My Cheatin' Heart

[Kevin Bullat]

Hi all,

Long time non-pedal player, short time pedal player. I decided to buy a pedal steel and really, really, love the sound and chordal possibilities. However, I sort of feel like I'm cheating on my wife (not that I ever have) by making the switch. (please don't tell my non-pedal brothers).

Anyways, if you all don't mind I'd like to ask some simple technique questions from time to time as I attempt to figure this steel out.

First, is it better technique to keep your left heel on the floor as you switch between pedals or keep it suspended? Or is it just personal choice?

Second, I'm playing some songs that are written to play a string with say the A pedal and the next note is a different string using the B pedal. Right now I'm pressing both pedals for the A pedal note when pressing the B pedal has no effect on the first note in preparation for playing the second note. My questions is: is it better technique to get good at articulating each pedal instead of doing a mass stomp on both? Or is is just personal choice?

Thanks for your assistance.

[Wayne Wallett]

Hello Kevin,
I've been at this 45+ years. I recommend keeping the left heel on the floor except maybe when using a vertical knee lever, may have to lift heel off the floor. Learn to hit individual pedals A or B by rocking your foot/ankle left or right, you will be glad later on you learned it the right way. If I can offer any other advice please let me know and good luck.
Wayne

[Kevin Bullat]

Thanks Wayne.

I'm sure I'll need some more advice in the future. I thought the non-pedal was a tough nut to crack, but the pedal is really something else. But I'm a stubborn lot and I'll stick with do or die...

[Curtis Mason]

Kevin,

Also, you'll want to practice one pedal at a time because you'll later want to slowly slide into a note and it sounds so pretty when you bring the note to tone at just the right speed. So there is more to it than just preparation for the next note or two. You'll eventually start thinking several notes ahead of the music and plan out precisely the "attack".

The best thing you can do as a new player is "practice,practice,practice" what seems hard or nearly impossible now, will very soon become second nature, and you'll begin putting you're own characteristics in your playing...it just happens that way.

Hope that helps,

[Kevin Bullat]

Curtis,

Thanks also for the information. Yeah, I've noticed that it really sounds nice to 'pedal' into a note.

I sure do feel like a fish out of water on the pedal steel. Right now it seems so foreign to play.

I practice my non-pedal a minimum of 2 hours a day when my band The Smokin Menehunes isn't gigging and an hour when we do. After that I practice my pedal steel for 45 minutes to an hour.

I'm planning on allotting more pedal steel time soon.

You pedal players are real nice, nothing like all the non-peddlers said you all were (ha ha).

[Frank Sprague]

Kevin - I was in the same boat as you in the not -so -distant past, and found it very difficult to " find " the pedals at the right moment . I even considered building a device that would sit under the pedals ,with two vertical sides that would "guide" your foot onto the pedals! Better judgement prevailed as this ,I decided, would become a temporary "crutch ". After months of practice I can sit down now ,and put my foot on correct pedal without even looking! Shazam !What helps is that you sit at the same place in relation to the fretboard every time , and as Wayne said , keep your heel on the floor when changing pedals. . Also I'm just starting to develope the " tone " that has been very elusive in the beginning - and that comes alot from the control of the right hand - placement , pick attack etc. Keep practicing - you'll get it . .

[Jim Pitman]

You have already lerned 75% of what you need to know by starting with non pedal.
In my humble opinion, most of the skill required for any form of steel guitar is in the picking hand. Next would be bar hand, then feet if we are talking PSG. Oh......and let's not forget the head. (That reminds me of the band "Head, Hands and Feet" by the way. - sounds like the correct order too.)
I can't imagine sitting down at a pedal steel without first having dabled with non-pedal. Furthermore I can't imagine somone taking up lap steel without having dabled with a conventional guitar.
It would be an interesting poll to see how many people simply started playing PSG with no other guitar experience.

[Lem Smith]

I started on a non-pedal steel, and when I switched over to pedals, it seemed to me to be 10 times easier. I guess it just depends on the person. For me at least, it takes a LOT more work getting good music out of a non-pedal guitar than it does a pedal steel.