Western saloon instrumentals

[charlieb]

SMALL COMBO WESTERN SALOON INSTRUMENTALS (i.e. Piano, Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, etc.,) needed by an Independent Music Licensing company that has helped a lot of TAXI members get film and TV placements. They're looking for an authentic WILD WEST sound that can easily be placed in an OLD-TIME saloon scene. QUOTING THE SOURCE: "We're looking for Authentic productions to the period only." Be sure your tracks have the GRIT and AUTHENTICITY needed! THINK: A weary cowboy who needs a drink, stumbling through the swinging saloon doors into the noise and energy of a raucous frontier night-on-the-town! Instrumentation MUST be top-notch. Instrumentals ONLY - NO vocals. They offer a non-exclusive, 50/50 split deal - you keep your original copyrights. Broadcast quality needed (great home recordings are fine). Please submit one to three instrumentals online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS - NO CRITIQUES FROM TAXI - and must be received no later than Monday, July 9, 2012.

Quick question about this one, wonder what people think.
Would pedal steel guitar be good? At first I was thinking yes, definately, but then again... it says 'authentic wild west' and 'old-time saloon'... do you think i should just stick to acoustic instruments? I am thinking of doing acoustic guitar, standup bass, fiddle, piano.... and I'd love to have pedal steel too. But it might be for a scene set before electric instruments!

[Len911]

no pedal steel. I'm thinking a tack piano.

[mazz]

From what I know of the wild west and pedal steel, they did not coexist. Since the listing says its for scenes set in the wild west era, aesthetically a pedal steel would not fit. Remember that we are often asked to provide musical "scenery" and it needs to be period correct when requested to be.

Give them what they ask for because if they wanted something else, well, they'd ask for it!

Stick to the basics as they mention: fiddle, banjo, guitar, piano (upright with tacks in it, somewhat out of tune is a cliche that would work here IMO). Standup bass tweaked to sound more like washtub would be cool!

Good luck!

Mazz

[BruceBrown]

I searched western saloon music and heard a lot of piano and piano roll type tunes. No electricity would rule out pedal steel.
good writing
bruce