Playing Pedal Steel Verses Other Instruments

Cody Johnson · Post by **Cody Johnson** » 15 May 2004 6:34 pm

I believe that learning to flatpick guitar on a "Pro" level is much harder than pedal steel. The abilities of the folks like Tony Rice and Dan Crary on guitar blow my mind. The one really good thing about pedal steel guitar is that everyone on the block doesn't own one like they do piano's and regular guitars. It seems to me that out of the guys I go to college with, that 1 out of 5 play regular guitar. I'm the only student that I know at my college that plays pedal steel. I started playing right after high school because I was told that the pedal steel was the hardest to learn, but it's coming along pretty well so I suppose that I was supposed to be playing it all along. I've been working hard on my flatpicking as of late and my success has been minimal.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 15 May 2004 6:46 pm

I always tell people it's best to learn to play pedal steel before people come up to you and tell you how hard it is to learn! No kidding; just do it.

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 15 May 2004 8:36 pm

the physical issues of playing the pedal steel havnt been as difficult as just trying to visualize the instrument's patterns vs the overall paterns of musical harmony

Rick, this too is the cross I have chosen to bear. Why I chose to study jazz harmony on this godforsaken instrument, I don't know. Just a gluten for punishment. There is virtually NOTHING logical with how harmony lays on the instrument, not the least of which is the absurdity with which I often have to go UP the fretboard to play a downward motion harmony, and vice versa. No matter how much I work at it and develop ideas, I can not see how any of it will ever be spontaneous. I have played a couple of cocktail hours and the rule is, if I remember some moving harmony/voice-leading that I worked out, everything is fine. If I forget something, then I'm boxed in with nothing more available than the usual 5,6,7 pedals playing the usual diatonic harmonies. It actually sucks, but this is the road I've (we've) taken. Just to be fair though, other than piano and guitar, there really is no other way to be a self-contained jazz harmonist. And arguably, there is a tradeoff where even though a guitar is certainly more logical, the case can be made that the greater range of the C6 tuning makes it equally preferable. Of course, as we've discussed in the past, it is not even close to being what a piano can do, which is where a serious jazz harmonist with half a brain should be. My best. .. Jeff

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Jeff's Jazz

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 16 May 2004 2:22 am

When they start making slide pianos with a whammy bar, I'll be the first to switch.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 16 May 2004 5:51 am

I switch off between steel, banjo and dobro. Three instruments and THREE different set of picks, easier said then done.

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 16 May 2004 6:39 am

Didn't steel guitar start off as a six string laid on its back played with a slide? Apart from glissandos, getting piano like freedoms out of that must have been very difficult. But hey, to make things easier, they added more strings. Then put the thing on legs so you don't have to concentrate on holding it on your lap. Then multiple necks for 2 or more tunings. Then added pedals for multiple tunings and changes on the fly. Then added knee levers that go left, right, and even up! Mine even has a wrist lever. And then there's the volume pedal. So with this plethora of convenience features, the psg shouldn't be difficult, it should be easy!

Yeah, right.

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 16 May 2004 12:05 pm

Gary, I use different picks for all three, as well. That may be the toughest part of all!

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 16 May 2004 12:43 pm

Stephen, after 30+ years of playing banjo, my banjo picks just plain feel uncomfortable. With my band, I usually keep the banjo stuff simple stupid cause I feel like the picks will fall of my fingers. Banjo is only called for a few tunes anyway.
For steel I've been using one of those small blue picks, I think they are the Herco brand, I've had the same set for years now and rarely increase my inventory of picks. My banjo picks are at least 20 years old, I don't even know if Ernie Ball makes large thin thumb picks anymore, I bought a few dozen years ago but still use the same pick I've had for years. Finger pick gauges are heaviest for dobro, with the banjo falling in the middle and the steel picks being the lightest gauge. I don't have to pick my banjo too hard since my old mastertone has ample volume. I use a L-20 Zookie thumb for the dobro and . 025 Dunlap finger picks. I pick the dobro rather hard. Bottom line is I feel comfortable with my pedal steel picks the most out of all axes, even though that is the weakest link of the three.

Terry Sneed · Post by **Terry Sneed** » 17 May 2004 4:32 pm

This is a no-brainer to me. what other instrument do you have to use both eyes, both ears, both feet, both knees, both hands, and what other instrument can you make so many different chords with .
the steel is definately the hardest instrument of all to play.IMO.

but it is also the purty-est instrument of all, hands down!!IMO.

Chris Haston · Post by **Chris Haston** » 17 May 2004 4:56 pm

I too play the oboe. I have two right here with me. Pretty hard instrument to play. Bad intonation, and the constant reed problem. You really can't just buy reeds at the local music store, either make them of buy them from a pro who makes them on the side, The oboe also has some tricky fingering. I picked up the steel much quicker, even though I learned the oboe when I was 11.

Jim Ives · Post by **Jim Ives** » 18 May 2004 10:18 am

There is no sound I prefer over the steel, but when I am toting all my gear around, I wish I loved the harmonica instead.
-Jim

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Mullen D-10
Sho-Bud Pro II D-10
Boss RV3
Fulltone Full-Drive II
Evans FET 500
Peavey Nashville 1000
Vox wah-wah pedal

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 18 May 2004 1:03 pm

Playing the PSG can be easy, or it can be hard. Depends. PF deserves a huge round of applause for Vince Gill's "When I Call Your Name". When I first saw the tab to it (in the Lick-a-Minute series) I said to myself (and others) "Who in there right mind would have figured he started that solo THERE...". I'd never have found that in a million years...[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 18 May 2004 at 02:05 PM.][This message was edited by Ray Minich on 18 May 2004 at 02:05 PM.][This message was edited by Ray Minich on 18 May 2004 at 05:17 PM.]