when you first started learning

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

when you first started learning did you just use the A & B pedals ? or did you use the knee levers also ? i'm trying to find the best approach to learn ?

thanks
calvin

Jim Hankins · From: Yuba City, California, USA

Yep in fact thats what I did. C pedal was not even working when I started! The Dewitt Scott Deluxe method had many reconizable songs you can play right away with just A&B. I see nothing wrong with that, possibly as a way for a beginner to assimilate the options and not be overwhelmed, Jim

Robert Porri · From: Windsor, Connecticut, USA

Well, seeing you didn't say "when you started playing 30 years ago..." I'll assume my newbie (1 year) response might be somewhat relative. I started using whatever I needed to play the songs, chords, or exercises I'm working on. I do want to get the Jeff Newman "Up From the Top" series so I can focus more on exactly the kind of thing you are saying. I think you can play and learn either way, but you might understand what everything does more solidly if you take the approach you mentioned. You can still play with whatever you have available, just spend some practice time working on just the A and B pedals for instance. The Jeff Newman series I mentioned I think takes that approach.

Bob P.

Jennings Ward · From: Edgewater, Florida, R.I.P.

A GOOD TEACHER IS INVALUEABLE, TO SHOW Y0U HOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGEATHER AND TO PROGRESS IN THE RIGHT WAY......GOOD LUCK AND KEEP PICKIN.......JENNINGS.........

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EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +

J Hill · From: Colorado, USA

Calvin,

Are you aware that there's a brand spankin new Steel Guitar Club in Colorado called the "Rocky Mountain Steel Guitar Club"? There's a meeting this month in Denver so if you're interested, send me an email and I'll give you the details and put you in touch with the Secretary.

You're getting good advice here. I'm new at this too so all us beginners will benefit from your questions. I encourage you to keep submitting them so we all can learn more.

Leila

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

When I first started playing steel, I didn't use the pedals because I was afraid I couldn't reach them. Then, a few years later I started using the A & B pedals. My Emmons had three pedals, so I stuck with pedals A & B since my first steel had three pedals. Then when I moved on to my GFI, I started using as many of the pedals as possible, so now I use more than two pedals. Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel, GFI Ultra D-10

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

When I first started,I had a Maverick for a few months and instantly realized its limitations. I did however utilize that c pedal conastantly and do so today. I had so little to work with that I forced myself to come up with ideas,and much of that was pedal c licks. I hear so many good steel players say they don't use it much and I can't understand that. I would be lost without all 5 of my pedals and at least 4 of my 5 knees.... bob

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

i just got my Zum 3 & 4 delivered and set up that i bought from Duane's music...this thing sure is pretty..now i just got to figure out how to play the dang thing .. got to say a good word here about duane , he is a pleasure to do business with .
folks help me out and get me started right ok
thanks
calvin

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

When I first started with pedals,I had 6 pedals on a 8 string Fender 400. As I could already play non pedal,I grabbed for every pedal I could find. Not many players,including me, had knee levers or chromatic strings or tab yet. I finally added a seperate reverb unit to go with my dads 54 Fender Pro and later with my 59 bassman.

Robert Thomas · From: Mehama, Oregon, USA

When I first started 58 years ago it was with six strings and no amplifier. I guess you know how far I am out of this topic. Things have changed so much that they are unrecognizable. My nonsense input.

Michael Barone · From: Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Calvin, I'm still in the novice stage, and this is the sequence I used (I still have a lot further to go). I went for the chords first and the lead/melody parts were easier for me later.

I learned in this order:
A+B Pedal - Individually, Rocking from one to the other, Both
E-to-Eb Lever (my RKL) - Minor (iii), B6, 9th segments
B+C Pedals - Minor, 9th segments, 6th
E-to-F Lever (my RKR) + A Pedal - Major 3 frets up
E-to-F Lever - Dom 7th 3 frets up

Then there are lots of additional combinations with the above pedals and levers that can be learned, (too much to list here).

I practiced on these pedals and levers for about 3 years before adding a third knee lever. 6 months after that, I reached a level of confidence (now) to install and use a fourth lever.

I learned at first by playing along with recordings of basic progressions, and sought methodical, sequenced levels of complexity from there. There are no PSG teachers around where I live, but I found Joe Wright's instructional videos to be an excellent source for learning “technique”. You will probably learn a lot faster than I by using instruction from this forum.

This is a Great Forum! A place where one can learn how to improve as a player, and as a PSG mechanic.

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Mike Barone

Sam White R.I.P. · From: Coventry, RI 02816

Let me say this. I have a lot of Jeff Newman Courses and I just read the other night that He said you can play a lot with just the A&B pedals.Well I do beleave that as I play a lot of just A&B pedals and once in awhile I put a knee lever or two in there.
Sam White

Sidney Ralph Penton · From: Moberly, Missouri, USA

hay calvin, i am still just starting to play and i haven't run across a song yet that i used the c pedal. if you get some of the music that erv sends out you will use your knee levers though. i got a starter book of how to read music from scotty's well after i got it i found out that they don't write music for steel they use tabs. but thats not a bummer cause they got a lot of good songs in this book and i still use it all the time. good songs like precious memories, sweet hour of prayer. good book. i will be getting my zum next week. stop by some time. thanks doc.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

yes.. I started just playing the Maverick with the AB pedals..found the minors, sus's etc..

I only had 1 knee lever, 2nd string lower half step..

My friend from NYC came by ( the now Dr. Marty Friedman) and showed my about 1/2 dozen phrases using that little right going dealy..this was abaout '72..I still use those phrases, and a few more of course..

Thanks Marty..wherever you are...

Over 30 years later I am still amazed at the phrases that can be discovered with that little 1/2 step movement..or maybe I've just been asleep the whole time..
t

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Sidney, if you can find the tab to John Hugheys intro to Vince Gills "Look at Us", you will see a C pedal used. (the very first pedal used in the intro.).........JD

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

I started with 5 + 6 pedals and the C# lever

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 07 January 2005 at 05:32 AM.]

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Yup, after struggling for several years to figure out "Look at Us", when I finally got to see the tab I could only say to myself "Holy %&^#!" I'd a never found that starting point in a hunnert years!.

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

Calvin, After 25 years of playing I am still learning. I know where you are, but I promise you just keep plugging away and in time it will make sense. The first two strings on the E9th, the F# and the D#, really throw people off whe they sit down and learn to play. Then factor in all the pedals and levers and then the C6th tuning and we have a complicated musical machine. Still, I have never enjoyed playing anything like the steel guitar. Oh Yeah, they sound great as well.

Winnie Winston · From: Tawa, Wellington, NZ * R.I.P.

Sorry, but asking about using only the A&B pedals is like saying, "I'm learning piano. Should I use only the white notes?"
You use what you got. It is all about making music. It is not about pedals. All the pedals do is change the notes. Think about the NOTES and not the pedals.
If you have knee levers-- learn what they do and use them as soon as you can.
Do not put false limitations on yourself.

JW

Bob Wood · From: Madera, California, USA

Touche, Winnie!

I wholeheartly agree with you! In fact, you took the words right out of my mouth!

Bob

Bill Brummett · From: Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Winnie's right.

It's whatever feels most comfortable and sounds the way you want it.

An excellent example of some superb steel work is on Bobby Bowman's new CD "Pure and Simple"........ Bobby told me that virtually everything on the album is done in E9th with nothing but the A & B pedals.

You can also hear some unbelievably beautiful steel work from some of the good non-pedal players, where they have to use a lot of bar movement, forward and reverse slants, etc. but the bottom line is they get the notes and the sounds. And then there are some steel giants like Herb Remington and Buddy Emmons, to name a few, that use both pedals and slants, etc. to get that special sound they want.

It all boils down to how you want to get there!!!

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