Arkansas Traveler

[Mike Neer]

Arkansas Traveler
https://youtu.be/9I43pd-hYKQ

I just bought fiddler’s fakebook and started with letter A of the table of contents, Arkansas Traveler. I had never had a real affinity for folk music as a kid, but I’ve always appreciated and kept it in the back of my mind. Over the past few years I’ve had a real awakening to it, even going back to classical music and marches of the 19th century.
Anyway, I love when my strings are dead like this. I haven’t changed them in a year at least and I play a lot.

[Pete Martin]

That's great Mike!!

As a past fiddle player, the various traditions of fiddle tunes are absolutely full of great melodies for ALL instruments. I hope eventually I can play steel enough to put some on there.

Keep after it!

[Brad Bechtel]

Nice job, Mike. Keep on steelin'!

[Mike Neer]

Nice job, Mike. Keep on steelin'!

Brad, at this point I’m stealin’—stealin’ inspiration from everywhere I can find it.

[Tim Toberer]

I have thought about trying to arrange some of the Celtic fiddle tunes I used to play all the time, but this type of stuff seems to be almost impossible on steel guitar. Your arrangement is as good as any I have heard on a non pedal guitar so nice job! I feel like a re-entrant string would help, but I am like you and really don't like that idea. I know Buddy Emmons did a few fiddle tunes, but can't recall which ones, or know which neck he played them on. I am sure Jerry Douglas as well has done a number of these. You have inspired me to investigate.

[Mike Neer]

These are great exercises for developing all areas of technique on non-pedal. Musically and artistically, lap steel maybe isn't the best choice for this, but I am hoping that some of that greasy fiddle stuff rubs off into my playing. For example, if I was going to start playing some "Gypsy" jazz, I would focus more on Grappelli than Django. I am trying to further a style of playing that I like to think of as Swamp Bop, New Jersey style.

[Pete Martin]

I know Emmons recorded Indian Killed a Woodcock but don’t know of any others. I learned his version on mandolin.