I should have said "It's not just the money". I guess I was reinforcing Bo's stereotype of the lazy kid, although it's obvious that in any generation there are hard workers too.

It takes a certain kind of person to get interested. When I was your age I had just heard Buddy Emmons on that Judy Collins album and Al Perkins with Manassas, and I wanted to do what they did. It was another 40 years before I had either the time or the money to even try. In the meantime I played bass and trombone and learned a lot of theory, without which I could not have tackled the PSG anyway!

So everything Blake says is true, I think.
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Nicholas Cox · From: CA

You have to know what it is in the first place to want to play it. Out here most young people have no idea what a pedal steel guitar is.

Jimmie Miller · From: Dothan, Alabama

Gonna have to polity disagree. Steel Guitar is as versitle as the playerâ€™s imagination. The band I play in does everything from Merle to ZZ. And I definitely donâ€™t play the same on both. Good example, Robert Randolph!
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Asa Brosius · Posted 30 Aug 2020 8:59 am

I'm not sure 'rock star' exists anymore. Price has got to be the biggest obstacle to any hobby right now, and if we're comparing generational interest in steel there's a lot to consider-from stagnant wages, a dollar's relative buying power, inflation- to steel's relatively poor representation in contemporary popular music. A useable guitar rig has always been much cheaper, much more available, much less complicated, and enjoys high visability in nearly every genre of music. The lazy millennial stereotype is as accurate as the crotchety old out of touch guy who benefited from a functioning economy. All that said, some of the best working players in Nashville are 'young'.

Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

The Steel Guitar is only as versatile as the person sitting behind it. If the person sitting behind it has no drive or a need to explore their will be no progress. I like what Robert Randolph did for Steel Guitar. Their are a few players on the Forum that have taken it to a different level.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Blake, I think your second post captures the real issues much better. It's not just money. Young people, on average, have far more disposable income than they did 50 years ago. I've spent the last 40 years in a large university environment, and not everybody is loaded, for sure. But the prevalence of students with cars (most often very nice ones), annually traded high-end cell phones, computers, and other leisure-class accoutrements is pretty staggering. It was nothing like this 50 years ago. In a dorm of 100-200 students back then, you were doing good if a few - like 3-4 - had cars. Money did not flow as freely. A student with a credit card - virtually non-existent.

Lemme also say that say that steel guitars are much less expensive now than 50 years ago, if you factor in inflation and the value of a dollar. We've been over this many times. A lap steel can be had for less than a hundred bucks - that's less than $15 in 1970 dollars. I paid $40 for my first cheap Japanese electric guitar in 1967. That was an entire week's salary working on a tobacco farm at $1.00/hour, before taxes. A decent pedal steel can be had for $1000 bucks or less these days. That's less than $150 in 1970 dollars. A crappy early 1970s Sho Bud Maverick was $450 when I looked at one back in 1974. I didn't do it and bought my first (used) car shortly thereafter for $150. Sorry, man - it ain't all about money.

I think a big issue that Blake alludes to is that music is not emphasized anywhere near as much as it was 50-60 years ago. This goes to every aspect of the culture - what people do in their spare time, widespread lack of a coherent music curriculum in schools, and the entire culture being far more visually oriented than aurally oriented. I studied music in school from Grade 1 onward - every year. Lots of kids studied piano and/or orchestral instruments, and learned basic music theory. Add to all this the enormous number of distractions, and you have what we're seeing today.

Of course, steel guitar is not as prominent as guitar, bass, drums, and especially horns and reeds - the one place where music still thrives in schools is marching bands. But steel guitar was never prominent. The truth is, there were never a lot of people playing steel guitar, going back 50 years ago, either. Back then, I never, ever met a young steel guitar player. In fact, it was hard to see any steel guitar player unless you lived in a place where country music was prevalent.

So if you wanna know the truth - I think there are more young steel players around now than then. I know a few - the ones that know about the forum think we are a bunch of doddering old men. Well, I dunno about doddering, but mostly old and mostly men - well, yeah.

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

Simple, young people want to emulate their peers and idols, and they don't see their peers and idols with a pedal steel guitar. Go back 50 years and it was far different. Back then you had national "big name" acts using pedal steel: Poco, Rick Nelson, The Dead, Neil Young, Elton John, Gerry Rafferty, NRPS, FBB, the list goes on and on. We were getting big exposure, but that's not happening today. Sure, YouTube is littered with young, no-name artists and groups that may have a pedal steel. But it's not a big part of their sound, and they're not famous...that's a key issue. Another issue is that a lot of those "unknowns" we see there aren't really great players. A lot of the stuff they do is usually just ambient sounds, or soft pads. Musically, it's nice, but it doesn't generate any real interest or "fire" in the minds of the young. I think they yearn for that.

Steve Hinson · From: Hendersonville Tn USA

...or...

...there's my theory...

...you don't choose the steel guitar...

...it chooses you.

Nobody would pick the steel guitar if they weren't just tore all to pieces by the sound of it,would they?

The heaviest instrument,with the heaviest amp,a seat that's the right height,10(or 20)strings to change,just try to tune it...

No kids are hearing anything"mainstream"that is setting them on fire,I don't think...

...jmo...

SH

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

There's just nothing exciting out there steel related to interest new players, or old ones for that matter. Besides that, younger folks have the attention span of a gnat. They don't have time for anything that's not immediate, intense and instantly gratifying.

Well, maybe there is some out there, but it's just not immediately accessible like it used to be. Music is so broad anymore, you'd almost have to stumble across the good steel related stuff to be aware of it.

scott murray · From: Asheville, NC

who says young folks aren't learning steel guitar? I know plenty. there will always be many more guitarists and keyboardists... steel is a niche instrument. like Steve said, you've got to really want to play this dadburned contraption!

what people seem to forget is that all the great music with steel guitar is still being listened to and discovered by young people every day. it's never been easier to punch up an artist, either on youtube or spotify or wherever and listen to their entire catalog. older bands like the Dead and Neil Young, Steely Dan and The Byrds are still immensely popular. Gram Parsons probably has 100x the following now than when he was alive. Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Ray Price, etc are still the legends of country music and they always will be. their music ain't goin nowhere.

not to mention the exposure the steel gets in modern non-country settings like Robert Randolph, Daft Punk, Bill Frisell, and much more.

country steel is alive and well. there's several newer bands and younger players in my own town. my facebook feed is jammed with novice videos of young guys learning some of their first solos or turnarounds. it's good to see Wink

I wish there were more C6 and jazz players but I think that comes with age and exposure to the heavies like Emmons, Chalker, Jernigan, etc. and let's face it, jazz steel is a tiny niche within an already small niche.

it's great to see young guys like Tobin Hess and Mathew Jut tearing up both necks in their late teens or early 20s. and there's a ton more guys in Nashville that are late 20s/early 30s at the top of the game: Tyler Hall, Eddy Dunlap, Brett Resnick, the list goes on.

fear not. steel will survive
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Dustin Rhodes · From: Owasso OK

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

How many chart records with a steel intro...in, say, the last 10 years? Muttering

Bo Legg · Posted 30 Aug 2020 12:27 pm

Let me repeat and reiterate!
It's the Minor Pentatonic Scale. It's all over the net. All you need is this one scale to play over any chord progresion. Easy and quick, get guitar, amp and a distortion pedal and get after it.
All you hear about pedal steel guitar on the net is a lot of way out in the weeds talk about exotic gear, complex tuning and never ending anal discussions about how it takes forever and how hard it is to learn!

Stuart Legg · Posted 30 Aug 2020 12:36 pm

Maybe a change in direction would help.
Sell a basic steel guitar, basic amp and a distortion pedal and teach the Minor Pentatonic Scale.

Richard Lotspeich · From: North Georgia

What Steve said sums it up for me.
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Andrew Goulet · Posted 30 Aug 2020 4:38 pm

I'm not sure what qualifies as young, but I've been getting relatively steady work with experimental and rock bands for a while now. Young people are interested, maybe even fascinated by the sound, but don't get much exposure to it. That's ok. I don't mind being one of a handful. Everyone plays guitar.

Bob Womack · From: Virginia, USA

Um, uh...

The comely lasses of Larkin Poe, and particularly Megan, foreground, on lap steel, pentatonic scale and all.

Bob
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Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Well Bo, I believe this is one of your more intentionally provocative posts. I canâ€™t decide where the knock is meant to hit hardest - young people, the lack of interest in steel guitar, the pentatonic scale, rock music, or guitars. Given that choice Iâ€™ll defend the pentatonic scale, since young people are perfectly capable of making their own case, and since most guitars already have cases, and since rock music doesnâ€™t care what I think, and steel guitars have their own online forum.

For a musical concept that seems so simple, the oft-defiled pentatonic scale sure has gotten a lot of mileage. It is a rare thing to hear it used tastefully though, and only a true master can make it sound unique. As a springboard to melodic improvisation, it is a great starting point and deserves to be revisited often in a playerâ€™s growth arc, if for nothing else than as a reminder of the sounds that turned them on and got their audience shaking their money makers.

Jim Robbins · From: Ontario, Canada

When was the last hit or popular band with a guitar playing minor pentatonic licks through a distortion pedal? Gotta be at least 40 years ago. Ah, those were the days.

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