Help Leisz's ability to add whatever a track needs always feels natural and timeless at the same time. I had met Victoria before that. Lang, and Bob Weir and Wolf Bros. I dont know how to comprehend everything Ive done, he says. And until the record came out, I didnt even see the producer until after I finished the session. Although this track has Leisz on lap steel, I couldnt help but include it! And then he did the Jeep commercial on the Super Bowl. I never really liked the Grateful Dead, and now Im in Bobs band the Wolf Brothers with Don Was. What I remember is that was right around the time she was diagnosed with MS. Maybe it was after. Pearl Jam have played that song countless times. And when she was young, she actually sang in a Broadway musical and light opera in the mid-Forties, during the war. Thats what he did. It was really close in time to after her record came out. Its not just flavoring. Sure enough, he was serious. Yeah. Blues and Rock players tend to favor one of two tuning families: open G/open A, or open D/open E. The group released their debut album, WPA, on September 15, 2009. When he was working on it, I got brought in. 8 bars over a 1:3m:4:5 chord sequence - bliss! Pedal-Steel Guitarist Greg Leisz on His Years With Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, and Daft Punk, Neil Young Sets Release Date for Vintage Seventies Bootlegs, Kiley Dean Began As Britney Spears Backup Singer. 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. She got treated a little rough in the press in the reviews. They tweaked it here and there and made that the track. She was living in Nashville and he was in Los Angeles. Every one of the past 30 years has been that busy in the studio, and hes still found time to tour with the likes of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, K.D. Thats another very interesting one. 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.'. Thats probably the longest time I havent spent on a plane since I was a teenager. Use these diagrams as a reference tool, or memorization aid for your practice and playing. Lang record Ingnue. Leisz grew up in the garage band culture of mid-1960s Southern California. They are Swedish musicians, but I knew some of the same people that they did. Its crazy. 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. I didnt meet Taylor or either one of the people from the Civil Wars. I knew that he played some steel -- I just didn't know that he REALLY played steel. Her original version was more what she was doing at the time. ], Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. Sometimes you just kind of go, Why did they pay me the money? Part of his universal appeal -- which certainly draws on the experimental nature of those influences -- comes from an open-minded approach to lap and pedal steel, an approach that casts aside Nashville references. I was listening to Jeff Beck and going, Shit, what is that? I was learning to play guitar while he was playing Bob Dylan songs. Search I never even listened to the Dead. A detailed look at one of the most challenging and mysterious aspects of steel guitar playing: the right hand, 200 Country Riffs & Licks for E9 Pedal Steel, Add these country licks to your playing repertoire, The Elixir of E9 Pedal Steel: Harmonized 6thsif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'playpedalsteel_com-medrectangle-1','ezslot_6',177,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-playpedalsteel_com-medrectangle-1-0');report this ad, 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. I actually went to college for a while and studied geology. I know. To make a long story short, I knew her engineer and he asked me to come play on the record. He said, Im maybe going to go on tour next year. He felt it would be too many musicians and that it should be more stripped-down. I got pretty good. 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. 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. In the studio, usually David used Valco instruments. Its got a great honky-tonk sound, and Leisz shows how at home he feels playing pedal steel in a more traditional context too. 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. And then Paul Carrack. And then I was like, Wow, I can actually play this stuff. The 6 string lap steel is great for Hawaiian, blues, slide guitar licks, many country songs, dobro style riffs and can imitate a lot of what can be played on the 8, 10 and 12 string tunings. And they cut some stuff up. I learned how to play it and Ive now played it on a couple of records. Having options for playing minor scales or modes in 6ths can be beneficial when playing in minor keys, over chord vamps, and over certain chords in a progression. 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 . Continue with Recommended Cookies, Tabs can be a great way to reference musical patterns and learn new playing ideas on the pedal steel guitar. He tried to get a deal as a solo artist and he was told that he should get a band around him. It was very quick. Doyle said, Hes kind of interested , I met him and he was so immediately just a normal guy. But once I started hearing songs on the radio I liked, Id memorize them and play them on the piano. Tabs that display the major scale harmonized in sixthsthese pockets or positions on the fretboard are great to utilize when playing. I tended to gravitate towards jobs where I didnt have to be around a lot of people. They did all that stuff in Nashville. It was actually just one day. But she was fine with it. Its pretty interesting. Especially the solo on "Pony". But I have worked on several other sessions with him, including several where we played live in the studio, like Mutations. Leisz has played on countless recording sessions over the years, and a look through his credits will astound any music fan. This page contains affiliate links. This track kicks off strong with Leiszs pedal steel at the forefront. I have a credit.. I was basically asked to play all the guitars on the album. I went through a little bit of soul searching. I forget if it was directly by James Iha or the management. 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. Yeah. Similar to playing with a slide or playing pedal steel, the lap steel uses a bar that slides across the strings. It sort of became an avenue to make a living by expanding my vocabulary as a guitar player. And she got Roy Bittan. She set me straight and said, Im not going to tell you anything. Im not going to try and edit what you do.. Pedal steel is a great accompanist instrument, but Leisz shows how much a simple sound can add so much depth to a piece of music. He decided he wanted to have that instrument in that particular band for that tour. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Leisz grew up in the garage band culture of mid-1960s Southern California. It was something I really liked to do and I started doing it a lot. Steve Earle had taken over from her ex-guitar player [Gurf Morlix], who left the band during the sessions. I sometimes just took day factory jobs in Orange County. I really just worked with one of the guys. We did a spring leg and a fall leg. 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. Jim Scott ended up mixing that album. He didnt introduce anyone. Custom pedal steel t-shirts, mugs, posters, and moredesigned in Asheville, NC. He appeared in the 2016 Cameron Crowe cable television series Roadies, accompanying Jackson Browne on three songs in the last episode of the series. The Steel Guitar Forum : Wikipedia : Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, Funky Kings, The All Star Band, Watkins Family Hour, Works Progress Administration : | Greg Leisz But I overdubbed. There was a lot of questioning, to be totally honest. He does some nice work on Jakob Dylan's "Women And Country". He spent time at the Ashgrove, the Troubador, and clubs on the Sunset Strip . In a successful session and side-man career that's spanned over 40 years, the diversity of music Greg's played on is pretty incredible. I overdubbed on the song. She decided she wanted to take over the production of the record herself. Shes fantastic. [Laughs] Yes, but Im used to being intimidated by people in the music business. It was one of those things where it was just an afterthought as he was making this record. Tell me about playing on Bruce Springsteens Wrecking Ball. Youre on Youve Got It and We Are Alive. Greg's always been one of my favorites, from his work with KD Lang to Peter Case to Bill Frisell--I have dozens of CDs he played on that I bought just to hear him. Interestingly enough, there is this thread between Victoria Williams and Joni Mitchell. The first couple minutes of this track display how well these two musicians can create soundscapes within songs. They were different sessions and I recorded with her sitting right next to me while I overdubbed. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. This is a great album all around, with world class musicianship. John Bohlinger. I taught myself how to play. He had Flood and the other producer [Alan Moulder]. He met Jack Tempchin. You did all that in a single day? He just came in and said, Im going to go out. I went in and played a couple of songs with him live in the studio with a full band. I was shaking on my way to the studio. Leisz's playing has appeared throughout the years on recordings by Aaron Neville, Alison Krauss, Amos Lee, Beck, Bill Frisell, Black Crowes, Bon Iver, Bruce Cockburn, Bruce Springsteen, Cass McCombs, Chuck Prophet, Daft Punk, Dave Alvin, Eagles, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Glenn Frey, Grant Lee Buffalo, Haim, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, John Fogerty, John Mayer, John Stewart, Joni Mitchell, k.d. At the same time, I was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and that type of songwriting. Greg Leisz is a songwriter, sideman, and producer who pays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. What they did was amazing. Once youre in that world, your ears become really open to hearing stuff. It wasnt much. He came back and I said, Want to hear it? He goes, Later, but Ive got another song. And then they put on this Gene Clark song Through the Morning, Through the Night. I did that and I just put it together with the engineer. But its been a crazy year, just like it has for everybody. We went in the studio to make another record and the band broke apart during the dramas of making the second record. I love the Victoria Williams song Crazy Mary. You play on that. The early Eighties must have been rough then. Everything was recorded onto a Zoom R24 then ported to a PC for mastering using Reaper. Lap Steel. Tony Berg is a producer Ive worked with quite a bit. While Frisells guitar playing is unique and bends genres in its own right, Leisz complements this so well. I didnt even have a business card. I didnt really see myself in the picture. I feel very fortunate we got through the whole year. I went back to Chicago and worked on that with James. 148 South Cloverdale Blvd. I wish I had been his best friend in high school. I can teach myself.. I heard this, and could not get that steel guitar sound out of my head. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley/Poor boy, youre bound to die. That was like, Wow. And when I started playing guitar, I knew those melodies from hearing them on the radio. When she was making Car Wheels, that was really at the end stages of the record. This was her second record and she wanted to make a bunch of changes. Also, its interesting to me that it even happened at all. 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.. Those threads can have a huge impact on your musical journey. 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. Whats more interesting to me is that much later they had me play on Western Stars. Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support. Help 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. It is in near mint condition and comes with a custom deluxe Cedar Creek hardshell case. This is one of those songs that I cant imagine without Leiszs pedal steel. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. They were just guys that were factory workers during the day that played country music at night. produced by Lee Townsend recording and mixing engineer: Judy Clapp. He was a member of Funky Kings who released their eponymous debut album on Arista Records in 1976. Terry . No. He was great. How Do the Pedals and Knee Levers Work on a Pedal Steel? What sort of career did you see yourself pursuing? Thats one of my favorite Lucinda Williams songs. To wrap here, how do you feel when you look at your credits and just see hundreds and hundreds of songs? The year after that, Morning Phase was the album of the year. Its a song called Moonlight Motel. Its the last song on the record. Greg Leisz Follow Artist + The word "ubiquitous" is usually placed in front of pedal steel player and guitarist Greg Leisz's name. 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. Check out these 7 songs that feature Leiszs fantastic pedal steel playing. Theyd stick it in their wallet and maybe theyd lose it, or maybe theyd write it down. I was there and saw them playing. The Robert Plant / Alison Krauss album was another amazing record. A marvelous pedal steel player, Leisz has some of the most tasteful playing and impactful tone. He was inspired to pick up the pedal steel after hearing Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Buddy Emmons. This track features mostly acoustic guitar and vocals, and the pedal steel is so smooth. Starting in 1986 or so, your credits list gets insane pretty quick. Includes a bonus section of over a hundred pages of extra chord charts, key references, and more! I was doing Gloria or something. Youve been really busy recently. She Ended Up Finding Herself, Hear Ann-Margret and Pete Townshends New Take on the Everly Brothers Bye Bye Love, Through the Morning, Through the Night., video where Jackson is getting a heart transplant, David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78, How Deem Spencer Learned to be Vulnerable on His New Album adultSW!M, Suki Waterhouse Won't Take Romance For Granted on New Single 'To Love', Travis Barker Says His Finger Ligament Surgery Was a 'Success' After Postponing Blink-182 Tour, J-Hope, Boygenius, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week, DeSantis Disney Appointee Said Tap Water Might Be Turning People Gay. I didnt study music because I didnt think that was a career option for me. She wanted something focused on every song. Odelay was interesting because he was working with the Dust Brothers. Oh, man can Greg play the steel! Tunings The Lap steel guitar is not tuned in standard guitar tuning ( E-A-D-G-B-E, low to high). Girlfriend is a classic My absolute favorite steel player. I was like, Thats an unusual thing, to play on two different Albums of the Year two years in a row. Not only that, the year that Daft Punk won, I played at the Grammys. Lets start with Roxette and their hit It Must Have Been Love. That record was Album of the Year at the Grammys. (He's a really good guitar player.) Like what? I loved it. Ron called me and said, I just want you to know I used your pedal steel in this Jeep commercial. She was unhappy with her producer and had lost her guitar player because I think it was her boyfriend and they had broken up. As was already mentioned, his work on the album "Girlfriend" by Matthew Sweet is great. And then I would live off that money and play music for as long as I could. No matter who I play with, I try to integrate what Im doing with what Im hearing. Playpedalsteel.com also participates in affiliate programs with CJ, PartnerStack, and other sites. There was a Judy Collins album called Who Knows Where the Time Goes. We got a record deal because of Jack Tempchins past of writing songs for the Eagles on their early records. Use the following techniques: Hold the bar in between your thumb and middle finger. You probably know the history. And my experience with that is, a lot of people that Ive worked with, you think theyre going to be intimidating, but theyre so good at making you feel comfortable that you wind up singing that persons praises. The other guy was Steves co-producer [Ray Kennedy]. It was from Eric. The key to it working out was we had a couple conversations on the phone. The ring and pinky fingers always rest on the strings behind the bar . They recorded a version of it after she got MS. That was the first Sweet Relief album. Lang, Matthew Sweet, Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd & others, helped shape his career Greg. He came out of that world in England where he heard Muddy Waters and it was all over for him. The longer scale of the Strat (as opposed to traditional Lap steels) seems suited to this type of stuff. When I ordered my Williams, Bob Rudolph told me that he uses S-12 Extended E9th tuning. He heard my pedal steel and thought that was something that Joni would embrace in her music. They were amazing. I loved the stuff that Sneaky Pete Kleinow played on the Flying Burrito Brothers records that he did. This song is a great example of how tasteful Leiszs playing can be. Did you work with Taylor? 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. To jump forward here, can you tell me about the formation of the Funky Kings? I love that song too. It didnt say who it was from. While Greg ranges widely stylistically, he can also play excellent straight-ahead country style, as on some of his work with Rosie Flores. I was going, Oh, shit. Playpedalsteel.com is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'playpedalsteel_com-large-leaderboard-1','ezslot_8',176,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-playpedalsteel_com-large-leaderboard-1-0');report this ad, Pedal Steel Fretboards (Info, Functions, Types), Pedal Steel Guitar in Nashville (Shows, Players, Info), Pedal Steel on Todays Music Scene: A Hidden Gem, 9 Best Pedal Steel Guitars (That Sound AMAZING). Everybody was trying to get record deals. It was just four or five hours. Leisz is playing subtly, yet the sound he creates enhances the track nicely. I play on two songs [Not to Blame and Borderline] on that record. I was like, Now I have to get an electric guitar. That was the start of the garage-band culture of the Sixties. He basically gave me a banjo. Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support. Pearl Jam did Crazy Mary on that. 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. It is in near mint condition and comes with a custom deluxe Cedar Creek hardshell case. And then I started working with some musicians that were playing in some of the folk clubs in Southern California. Brian didnt think that was a great idea. The last plane flight I was on, I went to New York at the beginning of last February. Leisz enjoyed collaborating with her for nearly twenty years straight, and this musical dynamic is always worth listening to.
greg leisz lap steel tuning