Does this ever happen to you

Joe Blount · From: Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA

As most, if not all of you are professional.
You probably don't have this problem.
(Problem) It usually takes me three or four
tunes for me to not catch ever blasted string
but the right one. I have to keep adjusting my picks etc. And please don't ask me to kick
off the first song which has a fancy pick up
licks in it. let me know if anyone else has this problem.

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Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

That's why most players have their favorite warm-up licks. Try "noodling" around for a few minutes before the gig starts to loosen up your fingers. You don't even need to have your amp on, just get the fingers loosened up and practice hitting the strings you want, before you have to play for real.

I still hate it when the band wants to start with a real up tempo song though.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

It's not rocket science, Joe. The reason is not enough cockpit time and/or not enough time spent locating common string grips. There are ways to practice that might help the situation you describe. There are Joe Wright or Jeff Newman courses that will help fully develop this skill, but you can also do a lot of it on your own.

For example, when you first sit down at your guitar, don't tune it or adjust anything. Just put on your picks.
* reach down and grab 3,4,5 on E9
if you don't get it right the first time, try again until you do. DON'T CHEAT. Don't count strings. You need to get the feel of it. Do this every time. FIRST THING.
* then go for the other major chord grips: 4,5,6; 5,6,8; 6,8,10.

You can do the same with individual strings. For example, a player should be able to sit down, put on your picks, and hit the 8th string with the thumbpick. If you can't, it should be worked on.

Spend 10 or 15 minutes quizzing yourself: do 3,4,5 then 10,8,6 then 3,4,5. Do single strings and two at a time also. SAY the numbers before you play the strings. Before long, you'll start getting some of them right THE FIRST TIME.

Someone once told me they'd seen Buddy Emmons practicing harmonics for several hours at a stretch -- NOTHING BUT HARMONICS. It takes that kind of dedication to get control of the instrument. The guitar tries to play you. You have to show it who's boss.

EVERYONE has that problem. Some solve it; some don't. It's only solved by hard work, concentrating specifically on the skills required.

(wish I coulda told you to go out and buy a POD or a Hilton Pedal and all your problems would be solved -- but where's the fun in that????)

And, Jim, we old farts probably need a little anti-freeze to get us started.

That must be why you moved from New England to Texas. (it SNOWED yesterday here in Michigan)
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 23 April 2002 at 07:04 AM.]

Joe Blount · From: Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA

Larry I want to thank you for the lesson
on solving my problem. I think you hit it on the head when you said (pactice).and the lesson came from someone who sounds like he knows what he is talking about That's what i need is some feed back. Would like to hear from some one else who may want to contribute to to this topic.

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Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Glad I could help, Joe.

LTB

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Larry, thats funny, because the first thing that I do when I sit down is hit my different string grips! I'll bet that you are a great teacher. I like the logical way you approach steel.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I've alway been one to be at the gig before everyone else if possible. I like to set up my steel and just play along with the jukebox or something like that for 15 or 20 minutes before I even try to tune up the guitar. This way I'm warmed up and when I do tune the guitar it stays in much better.

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney tuning.

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

I think Larry hit most of it on the head, it just takes repetition to the "Nth" degree, and familiarity of your instrument. The only things I could add...

Take your time. A lot of new players try to cram all the knowledge and different licks and patterns in when they first start. Try to refine what you already do, and throw in the new stuff just a little at a time. That way, you won't be trying to "refine" hundreds of things you've learned somewhere down the road. I'd rather hear a player do only a dozen things, and do them well...than hear him do a hundred different things in a sloppy fashion.

Practice the simple stuff until it becomes reflex...until you can do all the right hand movements without ever looking at your right hand, then move on to newer, more complex stuff. Practice for accuracy first, and not for speed...the speed will come by itself when you start playing by reflex (instead of "thinking" of every move and how it's executed.)

Practice your blocking sometimes on the open strings...without using your left hand or the volume pedal. When you can pick the notes cleanly this way, your sound will only improve when you add your left hand and volume pedal techniques.

Lastly, do go out and hear and talk to other steelers. You'll learn a lot faster, and have a lot more fun!

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

I've got some headphones I warm up with before we start the first tune. I kick off most everything we do so I have to be ready.
When I walk in I play awhile, tune awhile but never leave the bandstand once I sit down. So usually I'm up there for around 40 minutes before we ever start. It's in tune and I'm for the most part ready for what ever the bandleader calls when it's time to play.

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