Chance Encounters of the Fourth Kind

[Gary James Peters]

As Danny (quite surprisingly) noticed, I have yet another album of steel guitar music available for my ravenous fans. Here's the first track...it's good!

https://garypeters.bandcamp.com/track/b ... r-4-steels

The whole album is here, in case you want to listen to the whole thing (Ha!), or even buy it (Super-Ha!!)

https://garypeters.bandcamp.com/album/chance-encounters

[Danny Mitchell]

Gary, having now given the album a, 'soup to nuts', blast, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, could I make bold and ask you a few questions about your methodology?

Anticipating a positive reply, I'll steam ahead.....
1. When writing/creating/recording, do you have anything scored out? The first track, Banjaxed:Three for 4 steels, sounds composed to me, in the way the steels come together at some motif sections.
2. Am I right in thinking (excuse my ignorance here) that the bulk of the tracks are in a harmonic modal form? Where you lay down a chord 'bed', with chords formed from a selected mode, and then play an improvised/reactive, more linear part against this?
3. Do you use a click track for the initial count in, or to hold things together? The tempos are very steady and locked in, in a nicely loose feel.

I realise this grilling's a bit of a cheek, but curiosity got the better of me as I was listening. My initial favourite is The Old Country, that combo of tremolo 6 string and steel is unbeatable for a moody tune.
And, finally, to answer the question you posit; that circumstance was no doubt due to the Buenos Aires blue bucket shortage of 2019.
Apologies for the novella.

[Gary James Peters]

Thanks for listening Danny, and interesting/intelligent questions, let's hope you're an interesting/intelligent man!

But seriously:

1. I rarely score things out, and I can only really read music on 6-string (and slowly). If I create something on the guitar (which I often do) I will write up a chord chart to follow on the steel as a guide. But, as you say, much of my stuff is highly modal and noticeably lacking in complex chord changes. The track you mentioned for 4 steels was not composed. What I did was do 4 takes of steel for a banjo track, used the best bits, and that will appear on another album to be called Banjaxed. Not one to waste anything, and also down in France where I can play but not record my steel, I decided to see what the 4 tracks sounded like without the banjos, so that's what it is. It works because, while all improvised, all of the improvisations are related to the absent banjo track. By chance (hence the album title) they work well together, and do sound very composed in places...Cage knew what he was doing! All of the other tracks on this album were again either from the same piece or from entirely different pieces, juxtaposed, and kept if they worked (to my ears). Basically, I refuse to throw anything away.

2. Although I don't work with specific modes a la Calum, much of my playing is modal. Yes, I usually start with some repeating figure or circular chord sequence and then improvise over the top. The lines used are usually related to the underlying base, but not always, especially on this chance album where I'm literally throwing things together and see if they stick.

3. If I want a steady, driving rhythm I will record the initial track with a click track playing throughout. I will then mute it for all further tracks to create a looser feel. I often play without a click-track and just rely on my impeccable sense of time (ha!). When it works it's the best way to work, but it doesn't always. Also I often play over sampled drum tracks (often from my son) so then that's a tight base.

The Old Country track is the same one I posted up on Soundcloud quite recently. It started by me adding guitar and steel to an existing track with vocals played by my mate Veryan Weston, which was recorded in one take. In this version I just retain my two tracks, to highlight the Behringer Tremolo pedal I just bought on Amazon for £18.00...a bloody bargain if you ask me, as good as the Boss pedal for a fraction of the price..OK, it's plastic (who cares, especially if you're an OAP playing in your slippers?)

Hope that clears everything up and, if nothing else given the limited appeal of my steel playing, will clarify what you should avoid doing if you want to play the steel guitar properly.

[Danny Mitchell]

Thanks for taking the time to assuage my curiosity, Gary. Much appreciated.
I have the self same tremolo pedal myself, an excellent wee purchase.

[Gary James Peters]

Assuage is a very fine word, and under-utilised in my view, especially among the psg community. But then it's not all about words is it? Or maybe it is!

[Haddock]

Assuage will always make me think of Ivor Cutler and the balloon purchase! A fascinating insight into someone’s creative process and interesting to see what’s going on. Yet another album in the queue to be listened to. I will get around to it Gary!
Cheers
Calum

[Jif]

Nice Gary, you have some stamina knocking out so much quality material in such short periods of time.

I've been thinking about buying one of these Behringer tremolo pedals for a while, not much point atm but I might just go for it anyway, they're so cheap! I have a MooerTrelicoptor but it's a bit noisy and I've watched a lot of demos of the Behringer pedal and as you say it's just as good as the Boss pedal which of course it's a clone off. So the Trelicoptor will probably go up on ebay or reverb. Pity the case etc of the Behringer is cheap and plasticky but hey ho if it does the business then who cares.

[Gary James Peters]

It's quite good plastic though. Obviously, there's plastic and then there's plastic. Actually, it feels pretty robust.

Love a bit of trem.

As for my production line: since retiring from academia I decided to explore what my life might have been like if I'd ever had a 9-5 job. I've decided, as regards playing the steel, I don't mind it as much as I thought I would. But, yes, I do produce an annoyingly (for other people who don't like what I do) large amount of stuff. But, as you say, it's quality, right?

Hope you're bearing up yourself, and glad to hear you're getting a cottage break.

G
G

[Jif]

Thanks Gary.