LIVE albums NEW STEEL GUITAR players should be listening to. Train your EARS by studying the MASTERS

Lessons, Requests & Tabs:   / pedalsteel   Pedal Steel: https://rittenberrysteelguitars.com Follow me on Instagram @pedalsteeler Private Lesson Inquiries: https://forms.gle/xRCLq14R8JUc2j4JA A common comment I hear from new players is, "I want to learn to how play along with a band." What they mean is how do steelers decide what and when to play. Rather than have some in depth discussion on the matter, we can instead look to the live albums that feature the masters of steel guitar. I actually recommend new steel players spend most of their time listening and learning from live records. With live albums we get to hear a more realistic version of what it sounds and feels like to play along with a band than with studio albums. For one, the instrumentation is going to be similar to the bands we play in. Studio recordings often have more instruments, meaning less space for the steel guitar. Commercially released live albums still generally follow the same song structure, but steel guitar has a more important role in filling out the song. Through constant exposure to these live recordings we start to identify those spaces where steel guitar belongs. These 5 albums are not only a blast to listen to, but teach us how to accompany the band while showing off our style and ability.