Let's try to describe what the Hands do.

Roger Andrusky · Post by **Roger Andrusky** » 29 Aug 2002 10:28 am

See, I got nervous just making my earlier posting and I said LEFT hand instead of RIGHT hand...that's because I just looked at a pedal steel picture and sure enough the pickin' hand was on the right - never mind I was looking at the steel from the FRONT! Anyway, I think the comments Mr. Steward said certainly can apply to either case.

Regarding vibrato, I remember when I played one of my first shows in front of about 10,000 people before Tammy Wynette came out, I was supposed to kick off Ronnie Milsap's Pure Love and my foot volume pedal started to quiver from nervousness. I had to take my foot off the pedal to get through it. That's another kind of vibrato! - I know...I know...who cares....- Roger

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 29 Aug 2002 11:55 am

Great post Ricky! I can dig what Roger said about having a nervous volume pedal foot. That seems to be where all my tension goes. It use to be so bad that for awhile I use to bypass my V Pedal completely when doing any studio work. In a way that might've been a blessing in disguise as far as getting my hands to work with the most efficiency. Thankfully I don't think too much about the whole process anymore, but when I do it's kind of mind boggling how many things factor into playing this crazy instrument don't you think?

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 29 Aug 2002 1:36 pm

Personally, I found "rolling" vibrato was easier to get a handle on at first. But of course I have seen many monster players using "sliding" vibrato as well. Actually, I notice that most players use them both...

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 29 Aug 2002 4:17 pm

Rick and Roger: I've experienced that nervous foot syndrome too but my case was on the other leg. We were opening for Ray Price in Toul Rossieres, France and we were doing, you guessed it, SGR. My left leg began to jump when I pushed down on P-6 and I couldn't release the pedal. I had to improvise the whole mess in the P-6 format. Luckily for me, Jimny Day hadn't gotten into the NCO club when that happened but I spent the rest of the night worrying if it would start again but it didn't.

Regards, Paul

Rob Hamilton · Post by **Rob Hamilton** » 29 Aug 2002 5:42 pm

Here's another aspect on the "sliding" vs "rolling" vibrato: Like the inter-fret distance, vibrato motion varies, dependent on how high on the neck you are. I usually roll for vibrato, but sometimes I slide when I'm down on the first two or three frets. Rolling the bar, say, ten degrees back and forth, has much less effect at the low end of the scale. And I generally avoid trying to slide and roll at the same time -- too complicated.

--Rob

William Steward · Post by **William Steward** » 29 Aug 2002 8:35 pm

Ricky---as I was rehearsing with the band tonight I tried out what you suggested and when I exaggerated the downward angle of my 3rd,4th knuckles my pinky came up too. Whatever works. I had reverb on my sound so couldn't really tell if I was getting really clean notes by will try with the reverb off at home....it did seem to help however, thanks.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 30 Aug 2002 12:08 am

Cool William; glad it's helping pal...stay with it.
Good point Rob....those lower frets are harder to milk some vibrato out of...but that's where I really get a good workout on the roll when I use it.
My left foot quivers when I'm nervous or anxious...and my pickin' hand freezes...and other than that I'm fine....yeeeaaaaah right

....Now the only person in the world I get nervous around anymore; is Tommy Morrell......but I used to get nervous around just about everyone.
....and he don't come out and see me anymore.....ah....ha.
Playing doesn't make me nervous anymore.....just a 50 dollar putt.....with only 5 dollars in my pocket; does it now.

Ricky

William Steward · Post by **William Steward** » 1 Sep 2002 7:34 pm

Ricky---a weird coincidence, but in the mail on Friday arrived Maurice Anderson's "Musical Mental Mastery" video sent as a gift by some friends in Texas. Mr. Anderson gives a nice overview of left hand bar technique as well as discussing the muting function of the left hand fingers. One tip he shows which is helping to correct my current difficulty is changing the position of my index finger. I realize by doing that I get a bit more control over both left hand muting muting and vibrato. Thanks for everyones's assistance - Ricky, Phyllis and Maurice.

Wil