Abomiomnable Volume pedal

[David Doggett]

The best volume pedal practice for me is to try to maintain a steady organ-like volume while playing slow ballads and slow hymns. Experienced players accomplish manual compression with the volume pedal. They jerk back to the same spot to attack notes, and their foot gradually creeps forward to match the gradual fade out of the string sustain. It is a very subtle and difficult skill, but is the mark of an experienced player. This technique also requires a very strong steady pick action. It is a bit counter-intuitive, but the ideal seems to be a steady strong picking that doesn't vary much with volume changes. The expressive volume changes are mainly done with the volume pedal. Some call it an expression pedal.

I guess the idea of putting your foot on the pedal without doing anything, comes from the fact that you have to be able to use the volume pedal without thinking about it. But I somehow doubt that you will ever get there if you don't think about it and use it when you are starting out and practicing. Also, you will hear some say that it is good to practice with your foot off the pedal. I guess if you are overusing the pedal and getting unwanted swells instead of steady sustain, then taking your foot off the pedal will help break that habit. But sooner or later you are gonna have to put your foot back on there and think about how you are using it until you begin to get it right.

Incidently, some of the best practice hymns are the old Bach ones such as "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", "O Sacred Head Now Wounded", and "Now Thank We All Our God." These have a whole note with a hold at the end of every phrase. That was so, in the long narrow cathedrals of Europe, the sound from the back of the congregation could catch up before the next phrase started. American favorites such as "How Great Thou Art", "Precious Memories", and "Amazing Grace" work just as good for volume pedal practice. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David Doggett on 20 December 2006 at 03:46 PM.]</p></FONT>

[Bill Duve]

Thats some real constructive stuff there, I'll have to read it every night to remember it but it sounds more like I had in mind..Forgetting it just makes my ankle hurt in an hour.....I do see what the guys mean about the RKR making it go crazy tho..
Im cheating a lot that im going to pay for later as it is, like playing barefoot down here but they wont let me do that in Umm, Y'know "places" well call em. or playing without picks, I already quit that nonsense, Previous finger picker or not,It just dont sound good ! like the pedal its one more part of steel and it will work out in time !
I hope
I gotta remember some old church songs...