New(ish) Member, Rubbish Player

[jivebiker]

Having browsed the forum for a few months I thought I'd introduce myself, and give some background.

Real name Bryan Harris. Born in 1964, so yes, just turned 50.

First musical instrument was a Ukelele, bought for me when I was about 6, to stop me whining about my older sister having a guitar. Thing was, she was serious about learning, I was not. She got very good at classical and rhythm guitar, I learned to ride a bike and roller-skate.

1976 came along, and Pussycat hit "Number 1" with Mississippi. The opening was by some hairy guy on a weird guitar on legs. I wanted to be like him… a bit. Money was very tight. Mom and Dad worked long and hard, my sister had gotten better and better on guitar and at 16 was gigging in various trio's and duo's.
When I expressed an interest in playing "hawaiian guitar" they scraped up every penny to get me a beautiful Mother of Pearl Hofner Hawaiian Artist lap steel from a small music shop in Birmingham. I needed lessons… on everything including how to tune it!. The shop threw in a book, Country Dobro, which helped a bit, but I needed a teacher.

My sister was a regular student at the Birmingham Guitar School, and my Dad found out that a teacher there played steel guitar. And so I met Mel, the only name I remember him by. I had lessons on the lap steel for a few months, and then Mel left the school and went independent. OK, so lessons were now at his place in Kings Heath. WOW. In his teaching room was a Sho-Bud, D10, in sunburst orange. I wanted one of them!

As I said, money was tight, so after some enquiries a trip to Woodruff's was in order. Mick had found a Sho-Bud Maverick, great condition…£300! I had to trade my Hofner in and promise to wash up forever, and do my homework and practice the PSG a lot!

Perhaps I was too young, I don't know, but after about 6 months I sort of lost interest. I always struggled to understand music theory. People talk about 5ths and 7ths and relative this that and the other and it goes straight over my head. I think thats why I gave up. I could read 10 string tabs, worked my way through Winnie Winston's book (badly), even had a job offer over the phone once during a lesson (I was too busy with school stuff, and that came first - a pity, it could have been the making of me musically, or the breaking!). Mel had faith in me, but I was getting interested in other things, and had no focus. Pussycat didn't release another Mississippi, and PSG had gone from the airwaves. I stopped practicing, I had nothing to practice along with… we didn't even have a decent record player in the house. I needed a tape deck. Plus I never twigged about the relative positions you can play the same chord in… for that matter, I never really understood how a chord was made up, despite Mel's efforts… basically I faked it. So I quit… and regretted it ever since.

The Maverick was sold to fund a motorcycle. I went to University, Aston in B'Ham. While there I wandered down Snow Hill area one day, and came across a music shop with a lap steel in the window £20. Well I was a rich student now, (earning about £5 a day playing pinball - what do you mean - lectures?) so I bought it, and entered back into dobro land… well very occasionally, but at least I had a steel guitar of some sort. I did attend the big Woodruff's auction when they closed down, but the Springfield PSG's they had were all way over that. Even my own Maverick sold for more than I could afford.

And so nothing happened for many years. I dabbled with keyboards, which helped me visualise how chords are built up, but I played by ear and never knew what chord I was playing, still don't.

Then about 6 years ago I saw a clip of David Hartley playing Cold Cold Heart (just around the Nora Jones era) on Youtube. My fire was re-lit. I wanted to play again, but I was only 5 years married, busy with work, and struggling with a back injury that was getting worse. But I got the lap steel out again and had a play. I played along to my mp3's, but got frustrated at the tuning and lack of flexibility (no minors) and wanted to be able to change sting pitch like a pedal steel. Then I saw the Duesenberg Pomona. I bought one, a lot of money £800+. After 2 hours the first string broke, then another, then the replacements, and on it went. I looked into it… bad design. Great. Refund. Build my own. So I did, and it works, but it makes picking awkward, and it is still limiting, an 8 string would have been a better choice.

And so in 2009, I saw a PSG on eBay, looked OK and was assured it played OK…. it didn't. What a wreck. Returned. I wanted a proper PSG, not a student model as I now knew they had limitations. But the cost… I had the money, but how to justify spending so much on a thing I didn't even know if I would be able to play. The crunch came when I was forced into retirement with my back condition. Too knackered to work, too young to sleep my life away. But too wazzed on drugs half the time to do anything. But all the time in the world to learn PSG.

So I looked around and found a nice MCI D10, at Gerry Hogan's, for an OK price.

David Hartley had posted Cavatina on Youtube, and I decided to learn that as a starter, to get my brain around things again. And 18 months down the line I just about have it imprinted, but it taught me lots along the way. I'm still awful at playing it, my memory is affected by the meds I take, so I blank a lot. But I enjoy playing along to my music collection. I can nail a track's chords in seconds, and can spend happy hours picking away. I don't know what chords I am playing, it is still by ear, but what the hell.
I am going to try to learn music theory though, so when someone tells me a song is in F I know what chords to play (even if I can't remember where to play them). Annoyingly my brain is stuck in G major open tuning for dobro, C at 5, D at 7 etc and I can't seem to erase that and get into E mode, which really messes with my head. Sometimes I wish Id never seen a lap steel.
Other than that, my fingers are dead slow, a little arthritic, but really slow and uncoordinated, a by product of my meds again, so I am trapped into slow playing, no Speedy West stuff for me, I struggle with even simple licks. One day I will come to one of the gatherings, but I'm not sure I will play, I think I would be painful to listen to, then again, perhaps a knowledgeable audience would provide some helpful critique.

I have often wondered what ever happened to my former teacher, Mel. My Dad thinks it was short for Melvin. The only PSG Melvin I can find is Melvin Duffy, but I don't think he is old enough. The Mel I knew would be at least 60 now, I think. I can't remember what Mel looked like (I probably would if I saw him) but Mr Duffy didn't light up any bulbs in my head, so if anyone knows who this was I would be delighted to find out. He played other instruments, taught guitar in the 70's, and lived on Wheelers Lane (or it may have been his parents house) in Kings Heath, in Birmingham.

Anyway, thats me. Hopefully one day I will meet some of you, and we can talk cabinet drop and sweet tunings, the first of which should have been totally eliminated by now, why hasn't it?

Sorry, bit of a long post.

Sweet Pickings

Bryan
Oh, the Ukelele… yes I dabble at that too. And after 44 years, I'm still crap.

[David Hartley]

Hi Bryan,
I read your posting in full.
If your learning theory to help your steel playing, don't do it.
I think I could help if you have a bit of time here for tuition.
Contact me if you wish.

[Uncle Roy]

Hi Bryan,
Welcome to our site, great story of yours but it has been told over and over by many players to the steel.
You are in the right place for help here, so many can and will help. As for David you wouldn't go wrong he is certainly one guy that can help you with your playing I am sure.
Sounds like you have the right gear all you need is some one to one and get to some of our meetings etc around the country.
Good luck maybe we will meet up somewhere someday.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Hi Bryan, Welcome aboard, Not sure where your from? I am in St.Neots Cambs. Glad to help if I can....

[Tony Russell Davis]

Hi Bryan - you've introduced yourself very well and like David, I have read right through too. What area are you in? If you are too far from David or John we might have other members closer to help out.
This thing about music theory is all very well, but not for everybody. I struggle to call my chords by their name but most are old friends and I know them well enough by sight sound to bring them to the right party. There was music for centuries before there was theory "Feel" is a good alternative to aim for; dabble all over the instrument to hear what notes can join up. Don't just look for tunes every time, finding little groups in a run will benefit too. The more you play, the more you will "feel" where to go next in a real tune.

[Gretschnut]

Welcome to the club. That would have made a cracking article in Uncle Roy's next Newsletter. Perhaps part two?

[Tony Smart]

Would your teacher have been Maurice Hipkiss?
I believe he comes from the Midlands.

[jivebiker]

Thank you for the replies and the welcoming words.
And for the encouragement and offers for tutoring. Location wise, I am in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. I'm not sure who is nearby. I have an issue with travelling, in that my meds sometimes stop me from driving due to drowsiness. I usually only travel distances with my wife, so she can drive if I can't. Obviously this places limitations on commitments for things we are not both attending. I manage the local shops OK, and my Osteopath, but that is about my range… about 4 miles. If anyone is in the Chesham or Amersham area PM me and say hello.
With regards to the theory, it is more to get a grasp of terminology so I can understand what people are talking about. When it comes to playing, I guess I have used my ears for the last 40 years, why break a habit of nearly a lifetime. I do usually work things out in short order, but I find it hard to get my head round those PSG specific note combinations, that create so distinctive a sound. I find myself only playing on 3,4, 5, 6, 8 &10, occasionally utilising 1 and 2 for small riffs (but can never seem to drop them into a song casually). Got knows what 7 and 9 are for! I have only used them on things I have found tabs for, scale exercises, and find them totally unnatural. I have considered retuning the bottom end, moving 8 &10 to 7 & 8 respectively and gaining a lower G# and E. I could then strum to some heavier music than I can pick to. I won't though because I think here lies the key to those as yet undiscovered country nuances.
I guess I'm not necessarily the typical PSG player in that I want to jam to rock music with it, as well as play country chord transitions. I might just sacrifice the C6 neck for a "strum along" neck, as I really can't get my brain around that. You C6 guys make it look so effortless! I would need another lifetime tho' to learn that.
Maurice Hipkiss - no that name doesn't ring a bell. I remember he was known as Mel, It was such a long time ago, the only other thing I remember was that he had a collection of "Mad" magazines in the hallway to read while waiting for the lesson in front to end. I remember the Rollerball episode, strangely quite distinctively, but I can't for the life of me remember his surname. Weird.

Anyway, it is good to have touched base with you all. Hopefully I will get to meet you in due course and maybe improve enough by then to play something with you.

I will keep sifting through the threads, and will pipe up from time to time if I have anything to contribute. Please try not to delete my profile if I am quiet for a while, I may just be adjusting to elevated pain relief, which can take a while.

Thanks for the welcome

Bryan

[Tony Russell Davis]

Sticking to strings 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 &10 is perfectly fine at this stage. Get to grips with those until you are comfortable to follow a chord sequence through a song. You can always try picking 9th instead of 10 once in a while, that is a 7th chord (one of the few I can name)
As another example of 9th string uses, try this, and lets start on (say) fret 7 - pick 9, 7 and 6 with B pedal down. Keep the chord ringing and slide down to fret 5 releasing the pedal as you go. Still letting the chord ring, pick string 4. That is not ground breaking, but it does show how string 9 can be used to good effect and it's quite a pleasing slide into a 7th chord. Also it gets your thumb used to finding the 9th string and introduces a new place to play a major A chord. See if you can find places to use it in your songs.