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Topic: Playing in PItch may be Mental |
Marc Friedland
From:
Fort Collins, CO
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Posted 30 May 2004 12:17 pm |
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Or maybe I have mental problems, but that’s beside the point.
Here is an example from a recent recording session I was involved with.
After listening to a ruff mix of one of the songs, I told the singer/leader that it sounds pitchy at various parts throughout the song. I thought it might be the steel, but I didn’t know for sure. At a later date he went in, and with the producer and engineer took a closer look at the song. They determined that the pedal steel was in tune with the electric guitar, but not the rest of the tracks. The bass guitar sounded in with the acoustic guitar and the piano. Unfortunately, they had me listening to a track of electric guitar which was slightly out of tune, when I played the pedal steel part. The acoustic guitar and piano were not in my mix at that time, and neither was the correct electric guitar part that was in tune. When I came in to redo the pitchy psg part, I listened to only the bass, and acoustic guitar for pitch reference. There appears to be no pitch problem now, with the new track playing along with all the instruments that should be there.
Now to my point!
I played the same steel and it was tuned exactly the same way.
As far as I could tell, I was not making any significant bar placement adjustments in order to play along to the tracks at either session. Yet, according to the results, I obviously must have been, because there were two different performances.
Any comments?
Thanks, Marc
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 30 May 2004 12:36 pm
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| This game is 45% mental. |
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Bill Llewellyn
From:
San Jose, CA
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Posted 30 May 2004 3:55 pm
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"Half the game is 90% mental." -Yogi Bera.
Actually, when I play, I feel like a mental case.
Enough attempts at humor.... Marc, what happened to you makes complete sense. You're accommodation of the guitar's tuning took only a slight adjustment of bar position, pretty much imperceptible to the eye, but your ear was right on top of tracking with the 6-stringer. That actually attests to you intonation abilities. 
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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50? |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 30 May 2004 8:11 pm
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Right. To play in tune with a track, or with live musicians, you must listen carefully. As you listen, your left hand matches the pitch of the notes you're playing to the pitches that you hear.
Looking at the bar and putting it right over the fret won't make you play in tune. Only listening will make you play in tune.
I once went to see a very good steel player, and he played beautifully in tune. Then at one point in one song, he had a part that required open strings. When he hit the open strings, the tuning was so different that I would have to say that it sounded out of tune to me. His guitar wasn't out of tune, but his continuous fine adjustments with the bar made his open strings sound out by comparison.
When I have parts that require open strings, I tend to stay in the open position for a full verse or chorus. That way it adds the flavor of a different instrument that has its own tuning space.
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 Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 31 May 2004 5:00 am
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| This is mental too, but I've noticed people (myself included) tend to play sharp when they get excited - the fast parts, the peaks of a solo etc. It sort of makes sense for standard guitarists because increased finger pressure and vibrato will naturally sharp notes, but violinists, horn players and vocalists do it too when they're over-stimulated. I'm not sure about b@njo players. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 31 May 2004 10:34 am
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| Any experienced steel player who has good intonation is doing a lot of unconscious fine coordination between the ear and hand. As was said above, you can't just watch the frets and get that. It is imperceptible to the eye. After awhile the ear and hand just do it automatically, and you will be matching whatever is dominant in the mix at the time. A lot of studio engineers are clueless, but the good ones know that you have to lay down the play-by-ear instruments like steel and fiddle last, after the piano, guitar and bass. Hopefully your engineer learned this lesson. |
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