Tips for better volume control when engaging RKR

[Bill McCloskey]

I seem to have an issue pressing on the volume pedal when I engage RKR (and to a lesser degree RKL). Perhaps I need a different volume pedal? (using a goodrich currently). But when I engage RKR, I end up pushing the volume pedal all the way (which is driving my wife crazy upstairs)

Any tips other than "practice is the way to get to carnegie hall." ?

[Jim Robbins]

Ok, it's practice, but: Do a swell from silent to full on open, then the same swell with RKR engaged, ditto with RKL. I do that with chromatic runs on the lower strings with both knees when I need to drill independence beteween ankles and knees. BTW I have a Goodrich low profile, great VP.

[Bobby D. Jones]

When moving your knees, Concentrate on flexing your hip joints, To effect the move. If you have no joint problems, Your knee and ankle should go with the flow, Knee moving and foot not moving on the VP, Unless you want to move foot, For more or less volume.

Makes sure your foot stays firmly on the volume pedal. If your foot starts moving on the VP, Without thinking you will flex your ankle, And put more pressure on your toes, To stop your foot from moving. And the volume goes HIGHER.

Start slow till you get the move right, Then speed up keeping the moves smooth.

I use a Goodrich pedal, Check the spring that holds the pedal in one place. I play a U12 with Raise and lower E's now on my right knee.
Good Luck in curing this problem. Happy Steelin.

[Bill McCloskey]

unfortunately, I have very bad joints, two knee replacements and a right foot that has been fused, which might be one of the problems. I'll keep working on it.

[Scott Denniston]

Bill, another thing you might try if you haven't is to fiddle with the RKR angle adjustment so maybe you won't have to be swinging your leg so far to the right to fully engage. When getting used to a new guitar it can take a while getting everything set right for you. That's one reason you'll see "flag" extensions on some steels' levers. It lessens the amount of shifting around to use the lever. It might not completely solve the problem but make it easier.

[Roger Rettig]

I must admit that this has become more of an issue for me since I loaded up that RKR. When it just lowered 2 and 9, and raised the 4th on C6, it was manageable.

Now I raise both As and I've added the whole-tone drop to A on the E9 10th (sometimes down to G#!)

My RKR has the slender (and uncomfortable, in my opinion) Emmons flag (not much help) but I've yet to play with the angles of the KLs. I love my Omni pedal so I've no wish to incur the expense of a low-profile pedal. I'm not convinced that would change much, anyway.

[Fred Treece]

Also, headphones - to keep the wife outta the funny farm.

I have the same problem. I try to practice it out by doing a reverse swell while engaging a knee lever. I wear boots with a heel too, which actually helps with my ankles being the way they are.

[Bill McCloskey]

Ha. Fred, normally I do. But I literally got a new Williams SD10 yesterday and I NEEDED to hear it through the amp. Which also explains the problems I'm having, it is a brand new ax for me, so I definitely need some adjustment. But I found that maintaining control over the volumen pedal while engaging ANY of the knee levers to be a bit of a challenge.

here is my new ax:

[Roger Rettig]

Bill - that's lovely.

Mine will be the same finish, but a 12-string keyless D13 with 7 and 6.

I doubt I'll have it for a few months yet; when did you order yours?

[Fred Treece]

Get your knee lever muscles working first. Practice with the VP all the way down and work both right knee levers a hundred times. Then do it with the VP all the way up. I don’t know if this is what the great teachers would advise, but it has helped me.

That is a beautiful guitar

[Bill McCloskey]

Roger, my Williams D10 is still on order. I bought this on reverb. Used but never played in mint condition.

[Ron Pruter]

Take most the weight off your right foot before you hit the knee lever.

[Howard Parker]

In many/most cases the volume pedal will be much closer to the pedal bar, often attached directly to the bar.

h

[Bill Moore]

Jeff Newman always suggested that a new player should not even use a volume pedal, just put a block of wood or something similar there to rest your foot on. There are so many things to work on when starting out, volume pedal usage will come much easier after after you get the other things under control. And it helps to avoid the bad habit of pumping the volume pedal too much. Keep working on the basics, it does get easier.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I'm ashamed to admit that after over 40 yrs. of playing it still happens ocassionally, so don't feel too bad. Just be aware of it and mitigate however you can.

[John McClung]

I find it helps to make sure the center of my right foot is directly above the volume pedal's axle. Then play a chord, let it ring, and do lots of practice hitting both RK levers until you can do so with little or no volume change.

[Marco Schouten]

My volum pedal isn't attached to the pedal bar, so I turn it a bit (the toe side is a little more to the right than the heel).

[Dave Hopping]

I like what Bobby had to say about RKR being engaged through a lateral movement from the right hip rather than anything the knee or ankle does. I realized after reading his post that that's exactly how I engage RKR. Marco's post about having the VP angled and a little behind the front leg is helpful leveragewise. I'm also wondering how far under the cab Bill's RKR sits. Would a lever flag help?

[Roger Rettig]

Since this thread started I decided to concentrate on this very issue. I found that, quite quickly, I had it under control.

Not there just yet - engaging p6 and RKR caused a slight swell - but I'm on the right track.

[Fred Treece]

I like what Bobby had to say about RKR being engaged through a lateral movement from the right hip rather than anything the knee or ankle does. I realized after reading his post that that's exactly how I engage RKR. Marco's post about having the VP angled and a little behind the front leg is helpful leveragewise. I'm also wondering how far under the cab Bill's RKR sits. Would a lever flag help?

And how far to the right and left of his knee are the levers? Since the right leg doesn’t have foot pedal concerns, the knee levers can be adjusted pretty close to the player’s knee, to minimize the lateral motion required of the leg before the lever engages.

[Ricky Davis]

Half the night of a gig with my Right Foot, is spent resting on the pedal Bar next to the volume pedal. I just get tired of it being on the pedal; mainly/especially on medium tempo shuffles and more tempo straight-8 songs. I mainly only use dynamics of Volume pedal on slower songs or old swing or Waltz.
Ricky

[Lee Baucum]

While seated, my feet naturally angle out. (Duck feet?)

My left foot points at the left front leg of my guitar and my right foot points at the right front leg of my guitar.

I have much better control of the right knee levers by angling the volume pedal the same way and scooting it over to the right.

The heel of the volume pedal is about centered between the two knee levers and the toe of the volume pedal is directly below the RKR lever, almost touching the right front leg of the guitar.

Both the pedal and my toes are pointed at the right front leg of the guitar.

I used to get terrible leg cramps in the calf of my right leg, but no more.
I now have better control of the volume pedal, too.

[John McClung]

Very good tips, Lee!

[dlayne]

When I started out learning to play I started on a ShoBud RKL lowering 4&8, and noticed my volume would go up when making the move so I started working on that move several times a day for 30mins or so until I got it right and I had only been playing about 6 months and I’ve kept that muscle memory all these years, never had a problem with RKR