Did you work with Taylor? You can do anything you want. He asked me to come to Chicago and I was there. It was pretty terrifying. He was inspired to pick up the pedal steel after hearing Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Buddy Emmons. I really had no idea it would become what it became. I didnt really like service jobs. Im very lucky. The pedal steel can be so atmospheric, and Leisz provides the perfect blend for the listener. I never ended up doing anything live with him. It can help with memorizing note names/positions, locating pockets, learningkey signatures, and more. His heart gets taken out because its broken. 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.'. Billy was in one room working on his stuff and James was in this other room working on his song. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. Joe Harvey Whyte & David Murphy Interview Lonesome Highway Odelay was interesting because he was working with the Dust Brothers. I know youre very close with Jackson Browne. Doyle said, Hes kind of interested , I met him and he was so immediately just a normal guy. Terry . Log in, Steel Guitar Forum LLCPO Box 237Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA. I forget if it was directly by James Iha or the management. He spent time at the Ashgrove, the Troubador, and clubs on the Sunset Strip . I've been enjoying Greg on Bill Frisell's recent release of John Lennon songs "All We Are Saying". Its similar. They were like, Shes gone off the tracks, she fired her producer. I think they were surprised. I taught myself how to play. I already knew it and I came out of the Sixties and had a folkie background and could understand that stuff. Youre all over the last Daft Punk album. It wasnt much. I can teach myself.. Theyd stick it in their wallet and maybe theyd lose it, or maybe theyd write it down. Once youre in that world, your ears become really open to hearing stuff. This is one of those songs that I cant imagine without Leiszs pedal steel. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Married to Mai Leisz . A marvelous pedal steel player, Leisz has some of the most tasteful playing and impactful tone. In 2013 alone, the pedal-steel guitarist played on records by Daft Punk, Eric Clapton, Kris Kristofferson, Glen Hansard, the Beach Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Bragg, John Fogerty, and way too many others to mention here. And then I was like, Wow, I can actually play this stuff. And she got Roy Bittan. Once I could actually play the guitar, I started meeting a couple of other kids in the neighborhood and wed play together. Were all surgeons, the guys in the band. I have to go back pretty far. She was bringing in a lot of guitar players and people she knew to overdub on songs that already had guitars on. What I remember is that was right around the time she was diagnosed with MS. Maybe it was after. Thats probably the longest time I havent spent on a plane since I was a teenager. Right on Nate! Mai Leisz Skies Above Salkantay.wav Greg's playing on Bon Iver is some of my favorite steel playing of all. That pretty much sums it up. Everybody was trying to get record deals. I actually went to the same high school as Jackson. Getting paid for anything is always a pain in the neck. Very nice and tasteful playing. Another funny story is that when we were in the studio, he had a banjo. This album is a seminar in playing with taste. How Do the Pedals and Knee Levers Work on a Pedal Steel? As far as chords on different frets, one of the essential techniques for playing steel (as opposed to just slide . Those guys are people that I just and I watched the Daft Punk segment, which was great. Greg Leisz Quilter Labs "Legends of the Incredible Lap Steel". Hes the one that knew me. You probably know the history. August 20, 2019. Im wondering if thats something youd ever like to do.. The group released their debut album, WPA, on September 15, 2009. I love how unconventional Leiszs pedal steel has been on many recordings. Tabs that display the major scale harmonized in thirdscombine these with harmonized sixths, and single note runs for lots of playing possibilities. There was something called new country. Once that started happening, I had been pre-conditioned to play that kind of music. Lang, and Bob Weir and Wolf Bros. I dont know how to comprehend everything Ive done, he says. Click HERE to hear me play Moon of Manakoora recorded on the D9th lap steel tuning, which is nothing more than dropping the 4th string on your C6th from a G note to an F#. When I ordered my Williams, Bob Rudolph told me that he uses S-12 Extended E9th tuning. At sparse moments in the song, his pedal steel playing adds so much emotion to the music. He just came in and said, Im going to go out. It was actually just one day. Wayne Shorter, Jazz Legend Who Collaborated With Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell, Dead at 89 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. Pedal-Steel Guitarist Greg Leisz on His Years With Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, and Daft Punk "I don't know how to comprehend everything I've done," says the musician, who. She was on my radar as somebody up-and-coming. 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. 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. The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap.Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional acoustic guitar, in which the performer's fingertips press the strings against frets, the pitch of a steel guitar is changed by pressing a polished steel . Steve Earle had taken over from her ex-guitar player [Gurf Morlix], who left the band during the sessions. 148 South Cloverdale Blvd. Gretsch Custom Shop Tour. She came in and she was real sweet. She didnt want a lot of guitar parts. I didnt play live with her. Shes the one that comes in and walks away with it. Sometimes you just kind of go, Why did they pay me the money? We were both sitting there with acoustic guitars and I play a little on this song. No matter who I play with, I try to integrate what Im doing with what Im hearing. 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. Its kind of funny. "I don't know how to comprehend everything I've done," says the musician, who has also played with Beck, Phoebe Bridgers, Bob Weir, Smashing Pumpkins, and Lucinda Williams. I never even listened to the Dead. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. He had Flood and the other producer [Alan Moulder]. I was able to play a lot of different kinds of music. I think hed become aware of my playing on a couple of other records, especially this K.D. When legendary artists head into the studio nowadays, theres a good chance theyll have Leisz play steel on the production. A detailed look at one of the most challenging and mysterious aspects of steel guitar playing: the right hand An In-Depth Guide to Picking and Blocking How to Efficiently and Accurately Play Notes on Steel Guitar with Info, Advice, and Tips Great for Pedal Steel, Lap Steel, and Console Steel Guitar from $995.00 $1,773.00 Sale SOLD 2022 Electro Hawaiian Model 1 Lap Steel Custom $3,900.00 Sold Out Sale 2022-2023 Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior Lap Steel Trans Cherry with Gig Bag! I loved it. To jump forward here, can you tell me about the formation of the Funky Kings? The Robert Plant / Alison Krauss album was another amazing record. Includes a bonus section of over a hundred pages of extra chord charts, key references, and more! I had met Victoria before that. Theres nothing like the beautiful sound of harmonized sixths played on the pedal steel tabs that display the major scale harmonized in sixths. Where are you right now? I was doing Gloria or something. Unraveling the Mysteries - Weissenborn That band was really the brainchild of this guy named Richard Stekol, who was one third of the songwriting triumvirate of that band. Put your index finger on top of the bar, which helps you guide and control it. I basically grew up inside of that. Whats more interesting to me is that much later they had me play on Western Stars. For blues, rock, jazz, and many other styles, using the Mixolydian scale in the form of harmonized sixths can be a great avenue for musical expression. Greg Leisz (born September 18, 1949) is an American guitarist, plays lap and pedal steel guitar, guitar, mandolin, bass and Dobro. T Bone actually had me come in and overdub. That was amazing. Best tuning for beginning lap steel? | The Gear Page By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. I didnt know it was Eric Clapton. I went to his home studio and worked with his engineer. He also writes songs. I overdubbed all those parts. This is a gorgeous Asher Acoustic Hawaiian Teardrop Lap Steel owned and played by Greg Leisz who had been using it for recording and touring with Jackson Browne. It was just four or five hours. T Bone talked her into doing it this other way. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Youre touring with Bob Weir now. 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. (He's a really good guitar player.) Im pretty proud of that. The ring and pinky fingers always rest on the strings behind the bar . Thanks for checking out this post, hope it is helpful and makes playing more enjoyable! He was doing a record with her. Tunings The Lap steel guitar is not tuned in standard guitar tuning ( E-A-D-G-B-E, low to high). Does he mostly play E9? Leisz has such a great melodic sense, and this song has it on full display. At some point, Roxette came to town for a gig and they asked me to come into the studio and play with them. I know Greg plays other guitars live, but I gotta believe that unmistakable Leisz sound comes from the bolt-on. So the tuning from high (string 1) to low is: E, C, A, F#, E, C). Brian recommend to her that maybe I should do it. Those threads can have a huge impact on your musical journey. 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. It was a natural fit with a lot of people. When he was working on it, I got brought in. Greg Leisz Follow Artist + The word "ubiquitous" is usually placed in front of pedal steel player and guitarist Greg Leisz's name. They recorded a version of it after she got MS. That was the first Sweet Relief album. I was drawn, even before pedal steel, to traditional slide-guitar music. Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46, The greatest musical hands in the world, now on CD! 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. Thats another situation where I wasnt involved in the tracking. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time On pedals,he plays both necks very well and he told me he's been playing a U-12 Sierra on the Bill Frisell gig.On lap,he plays a number of tunings and seems to come up with nice stuff even if it's a tuning he just made up to suit a certain song.No slouch on standard guitar either.I've been trying to get him on the forum as he's aware his name comes up from time to time.Hey Greg - you out there? 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). I just got contacted. We went in the studio to make another record and the band broke apart during the dramas of making the second record. The early Eighties must have been rough then. Greg Leisz is my favorite modern pedal steel player. 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. They were all playing together and I was in the band with them. They just had me improvise on it. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Tabs can be a great way to reference musical patterns and learn new playing ideas on the pedal steel guitar. Maybe we can have that guy in the band. 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. Diagrams that display the major scale notes on the E9 fretboard. We hadnt even learned many songs when we got our record deal, and Arista, Clive Davis, signed the band. She Ended Up Finding Herself. He stays genuine with the instrument, while still allowing its breadth of expression to add value to each recording. We want to hear it. This is a gorgeous Asher Acoustic Hawaiian Teardrop Lap Steel owned and played by Greg Leisz who had been using it for recording and touring with Jackson Browne. I guess I feel very fortunate when I see that, but its just hard to believe theres so many. I ended up working on a few other albums with him. I basically thought at one point that Id be a geologist or a forest ranger or something like that. My first musical experiences were hearing her sing around the house. 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. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on musics A list. [Editors note: Leisz does, in fact, play on the Pretty Woman version of the song.]. You get very disillusioned about that being a possibility, but you still keep doing it. Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA, Strings & instruction for lap steel, Hawaiian & pedalsteel guitars. I hadnt met Beck before that. Im not one of those people that went, This is what I want to do with my life. Its weird to call it a hobby, but I guess thats what my parents would have called it. The sound of the guitars blew my mind. 7 Songs Featuring Greg Leisz's Pedal Steel - Playpedalsteel.com A true gentlemen, non-pareil tasteful player and inspiring to talk to. 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. [Laughs] Yes, but Im used to being intimidated by people in the music business. But I love that song. It was amazing to be onstage with him every night. 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. Leisz has played on countless recording sessions over the years, and a look through his credits will astound any music fan. Lap Steel Guitar Chord Basics | LoveToKnow Greg Leisz played some really nice parts on her new CD "Illustrated Songs" but I did not see this listed among his credits. How Do the Pedals and Knee Levers Work on a Pedal Steel? Hearing Leisz' work on that Bon Iver album convinced me that pedal steel is where I want to head. lang, Robert Plant and others. I overdubbed on that. Long story short, we made one record. mastering by Greg Calbi. s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 - Regal RD45 - fender hotrod deluxe. Help When she was making Car Wheels, that was really at the end stages of the record. anyone know? lang, adding pedal steel to this Grammy-winning album. It didnt say who it was from. But when we got to the song My Woman Got a Black Cat Bone, he featured me in the song the whole way. He was already famous before he graduated because of the Nico thing. 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. I know. Diagrams that display the minor pentatonic scale notes on the E9 fretboard. It sort of became an avenue to make a living by expanding my vocabulary as a guitar player. But its been a crazy year, just like it has for everybody. I worked with Rose Flores from Austin Texas last year out here in NZ and Greg was all over her albums and material --- fantastic playing ! I was shaking on my way to the studio. I just liked the sound of the guitar and I wanted to do it. I missed that whole era. The last plane flight I was on, I went to New York at the beginning of last February. They had all these songs and they basically just let me play what I heard. Bob Weir : Free Audio : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet This was her second record and she wanted to make a bunch of changes. When I look at Discogs and AllMusic, I go, I forgot about this record and that record But for me, its the breadth of the stuff that Im most proud of, not necessarily the number.. He introduced Jules to Jack and vice versa. 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. And it was a cool thing to get to do that. 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. I never thought of it as a career. 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 . Girlfriend is a classic My absolute favorite steel player. My friend Brian Blade played drums on it. We did a video where Jackson is getting a heart transplant. The first couple minutes of this track display how well these two musicians can create soundscapes within songs. I got pretty good. You dont meet the artists. I dont know how else to describe how I feel. I saw that she broke her guitar and David Crosby didnt like it. Well, no. If you think about that era, I was in the mid-Sixties conundrum generation where you had a generation gap and a draft. Hes credited with playing 12-string too. We did a spring leg and a fall leg. Lang, Matthew Sweet, Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd & others, helped shape his career Greg. It wasnt from the manager or a business person. I saw Rosie play in San Francisco a couple years ago - she was great! I was drawn to the records that I guess now we talk about as folk-rock or country-rock and I kind of got pulled into the pedal steel through that music, through hearing it on the records that I liked. I tended to gravitate towards jobs where I didnt have to be around a lot of people. But she was fine with it. Another year went by, and one day I got a text. Later, I did play on a James Iha solo album [Let It Come Down] that Jim Scott produced. Did certain pedal-steel albums influence you? When I spoke to Eric, he said to me, Do you know Hop Wilsons music? I said, Yeah, I know it really well. He was surprised. Add To Cart. But I think it takes a real receptive ear to hear what youre doing and make a decision to use it in the right way. She was just like, I dont need this anymore.. Greg Leisz is a songwriter, sideman, and producer who pays guitar, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Are you vaccinated? Going back here, can you talk about playing with the Smashing Pumpkins on Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness? What drew you to the pedal steel? And until the record came out, I didnt even see the producer until after I finished the session. Eric Clapton. He is awesome. And the Japanese version has a bonus track thats almost a pedal-steel instrumental. I think I became really aware of his tone and his playing. 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). She made one record before that, at least. The experience was great. This track is beautiful and Leiszs pedal steel comes in almost right away. Related Stories As an Amazon Associate Playpedalsteel.com earns from qualifying purchases. #raylamontange. His tone (on recent recordings) is, in my opinion, the best you will find in the world. Jim Scott ended up mixing that album. She decided she wanted to go play some live shows. It was Steve Gadd and [organist] Walt Richmond and Doyle and Eric. Tell me about your friendship with him. greg leisz lap steel tuning - sfleague.org 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. I didnt really see myself in the picture. Thats another crazy story. Lap steel guitar - Wikipedia He began playing guitar and soon added dobro and lap steel. Thats what they called New Wave at the time. Ive been very fortunate since all my friends and family have remained healthy and fine. I dont know who actually made it. Gretsch Custom Shop Tour. In the late Sixties when a lot of people were listening to harder rock, Led Zeppelin and things, I was listening to Jimmie Rodgers, old country music like Hank Williams, bluegrass music, and I was learning how to play that music, and I was learning with other musicians that were kind of turned on to that. Thats what I kind of remember. It gets crazy. When I heard electric guitar on records, I wanted to play that. It is always a pleasure to hear Leiszs playing. That was a really interesting thing too. I basically felt like I had to hone my own skills. I love the layering and devotion to the song instead of the instrument. They did all that stuff in Nashville. As far as lately the latest Luncinda Williams has him on steel and guitar. I think that happened when she was on tour with Neil Young. Yeah. While Greg ranges widely stylistically, he can also play excellent straight-ahead country style, as on some of his work with Rosie Flores. Hundreds of pages of practice, instruction, and reference materials for E9 pedal steel. Its overwhelming. Greg Leisz on Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Daft Punk, and More They were all getting more into roots music. I live in a place thats a good place to hang out during a pandemic since its very close to nature. Use the modes of the C major scale in the open pedal position to play over chord changes. I started meeting people that came out of almost the punk era in the Eighties. Ray Lamontagne live with - Asher Guitars and Lap Steels Ive come full circle with him. Victoria had already gotten a deal and made a record in New York. Custom pedal steel t-shirts, mugs, posters, and moredesigned in Asheville, NC. Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. There was a lot of music I couldnt really understand. A couple years later, he made another record [Old Sock] and Doyle called me again. Greg Leisz's Gear - Premier Guitar All in good time --, [This message was edited by Russ Young on 22 November 2002 at 09:12 PM. They were just guys that were factory workers during the day that played country music at night. This track features mostly acoustic guitar and vocals, and the pedal steel is so smooth. I was basically asked to play all the guitars on the album. 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. ------------------Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning. I've been teetering on the edge of diving fully into pedal steel for a while but I'm not really a country guy. He does some nice work on Jakob Dylan's "Women And Country". But I overdubbed. All Lap Steels 2022-2023 Asher Electro Hawaiian Junior Lap Steel Black with Gig Bag! I asked her if she had any ideas for the song when we started. It was something I really liked to do and I started doing it a lot. He's on all of them.. 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. Im going to make a list and send it to people. He told me the band, that he wanted Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan to be the rhythm section and Doyle and Chris Stainton. Can you bring your 12-string over here to the studio? As was already mentioned, his work on the album "Girlfriend" by Matthew Sweet is great. I did his whole record last year, which isnt out yet. 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. 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. The idea that you were going to have to go to Vietnam and maybe kill people, it wasnt conducive to thinking about being a musician. Thats another very interesting one. Every instrument and musical note seems to fall right in place, with great sounding timbres, and Leiszs pedal steel is no different. Not to be pigeonholed in just roots music, Leisz (pronounced "Lees") has also played with the likes of Beck, Matthew Sweet, Bad Religion, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Brian Wilson. Her budget had been stretched by the time, so she wanted to work fast. He basically put the band together since he was the only person that knew everyone that ended up in it. Its got a great honky-tonk sound, and Leisz shows how at home he feels playing pedal steel in a more traditional context too. Manage Settings Leiszs tone is crystal clear on this one, and is captivating. But with the Daft Punk project, everything that band does seems to be very important. Greg Leisz : The Steel Guitar Forum Use these diagrams as a reference tool, or memorization aid for your practice and playing. I was usually to shy to go up and talk to anybody about it, but I just kind of absorbed the music.