Difficulty of pedal steel vs other instruments.

[J D Sauser]

I find PSG and even Jerry Bird class non-pedal steel is up there with bowed instruments. Unlike keys, one has to “manufacture” each note using both hands and in our case feet and legs.
Unlike guitars, we have no frets.

I mention JB because I agree with Lloyd Green’s statement (printed Decades ago) where he says that JB was the first steel guitarist whi wasn’t just that or “just” a musician, but an artist. This may seem a completely different subject altogether, but I think it’s related. How many violinists do you know which are beyond bein a “violinist” or a “Pro”, but really an artist wher you sit down in total awe and feel your hair falling off your head?
How many steel guitarists?
But then, how many pianistst and guitarist?

I’ve played alongside violinists in the “Gypsy”-Jazz segment, and some are tall older men with big ol’ hands whom by their looks you would not suspect of being a musician until they grab an insteument and floor tou playing their heart out, and I watch their fingers “caress” that diminute small “play-field” and can’t seem to stop wondering HOW!

I’ve seen folks trying to play some instrument and struggle their whole live away with it, and some just take off witgin months. In his online course, PF mentions having learned BE’s C6th setup in 2 years. Ha! I’m back at it 3 years now and I can’t reach up to his Pack’a’Seat.
And again, I’ve seen proficient people on one instrument struggle on an other, same as some which struggled on one, took off on another.

I can play Jazz Rhythm on guitar all nite long and Gypsy is fast and chord changes come flying at you and most don’t remember mist tunes’ names, yet I could never solo. It’s awkward to me. Thus I came back to this here.

My youngest son got a guitar at the last Django Reinhardt Festival near Paris before “Covid”. After 3 months uphill battle, he ask for permission to try his little paws at the piano, a month later he played the Goodfather theme in two keys, another month later All Of Me. 3 years in niw, he plays stuff off Bill Evans and we niw got a B3 organ clone with bass pedals which rook him a few days to get accustomed to. Sure, keys… you just press them and out comes the tone. Playing two completely different lines and in different phrasing… it’s a challenge to many. Then playing bass with the feet and just like that, he’s as busy as a PSG player, but playing a whole orchestration.

… JD.

[Roger Rettig]

I too have experienced sitting with an elite string player.

I disliked doing the show, but it was a run of 'Fiddler on the Roof'. The violinist was in a class of his own. He was retired (and moved here to Naples, FL) and had been a concert violinist - 'first chair', then soloist.

I could take pleasure from his preparations; tuning his instrument and exercising before each show. The sound he produced was enormous and filled the theatre with no amplification.

I wish I could have asked him about it but he was Hungarian with very limited English.

JD makes a point: a select few musicians are artistes. I consider this fine violinist was in that category. I get chills remembering the sound he made on that tiny instrument.

[Thornton Lewis]

Since this thread lives on I will post twice.
The psg may or may not be one of the most difficult instruments to play, but as the owner of an 7&5 12 string with numerous splits it is indubitably one of the most difficult instruments to TUNE!
Yeah, yeah piano. Tune it once and it's good for at least a couple of weeks (months if you're careful.) Throw your psg in the car in the winter and you're gonna be busy when you get where you're going.
Off topic I admit, but this is what makes playing psg hard for me.

[Terry Winter]

Ive been reading this thread for quite a while so I thought I would chime in. Two thoughts. E 9th is not hard at all if you relate to playing like bass which I love playing and find actually kinda natural. You can play either your 4 chords in a box using floor pedals or simply go up or down neck(depending what key your in) to get the right chords . On the other hand it can be absolutely incredibally challenging
using pedals and knee levers to get all kind of chords all over the neck. No other instrament like it!