Question about finding the melody

[Aron Odin Kristensen]

Hello!
Recently we started rehearsing for some christmas gigs, and at the rehearsal the singer decided we should play Blue Christmas. I was able to play the melody on the fly, for my solo. I was surprised that i didnt crash and burn, and it motivated me to keep mastering this skill of finding melodies on the fly.

I have some questions for the more experienced players on the forum.
Firstly, are you comfortable playing the melody of any song you know on the fly, without working it out beforehand? Secondly, do you prioritize using harmonized scales when doing so, to have a reference point? Thirdly, how did you practice this skill specifically?

I notice that i tend to use harmonized scales, and then insert phrases that i have picked up from transcribing records when the phrases match up with the melody (or match up with the position i am in in the harmonized scale, if that makes sense). The problem with this approach (since i have not played for a very long time) is that most of the time it just sounds like a harmonized melody (a little boring, maybe), and then some great Jimmy Day phrase shows up making me sound very good for a few seconds, and then it is back to the harmonized melody again.

Would love to hear the approach of someone that feels comfortable with this skill!

[Bobby D. Jones]

When it comes to playing the melody on the fly.
I find the best thing to do is, Pick out songs that have odd changes and chords in them, Then practice them. It is good training for your ear. So you can hear the change and go to the proper, Fret. Pedals, and Levers to get the sound. Without having to think about it. You get those moves in your neuro memory, So you will go right to them, Without thinking about them.
Find different places on the neck to get the same chord and notes to get better voicing.
Many times a minor chord fits better. Instead of using A pedal for a minor at 1st chord position. Move to 5th chord position, And use B and C pedal, Gives a better voicing.
Here is a few songs to get different voicing of minor chords.

Some Day Soon
Where Corn Don't Grow
Unchained Melody
Hickory Wind, John Duffey's C chord Am in song.
Don't Close Your Eyes

Good Luck and Happy Steelin.
Edited, Added John Duffey's name

[Aron Odin Kristensen]

Thanks for answering, Bobby.

[Bob Hoffnar]

I highly recommend singing a phrase , then visualizing it on the neck and then playing it. That way you train yourself to play music on the pedalsteel with your brain and heart instead of just playing with your hands.

Start with simple nursery rhymes. To get better at it make sure you know your intervals and scales a bit. And remember almost everything is "Three Blind Mice" after you break it down !

If you want to harmonize it on the fly it helps to know your basic diatonic chords in every key on one fret and also up and down the neck in all the basic grips.

[Aron Odin Kristensen]

Hello Bob! I usually do that when learning improvisational language. The comforting thing when improvising, is the fact that when the ear fails i usually can find my way back by knowing the pockets and positions on the neck, and then the ear takes over again (and since it was an improvised solo, no one would know the truth!). When playing the melody of a known tune on the fly it can be really noticeable when the ear fails, so i guess that kind of paralyzes me a bit. It is still a matter of improving my ear, so i will take your advice and keep working on it. Thanks!

[Bob Hoffnar]

Another thing that helps me and is pretty fun is to play a melody on one string only. I was working recently with an Indian singer and violin player. The way they could absolutely nail each others improvised melodic phrases was mind blowing. I could only sorta vaguely approach that sound by playing on one string only.

Oh yea also, practicing singing a phrase then visualizing it before playing really helps getting in the ball park. If I blow it the first time I try to get it closer the next.,

[Dave Grafe]

One of the great qualities of the pedal steel guitar is that if you're playing the correct chord the melody is already at hand. Some notes will not be in the current chord but WILL be in the scale of that chord. This distills the question down to what interval of the chord does the melody begin with and then following from there. If you're in the correct chord position the harmony notes are built in too.