Tunings The Lap steel guitar is not tuned in standard guitar tuning ( E-A-D-G-B-E, low to high). I remember seeing David Lindley and Jackson Browne back in the 1970s and he was definitely using a Rickenbacker B6 on stage.-----Brad's Page of Steel A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars. Interestingly enough, there is this thread between Victoria Williams and Joni Mitchell. This is the same type of lap steel that Greg Leisz used (along with his Bill Asher steel) when I saw him with Bill Frisell. Best tuning for beginning lap steel? | The Gear Page He basically put the band together since he was the only person that knew everyone that ended up in it. I love how much of a drive this song has, it just makes you want to dance under some neon lights. Ray Lamontagne live with - Asher Guitars and Lap Steels The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time It wasnt from the manager or a business person. They were all getting more into roots music. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Tell me about your friendship with him. Yeah. Gretsch Custom Shop Tour. Lindley's style led me to Greg Leisz, my greatest inspiration. I basically felt like I had to hone my own skills. The earliest Hawaiian lap steel tuning was open A low bass, E-A-E-A-C-E. Today, most open tunings for lap steel guitar fall into 3 primary categories: I got to be there and play with three of my idols. When I heard electric guitar on records, I wanted to play that. It is always a pleasure to hear Leiszs playing. Mission Bell The ring and pinky fingers always rest on the strings behind the bar . During this time, are you thinking of music as a possible career, or is it more a fun hobby? It wasnt the first band that wasnt successful that I was in, but it was the band that had the most attention focused on it, quite a bit in a very short time. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. Greg Leisz Interview: "I'm more grateful for what I have" I wanted to figure out how to make those sounds. ], Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain. Pearl Jam have played that song countless times. Blues and Rock players tend to favor one of two tuning families: open G/open A, or open D/open E. And Id save money from doing that and come back to California with several thousand dollars, which is a lot of money for fighting fires. [This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 30 November 2003 at 06:55 AM. That was a really interesting thing too. ], Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain. She didnt want a lot of guitar parts. It was one of those things where it was just an afterthought as he was making this record. I played on something where she hadnt finished the lyrics yet. Almost all of the keys are provided. What I remember is that was right around the time she was diagnosed with MS. Maybe it was after. How Do the Pedals and Knee Levers Work on a Pedal Steel? I really just worked with one of the guys. I just went in and overdubbed on one song. I overdubbed all those parts. Use the following techniques: Hold the bar in between your thumb and middle finger. Thats another very interesting one. Greg Leisz : The Steel Guitar Forum She decided she wanted to take over the production of the record herself. And then seven or eight years after that, she did her last album [Shine], and she called me to work on that one, too. Heavier Models), Parts & Hardware (Where to Find, Details, Info), How To Open Up the E9 Tuning (for Pedal Steel), The Chord Guide for E9 Pedal Steel Guitar, The Art of Right Hand Technique (for Steel Guitar), The Elixir of E9 Pedal Steel: Harmonized 6ths, 7 Best Pedal Steel Albums (That You Must Hear), Backing Tracks (Where To Find, Info, Types), 7 Songs Featuring Greg Leisz On Pedal Steel, Buddy Emmons Characteristics: How They Can Improve your Playing, Recording & Mixing the Pedal Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel: 5 Best Ways to Use a Compressor Pedal, The 6 Best Ways To Use Compressors: TIPS & Tricks, How to Record Pedal Steel (and Capture its ALLURING Sound), C6 Fretboard Diagram Flat & Sharp Notes, Universal Tuning & Copedent for Pedal Steel, Pedal Steel Copedents (Info, Types, Details), Almost Every Chord Youll Ever Need for E9, Easily Utilize the Nashville Number System, All Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales, Modes, Major Scales, An In-Depth Guide to Picking and Blocking, How to Efficiently and Accurately Play Notes on Steel Guitar with, Great for Pedal Steel, Lap Steel, and Console Steel Guitar, Over 100 Pages with Graphics, Illustrations, & Practice Exercises, Great for Country, Alt-Country, & Honky-Tonk Styles. I forget if it was directly by James Iha or the management. I think I was working on another record at the time, a Jakob Dylan record. At first he said, Ill play a solo in the middle, and then you play a solo, and Ill play a solo. Eventually he said, I just want you you to play all the solos. It was amazing for me because I got to be featured. I had produced a bunch of his records too. Greg Leiszs list of credits is so incredibly long and varied that its almost hard to believe its all the work of a single person. Was this the 1998 tour with Bob Dylan and Van Morrison? Shes the one that comes in and walks away with it. Hed been with her for a pretty long time. It was very quick. Greg Leisz on Apple Music Watch this gear and we'll notify you if it becomes available again. He just sits up there in his golf shirt and jeans and is up there like he just walked out of his house and went down to the local bar and hes onstage playing. Greg Leisz - lap steel guitar & electric guitar Gary Novak - drums Written by Mai Leisz & Greg Leisz Engineered by Kevin Smith Recorded at Groove Masters Studio in Santa Monica, CA Mixed by Alan Hertz Mastered by Joe Gastwirt. I really liked that project. When we ended up playing together, it was kind of fun even though he barely remembered me. Thats a little odd. This is one of those songs that I cant imagine without Leiszs pedal steel. Bob Weir : Free Audio : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet 2022 Albums Milan (Deluxe) 2022 Appears On Cardboard Wallpaper (feat. Lang, Matthew Sweet, Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd & others, helped shape his career Greg. We went in the studio to make another record and the band broke apart during the dramas of making the second record. Leisz has played on countless recording sessions over the years, and a look through his credits will astound any music fan. It was the sound of it. These two have such a great melodic sense, and their instruments weave in and out of each other to create a beautiful tapestry of sound. And after the Steve Earle sessions, he signed off, but she didnt think it was finished. The key to it working out was we had a couple conversations on the phone. Originally played on the lap, the instrument was a modification to the Spanish guitar, whereby the strings were raised by a half inch, creating what was at . This was a time where I met a lot of people like Victoria Williams and Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, Dwight Yoakam, Rosie Flores there was a bunch of people that all kind of knew each other and were playing in the same clubs in L.A. in the late Eighties. Yeah. He also writes songs. But I played on a song with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Kris Kristofferson. Feb 12, 2008. And until the record came out, I didnt even see the producer until after I finished the session. I didnt meet Taylor or either one of the people from the Civil Wars. Heavier Models), Parts & Hardware (Where to Find, Details, Info), How To Open Up the E9 Tuning (for Pedal Steel), The Chord Guide for E9 Pedal Steel Guitar, The Art of Right Hand Technique (for Steel Guitar), The Elixir of E9 Pedal Steel: Harmonized 6ths, 200 Country Riffs & Licks for E9 Pedal Steel, 7 Best Pedal Steel Albums (That You Must Hear), Backing Tracks (Where To Find, Info, Types), 7 Songs Featuring Greg Leisz On Pedal Steel, Buddy Emmons Characteristics: How They Can Improve your Playing, Recording & Mixing the Pedal Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel: 5 Best Ways to Use a Compressor Pedal, How to Record Pedal Steel (and Capture its ALLURING Sound), C6 Fretboard Diagram Flat & Sharp Notes, Universal Tuning & Copedent for Pedal Steel, Pedal Steel Copedents (Info, Types, Details). your profile | join | preferences | help | search. mastering by Greg Calbi. It was Steve Gadd and [organist] Walt Richmond and Doyle and Eric. Why am I going there? I had no idea. Greg Leisz: Lap Steel Craig Schumacher: Synth Bass John Convertino: Drums, Thunder Drum Brian Lopez: Backing Vocal 3. Leisz has an amazing ability to generate sounds that the pedal steel isnt usually associated with. Lang record Ingnue. But once I started hearing songs on the radio I liked, Id memorize them and play them on the piano. I was like, Now I have to get an electric guitar. That was the start of the garage-band culture of the Sixties. Hundreds of pages of practice, instruction, and reference materials for E9 pedal steel. At the same time, I was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and that type of songwriting. ------------------Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning. There was some kind of a connection made. Im very lucky. Im fully vaccinated, have been for some time. : Wikipedia : Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, Funky Kings, The All Star Band, Watkins Family Hour, Works Progress Administration : | Greg Leisz If you take a look at the music recorded in the last 30 years, theres a good chance youll come across the name Greg Leisz. Doyle said, Hes kind of interested , I met him and he was so immediately just a normal guy. He is one of my favorites. I can teach myself.. And now hes one of my best friends. lang, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Cockburn, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, and the Venturesto name a few. I didnt study music because I didnt think that was a career option for me. At least that's what David told me 25 years ago. Tour Gretsch 's Corona, California, custom guitar building operation with company master builder Chad Henrichsen and PG 's own John Bohlinger. Steve Earle had taken over from her ex-guitar player [Gurf Morlix], who left the band during the sessions. Around the 1:32 mark, Leiszs beautiful harmonics grace the listener in the higher frequencies. your profile | join | preferences | help | search. I didnt know it was Eric Clapton. Hed heard me play pedal steel, but he didnt know I had blues knowledge that went deep. It was an amazing experience. This would encompass all the work he does with T-Bone, and likely the Bon Iver and other indie records he's doing these days. You did all that in a single day? Did certain pedal-steel albums influence you? Those threads can have a huge impact on your musical journey. It really wasnt like I saw the Beatles on TV and said, I want to be like them. I never really did that. I met the first great drummers, the first great bass players, the first great musicians I ever played with while I was playing in country bars, rhythm & blues bars, any type of places. Theres nothing like the beautiful sound of harmonized sixths played on the pedal steel tabs that display the major scale harmonized in sixths. I just had to hope she wouldnt walk out of the room and not come back. Leisz single-handedly liberated pedal steel from the bondage of country.. There can be a lot of confusion about this, that's why I stated it up front. from $995.00 $1,773.00 Sale She was bringing in a lot of guitar players and people she knew to overdub on songs that already had guitars on. It has really great songs, but it had some amazing pedal steel by Buddy Emmons. Another year went by, and one day I got a text. They did all that stuff in Nashville. . It was the same thing that drew me to the electric guitar. Greg Leisz tunning and info - The Steel Guitar Forum I never really liked the Grateful Dead, and now Im in Bobs band the Wolf Brothers with Don Was. Every instrument and musical note seems to fall right in place, with great sounding timbres, and Leiszs pedal steel is no different. Ive come full circle with him. Thats another one of those random things. Getting to all the great records hes played on would have resulted in an interview longer than Infinite Jest and the uncut edition of Stephen Kings The Stand combined. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Leisz is no stranger to rock n roll, and always has the ability to add grit and bite to songs. I keep a Strat copy with a Nut Riser and strung with 11's tuned to Open E for gritty Lap steel Blues. Or does he switch necks often? By the next year, the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Tabs can be a great way to reference musical patterns and learn new playing ideas on the pedal steel guitar. The longer scale of the Strat (as opposed to traditional Lap steels) seems suited to this type of stuff. I already knew how to play guitar by then. If you think about that era, I was in the mid-Sixties conundrum generation where you had a generation gap and a draft. I actually went to the same high school as Jackson. I basically thought at one point that Id be a geologist or a forest ranger or something like that. I really enjoyed his work on the recent Blue Ridge Rangers" album (John Fogarty). When I ordered my Williams, Bob Rudolph told me that he uses S-12 Extended E9th tuning. He has played on so many noteworthy productions, with so many great artists, that to say he has been influential in modern music is probably an understatement. Sure enough, he was serious. Lap Steel Tunings | Telecaster Guitar Forum We had a laugh about that. For more ideas on utilizing the pedal steel sonically, check out the page below, Stay up to date on articles, tabs, and more, The pedal steel is much easier than it seems if you approach it with certain essentials in mind. Once you get an instrument in your hand and start playing it, you go, Wow. Then you teach yourself something and youre able to do it, you can apply it, its mind-expanding. Do whatever you want to do.. He stays genuine with the instrument, while still allowing its breadth of expression to add value to each recording. By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Im looking at your credits and theres a 10-year gap after the Funky Kings and before you start racking up a ton of credits. They had the chorus. My understanding is he uses a '66 bolt-on push/pull for most of his studio work. He spent time at the Ashgrove, the Troubador, and clubs on the Sunset Strip . Being a mailman was great because you had a car and you drove around and delivered mail. We got a record deal because of Jack Tempchins past of writing songs for the Eagles on their early records. Manage Settings This track features mostly acoustic guitar and vocals, and the pedal steel is so smooth. When I saw Greg with the Intercontinentals a few months ago, he was playing an Asher lap steel, Bob Hoffnar's Emmons push-pull, (Greg uses a PP for recordings he told us), and what I thought it was an old Rickenbacker lap in some kind of E tuning. It was just four or five hours. Very nice and tasteful playing. Read More. Im pretty proud of that. Once you start using the low C# tuning on the lap steel, you have completely different instrument than an 8 string tuned to G E C A G E C A. They made it look like a recording studio onstage. Classic country shuffle styles for Band-in-a-Box, by BIAB guru Jim Baron. And then I went, Holy shit. I texted back to see if it was real. He toured in 2013 as a member of Eric Clapton's band, in 2015 as a member of Jackson Browne's band, and again in 2017. But I just overdubbed on it. Theres so many little things that happen when you make records. anyone know? She had a strong vision. Steel guitarist Greg Leisz, who first made his name playing on Americana records from Dave Alvin, Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt, has more recently been playing on progressive-jazz albums. My wife plays bass with David Crosby. Its from the Hunger Games movie. Hundreds of pages of practice, instruction, and reference materials for E9 pedal steel. Podcast 66: Greg Leisz on Buddy Emmons. Bob [This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 26 November 2003 at 07:59 AM. Bill Frisell "Good Dog, Happy Man" lotsa Leisz. Buddy Miller's "Majestic Silver Strings". I love that song. I never really tried to emulate a pop star. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. #raylamontange. Were going to try and match the sound and have you play the 12-string in the parts that arent there. If you look at the credits, it has two players playing 12-string on the song. Gretsch Custom Shop Tour. They were different sessions and I recorded with her sitting right next to me while I overdubbed. Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a "bolt-on push pull"? This album is a seminar in playing with taste. Hes the one that knew me. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Custom pedal steel t-shirts, mugs, posters, and moredesigned in Asheville, NC. Once youre in that world, your ears become really open to hearing stuff. I never thought of it as a career. His tone (on recent recordings) is, in my opinion, the best you will find in the world. He just came in and said, Im going to go out. I ended up working on a few other albums with him. Thats what I kind of remember. This track has such a sweet groove to it, and Leisz adds just the right ambience to float with it. Unraveling the Mysteries - Weissenborn I think I played the dobro. This would encompass all the work he does with T-Bone, and likely the Bon Iver and other indie records he's doing these days. "A lot of people that I've worked with, you think they're going to be intimidating, but they're so good at making you feel comfortable," says Greg Leisz. That was the first time I worked with him. Joe Harvey Whyte & David Murphy Interview Lonesome Highway The Robert Plant / Alison Krauss album was another amazing record. Youre touring with Bob Weir now. We did a video where Jackson is getting a heart transplant. I never saw that coming. (He's a really good guitar player.) To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. And then it became, Wow, I can make a little money. But I had all sorts of different day jobs the whole time. With his ability to add texture to the music, and unconventional sonic expressions to the music, his playing feels like putting the final piece into a puzzle. Well, no. Its not just flavoring. I'm pretty new to the world of steel but I'm completely captivated by the subtle detail work Greg Leisz does on 'Bon Iver, Bon Iver.'. Mint items are in essentially new original condition but have been opened or played. The first note of the solo slides up to the 12th fret. lang, Lucinda Williams, Matthew Sweet, Meshell Ndegeocello, Paula Cole, Peter Case, Ray Lamontagne, Robert Plant, Sam Phillips, Sara Watkins, Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow, Susanna Hoffs, The Bangles, The Jayhawks, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tracy Chapman, Whiskeytown, Wilco, and Allen Toussaint. Victoria had already gotten a deal and made a record in New York. It starts out sounding like a Neil Young song with just an acoustic guitar, but then it has some synths. That was the case with Joni Mitchell. I was shaking on my way to the studio. They ended up pulling it because of that incident. And so she goes through this whole process where she has these hits and she makes another record and it didnt do well, and the label immediately stopped supporting her. He heard my pedal steel and thought that was something that Joni would embrace in her music. Great album. Where are you right now? All Lap Steels 2022-2023 Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior Lap Steel Black with Gig Bag! Ron Aniello is somebody I have worked with before, so he hired me to come and play on some stuff. Right on Nate! In 2010 and 2011, Leisz toured with Ray LaMontagne as a member of his backing band, The Pariah Dogs. He said, OK, Im going to do a Hop Wilson song where I can feature you. That was a big deal for me since when we actually did go on tour, I just played utility. Great for diving into single note playing possibilities and runs on the tuning. Leisz spent his younger years catching acts like the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers in Southern California clubs. This is all very helpful. They were amazing. I also didnt have parents that thought it was a good idea. Her budget had been stretched by the time, so she wanted to work fast. And it was a cool thing to get to do that. Greg Leisz Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic Add To Cart. As far as lately the latest Luncinda Williams has him on steel and guitar. I can imagine that being intimidating. While he was mixing, he had a conversation with her and she said, Theres a song in there called Right in Time. When we recorded it, I wanted to have a 12-string guitar go through the whole song, but they talked me out of it.. Tell me about playing on Bruce Springsteens Wrecking Ball. Youre on Youve Got It and We Are Alive. Great player all aroundlap, non-pedal, pedal, dobroetc etc Ironically, I used to play a lot of gigs with Greg in the '80s -- I was playing steel and he was playing guitar. The best way for me to do that was, I felt, I needed to play music, not sit around and wait for something to happen. There was a lot of questioning, to be totally honest. She was very focused, so it was great working with her. What drew you to the pedal steel? For any of you that don't have the book from fellow Forumite Andy Volk entitled, http://www.myspace.com/video/lol/robert-plant-alison-krauss-killing-the-blues-with-lyrics/24448189, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxvTTRKvfEU, http://www.laweekly.com/2004-04-08/news/south-of-here/. It was one of those things where she had a breakout song with that Cowboys song and suddenly the record company was like, Oh, we knew it the whole time! Ive seen this a lot before. Includes a bonus section of over a hundred pages of extra chord charts, key references, and more! I especially love what came out of that. I have to go back pretty far. Similar to playing with a slide or playing pedal steel, the lap steel uses a bar that slides across the strings. I didnt really listen to the radio. It has a deep, full body sound, with amazing resonance. He felt it would be too many musicians and that it should be more stripped-down. He was still married to her at that time. Diagrams that display the minor pentatonic scale notes on the E9 fretboard. It gets crazy. If you have a certain kind of shy disposition, youre usually intimidated because you dont know what to say and you just hope the person that is intimidating wont be intimidating because of something that you say. Tony Berg is a producer Ive worked with quite a bit. Hes help put the pedal steel on the map of countless areas of music that it probably had never been before. lang's Grammy-winning Absolute Torch and Twang and joined her on the resulting tour. T Bone actually had me come in and overdub. s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 - Regal RD45 - fender hotrod deluxe. Lap Steel Guitar Lessons - A Beginner's Guide She was taking parts off and replacing them. I was usually to shy to go up and talk to anybody about it, but I just kind of absorbed the music. SteelC6th Four years later, I worked with her again on Taming the Tiger. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. This track will really take you on a ride into the sonic frontiers, and Leisz shows just how much expression the pedal steel is capable of. Its pretty interesting. Podcast 66: Greg Leisz on Buddy Emmons and the Pedal Steel Leiszs ability to add whatever a track needs always feels natural and timeless at the same time. And then I was like, Wow, I can actually play this stuff. No matter who I play with, I try to integrate what Im doing with what Im hearing. I am a huge fan of Greg's playing, and had the pleasure of meeting him after the show. It wasnt much. The first couple minutes of this track display how well these two musicians can create soundscapes within songs. David Murphy (left) photographed by Richie Tyndall.