Hello fans and fellow players,
Even though it was country music that put steel guitar where it is today, I am very proud to hear and see steel guitar taking on many other styles. I catch myself watching the end of The David Letterman Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno every night to see if the guest bands that are appearing are using steel guitar or not.
Most of these groups sound like poor imitations of high school alternative country, but if they use steel guitar, it’s okay with me. It’s pretty obvious steel guitar is finally doing what I’ve always wanted, and that’s getting into every kind of music.
I think it’s pretty weird though when people come into my store to buy their first steel guitar after not having ever played and then I see them on one of these famous nighttime shows not long after. I’d rather hear them trying to play steel guitar than trying to play trombone or the equivalent. They are only proving what I’ve always said and that is steel guitar is one of the easiest instruments to play in the entire world. Now playing it well may be another story.
There are even players with big names that are making big money that really aren’t that great a player. It’s not who a steel player works for that makes them great, it’s how well they play. How many times have I heard someone say, He must be a great steel player because he works with old Bob Dylan, Jason Aldean or Porter Waggoner just for some humorous examples.
Steel guitar for years was primarily one style. That’s E9th pedal style. This style has created many a steel guitar fan. I am finally beginning to see steel guitar flair up into several other good styles of pure music. It’s wonderful to be able to do much more than just E9th style country music. There is nothing wrong with E9th style steel guitar. As a matter of fact, I have made a good living playing that for many years, but it’s soon going to be necessary to do much more than this soon to be archaic style of guitar.
Of course, I am speaking primarily of the professional player in these sentences. Just like being a banjo player and playing Scrugg’s style 5 string banjo for your entire career. Foggy Mountain Breakdown can get a little irritating no matter how well you play it.
Just like Bobby Thompson, the great banjo player that was on Hee Haw for many years. He did a great job of turning banjo into a musical instrument that could be respected by anyone. Yes, I am starting to see steel guitar grow up as a musical instrument. This does my soul really good.
Steel players like the legendary Buddy Charleton were pretty well masters of both necks. Buddy played E9th country style about as well as anyone that ever tried. Working with Ernest Tubb in Nashville and doing several recording sessions and turning into somewhat of a legend, this guy never let great music on C6 neck slip from his magnificent grasp.
He wrote many great instrumentals, some of which would make a well known jazz player happy to be able to play. Songs like Almost To Tulsa were and still are favorites of many steel players, piano players and all musicians alike. If I had to describe Buddy’s playing today, I’d have to say even though he left Nashville many years ago and has died recently, he was a musician’s musician no matter what style a person liked. As far as personality goes, his only complimented his great playing ability.
This great steel player is in the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame member. I will be picking out and doing a newsletter on many of these great members of the HOF in the near future, the reason being I’m seeing many very good new players that really don’t know who the old standards of their world of steel guitar are or what they’ve done.
Buddy was definitely a great player that should never be forgotten. His memory and CDs should be treasured forever. I don’t care how many years go by, he will still be a treasured addition to the great Hall of Fame. Have you ever heard Ernest Tubb’s version of Waltz Across Texas? Don’t be afraid to get on YouTube and punch up anything that has Buddy and Leon Rhodes backing Ernest up.
We are about to have the biggest sale we have ever had. It will be a one day sale. If you miss it, you miss it. Call in and buy anything off the internet at 20% off and this means off the sale price, no matter how low it is previously listed. The magic day will be 11/11/11.
If somebody gets ahead of you and buys it out from under you, it’s your fault for waiting too long, but if you call us with a credit card and we tell you it’s sold to you, then you are the lucky one that gets it. Be thinking about it and get ready. 11/11/11. This means guitars, CDs, teaching stuff, amplifiers, strings, tee shirts etc. If we don’t have something in stock that day, you have lost. This only goes for what we have on the floor that day.
One day sale and we open at 10 A.M.
Check out our monthly specials at www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html and we’ll try to save you a lot of money.
The friend to all bar holders,
Bobbe Seymour
www.steelguitar.net
sales@steelguitar.net
www.youtube.com/bobbeseymour
www.myspace.com/bobbeseymour
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Steel Guitar Nashville
123 Mid Town Court
Hendersonville, TN. 37075
(615) 822-5555
Open 9AM – 4PM Monday – Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday
