Pedal Steel Music

My tip this week is more of a news item. I’m going to be the eyes and ears of every one of you who did not have a chance to attend the Irish Steel Guitar Festival in Drogheda, Ireland, just north of Dublin on the east coast.

I’m sure several of you possibly wondered, as I did before my trip, about the true quality of European players and their ability to see and communciate with each other the way we do in our vast United States. I am here to put all your concerns aside. Believe me, language is no barrier, nor are country boundaries to these players that wish to excel in their craft, playing steel guitar. Nicer people I have never met than the Europeans. Better players would also be hard to find. Why do they play so well, you may ask, not being in the mainstream of what we think the mainstream is, my opinion is there is no mainsteam anymore because of satellite TV and telephones, video tapes being sent all over the world and country music being even more popular in Europe possibly than it is in the United States. The Europeans may have a slight leg up on us Americans.

I am in Nashville, Tennessee, in constant touch with all the players face to face all the time and I talked to many people in Ireland that seem to know as much about the goings on in Nashville as I did. This can only be attributed to modern communication and transportation. One of my biggest surprises was in walking in to the auditorium at showtime and discovering how many members of the audience were customers of mine and had been in my store in Nashville. It just goes to show that no matter where you are in the world, if you love steel guitar and country music, you have access to everything you need.

So I don’t want to hear anymore from you people in Iowa, Idaho, New Hampshire or anyplace that you consider rural, about you not being able to stay in touch in the steel guitar community and be up to date with what’s going on. It seems like everyday someone calls me and says “What am I gonna do, I might as well quit because there’s no one around me who plays steel and no stores around to buy the best equipment.” This is the information age. On the computer you’re looking at right now, you can get information from all over the world. All of you know that I can be reached by phone, email and regular mail and can be seen often at many steel guitar shows, so if you’re isolated, it’s your fault. Of course, this doesn’t have anything to do with my mailing list because you guys and gals definitely are in touch. Just spread the word and tell those that think they are not in touch how to get in touch with me or anyone else.

One of the great ways to improve your playing skills is to study under someone who can convey their hard won knowledge and experience to you. That’s the reason for my many video tapes, CD’s and tab books so here’s a link to the special sale prices for mailing list members …

www.steelguitar.net/sale.html

Your buddy,

Bobbe

www.steelguitar.net

www.bobbeseymour.com

sales@steelguitar.net

P.S. Thank you to Ireland and all the European visitors to the great steel guitar show at Drogheda, Ireland and a special God Bless to rural and foreign customers.

Hi guys and gals,

In the process of approaching my production of a Christmas album, I have had to face many interesting problems. All of us have heard every Christmas song in the world our entire lives. Many of us are extremely tired of even hearing a Christmas song. I was even one of these folks until I heard Buddy Emmons steel guitar approach to his Christmas album. This is my favorite Buddy Emmons album ever. So I asked myself what approach I should use to a Christmas album to make it interesting, tasteful and extremely listenable to children of all ages and musicians of varied tastes.

I have heard other steel players do Christmas albums that really just sort of sounded like a country recording session only using Christmas material as the format. I definitely did not want to do the straight ahead melody approach of Buddy Emmons or the country steel guitar approach of several other fine players. Because Christmas songs have been recorded by so many people with so many different approaches, it was really a challenge to try to figure out a new and different way of coming at the same old songs. Making these songs fresh, unique and different was my goal.

What I did was hire Nashville’s finest team of jingle players and writers. We charted everything out discussing chord changes with modifications to make them very interesting with a root in the melody with a smattering of brutal jazz, a touch of classical and of course, some tasteful E9th and C6th styles. One of the finer players in Nashville who has heard this album said it sounds like Curly Chalker, Buddy Emmons and Howard Roberts doing these tunes for a good movie soundtrack. I will personally say that there is something here for everybody from the hardcore musician to the kids who can’t sleep because Santa Claus is coming.

How does this all pertain to being a tip for you? The problems that I encountered approaching this Christmas album are really problems that you should be facing in learning to play, being original and putting yourself into your own style of playing. Anytime you play anything with anyone anywhere, don’t be Buddy Emmons, don’t be Curly Chalker, don’t be Bobbe Seymour, be yourself. Of course, there are many things you can learn musically from we three and everyone else. Use everyone’s playing as a blueprint for learning and creating your own style. Be a creative individual and not a carbon-copy of someone else’s playing. You playing what someone else has played is the same as you delivering the Gettysburg Address … everybody knows you’re not Abraham Lincoln. The reason most of you steel players don’t read music is because most of you are creative or have a creative core and don’t want to play what somebody else has already written.

How many times have you gone to church and seen the church organist play for an hour and you think hey, she’s good, then learned that she can’t play a note if the hymnal isn’t in front of her? What kind of a musician is it that can only play what’s written for them to read and play? To me a musician is someone who can create and not just be a machine by turning someone else’s written ideas into a song. I would rather hear a poor creative player than a great reader … at least I’m hearing what he’s saying and what’s going on in his mind. Steel players, all of you, I salute you all for being the creative individuals that you are. Now get out there and be creative and be yourselves and remember it’s not wrong because Buddy Emmons, Curly Chalker and I didn’t do it first. If we all played exactly the same, there wouldn’t need to be but one of us.

My exercise in being original in the form of this year’s Christmas album will be available within a month. There won’t be a newsletter next week because I’ll be in Ireland. I’ll see you in two weeks.

Your buddy,

Bobbe

www.steelguitar.net

sales@steelguitar.net

www.bobbeseymour.com

Hi guys and gals,

I have been accused on the two steel guitar forums of being or at least acting like a know-it-all when it comes to steel guitar products. Well possibly I do because possibly I am a know-it-all … and you readers that are on my mailing list are also going to be educated know-it-alls because you are on this mailing list … and here’s why.

I am in the unique position of having the world’s largest steel guitar store with 35 to 75 guitars on the floor at all times. This attracts the finest steel guitar players on the planet. When these great, well known steel players come in, they always want to experiment, try and compare guitars, amps and other products that I have in the store. Not only am I expounding information that is my own opinion but also, the opinions of highly touted players of our great industry. For instance, in the last month or so, I have had players such as JD Maness, John Hughey, Larry Sasser, Don Helms, Jim Vest, Mike Fried, Doug Jernigan, Tommy Hannum, Pete Finney and many others. This list could go on forever. These people all are very vocal and passionate about their opinions and most are unbiased toward any particular brand or product. Whatever they use has to be the finest … they can’t afford to use second best.

Luckily, the unique position I’m in puts me in the center of the finest minds in the industry and obviously because I am … and because I’m vocal on this mailing list … you are also in the center of this. You, the readers and subscribers to this mailing list, are all directly tapped into the finest minds of the industry. Also, any feedback from you will be fed back directly to them through your emails to me. So as you can see, you are also in the loop and part of this big picture.

My unique position allows me to play and compare a larger selection of guitars, amps and accessories than any other player on the planet, to spend more hours comparing these products with the finest players in the world and experimenting and learning together with them … and if passing this experience and knowledge on to others makes me a know-it-all, then I can only say I’m guilty … but so are you because I’m telling you everything I know.

Bobbe

www.steelguitar.net

sales@steelguitar.net

www.bobbeseymour.com

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the great interview with Jay Dee Manass on the SGN-News page of the website. For any of you in Ireland or who can make it to Ireland, I will be playing at the Irish Steel Guitar Festival October 18-19. Even if you can’t come, go checkout their website at www.steelguitarireland.com