Can you project EMOTION thro' your guitar?

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Just finished listening to Jerry Byrd playing on some very early Pete Cassel records of the EARLY 1940's........on his old Rick 6-string Bakelite... WHEW!
Let's face it, a lot of today's players are deep into "SPEED PICKIN'" and banj'r licks.....and I certainly wish I could do it, but I cain't.
Soooooooo my question: Can any of you guys/gals out there, put so much EMOTION into you playing that you can make a whole room full of people nearly cry? On these old Pete Cassel records which Kenny Dail steered me to some months back via the RECORD LADY site......a very young Jerry Byrd was playing SINGLE STRING stuff and it really tears at my heart strings, like the emotionally packed sounds he did on Red Foley's "Just a Man and his Dog", "Old Shepp", Red Kirk's "Over and Ocean of GOlden Dreams" and countless others.
Just wondering if some of you have yet discovered "the other kind of single string playing on the steel guitar"........?
If you can, consider yourself a very rare and talent musician and do keep it up.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Wow
You took the words right of my mouth Raymond.

You always have something interesting to say.

Thanks my friend.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Unfortunately I CAN make a whole room full of people cry when I play.

Seriously, I've only had that experience one time, a few years after I started out. I somehow locked in to a perfect spot where whatever I was feeling came out through the strings. The few people who heard me play talked about it for many years. I've tried to capture that again ever since, and though at times I think I got close, I never achieved "that moment" again.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Confusion and frustration are emotions, too.

I know what you mean, though. If I wasn't able to project some emotion though my playing, I'd quit playing. What would be the point?

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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

Gerald Ross · From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

I posted these comments in another thread. I feel they are true to this topic as well.
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I truly feel that the steel guitar is the ultimate bio-feedback device. Everything you are feeling comes out through the bar. If you are feeling tense your tightness will be emphasized and broadcast by the bar. Likewise if you are relaxed the music will flow.

You can fake it to a degree on fretted stringed instruments. You can just plaster your fingers down in a chord shape and strum away. But there is something about that inanimate metal bar that transmits your immediate state of Zen.

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 06 June 2004 at 10:57 PM.]

Bob Hickish · From: Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.

There are times when I'm lucky to just get through a song , for other reasons , But I find myself thinking about the expression while playing - It don't always help , although I'm sure that it helps smooth out what otherwise might be some generic bad pick'n

" Confusion and frustration are emotions, too. "

This might be a topic to explore some time -

Bob Hickish · From: Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.

I just reread my reply and I made it sound like
it was my first day in Dodge - what I was trying to say
is some songs the feeling and expression come with no
effort at all ! others don't happen that way and I have to force
or think about getting some expression into it . the other reason
is some times the guys I'm working with drop a new one
on me and I have to figure out how to play it while its being sung on stage !!. Thats when it gets Generic !!!

Denny Turner · From: Oahu, Hawaii USA

How true, Ray.

Last night I was listening to Cyril Pahinui and Bob Brozman's slack key and acoustic steel CD "Four hands Sweet & Hot" (Dancing Cats Records --- #08022-38048-2) while I was in a particularly serene state of mind and could pay better attention to the Music. As usual when I listen to this CD, I was ever-more amazed at the broad range of expressions ...and the single note work of Bob as well. Another excellent example of expression and Musical Soul and abilities (IMHO).

Aloha,
Denny T~

[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 12 June 2004 at 06:37 AM.]

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I have been known to inflict pain on an audience. Does that count?

Garland Nash · From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Ray I'm with you there never has been any prettier pure soul poured into the songs that Jerry played with the blind guy from here in atlanta . Memories that live was the one that got me playing like Jerry.
Pete Castle wrote that for his wife Ruth and says so on the label. Anothe good one is the song , Its too late to say that you're sorry My all time favorite Byrd tune is Kilima Waltz And who would want a singer when you had Jerry Byrd. Jerry should have stayed in the states and had his own Show
There are enough guys like you and Carl Dixon me and a million more that would pay 20.00 to see Don't let the lap steel die . Garland Nash

Paul Arntson · From: Washington, USA

While I will never be in the same league as most of you gents, I must agree that the times that I can read the most (positive) reaction on peoples' faces is when I throw away the idea of playing fancy and I just play simple stuff with feeling. I think it goes for most instruments. Somewhere I heard (or dreamt?) that most people can't discern the individual notes if you play too many 16th notes in a row anyway, and it all just mushes together. I find if I play at about the same speed as the words of the song that I can reach out to the most people.
-paul

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