Why Do you play Steel ?

[Delvin Morgan]

Because of people like Hank Williams, Lefty, Carl Butler,ET,Kitty Wells,Patsy Cline,Porter,Stonewall and Webb Pierce. I didn't know who the steel players were way back when, but loved the sound of the steel.
When I got old enough to start playing music there was no steel info or anything for the instrument, so I took up the guitar instead. Finaly now I have the means and time to learn it, and am having a ball. So, when does it start to sound like the steel of my heros?

[Rex Wiseman]

Why do I play Steel?? Well..............To support my beautiful young wife in the manner to which she has become accustomed!! LOL

[Brint Hannay]

Ernest Cawby, your story and mine have at least this similarity: When I was little, they asked me in school what instrument, if any, I wanted to play and I said trombone. They said I couldn't reach seventh position and tried to get me to take up trumpet instead. I insisted, and played trombone till I found guitar at age thirteen (as you say, seventh position is pretty marginal--even after I could reach it I seldom had to). Steel came much later, at age thirty-two.

I have ruminated that all the instruments I have chosen are ones on which it is possible to bend or gliss between notes (on guitar via bends or slide). Must be something in my nature. Steel, of course, is the supreme bend and gliss instrument. I love it.

[Ron]

That is easy!! I thought that it looked so easy!! Just that bar and you put it acrost all strings!! How hard could it be? I knew that in a short time I could out play most!! Boy was i wrong. I practiced and pricated for a whole 2 days and to every ones joy I stopped and have never tried again!!! Thank you, Thank you!!

Robro Ron

[Dan Meadows]

I will have to answer the question I asked myself and that is "Why do you WANT to play the Pedal Steel"? Being a raw beginner without a guitar yet my answer is
because I have never in my life on any recording of any type by any artist or group heard an instrument that has an effect on your emotions like the pedal steel guitar does. I have felt more joy listening to pedal steel intros, breaks, fill-ins and endings than any other instrument. It is the only instrument I have ever
heard on a country record that gives me that neck hair raising emotion. I could playback parts of old songs over and over just to hear a great lick from the pedal steel. I am confident in believing that I will do the work necessary to learn to play the licks and style I love in my lifetime. To my ears, the finest sounding instrument EVER built. Dan