Beginner Bad Habbits

[Donny Hinson]

Thanks Fred. I don't believe anyone here ponders as much as I do before they push "Submit". I do go overboard sometimes, and for that I apologize. When I started playing, there was little in the way of available advice (since there were few pedal steelers in my area). Nowadays, even though the instrument is probably less popular and visible to the general public, there are tons and tons of info, playing, and instructions available from people far more qualified than me.

I sometimes forget that.

[Logan Bunch]

Logan,

You have the right attitude and are certainly asking the right questions....Buddy told me as a kid, "I would need a bigger rake" when I was spinning around not knowing which advice to follow....and that is certainly true in this thread about learning the volume pedal.....You sound like you want to play emotional music....That's awesome!

Here is a prime example of Buddy Emmons using a lot of Volume Pedal pumping...By backing it off, he softens, or at times almost eliminates the sound of his confident picking attack.... He was a forceful player and his volume pedal use was a lot, not minimal ...You can clearly hear how Buddy's steel is breathing emotion due to a very well practiced volume pedal. This track is a master class in how to use the volume pedal.....Also listen to the large amounts of vibrato he uses at times....All of the foundations are mastered and needed for this type of playing.....Some of the advice you are getting would never take you to this highway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX9rfyQAfDI

If you don't want to make any mistakes learning the foundational skills that can take you into the pro world, check out the new foundations course.

https://paulfranklinmethod.com/new-course-and-pfm-news/

Happy New Year!
Paul Franklin

I just signed up for this coarse, hopefully it helps me! I’m excited to start, and thanks all you guys! I, love hearing all the advice, I am bad about over use of the volume pedal at this point

[Franklin]

I would never warn anyone away from mastering the volume pedal. "Pumping in sync" with our picking is mandatory for heartfelt musicianship.

...."Pumping" is the way I would describe Buddy's pedal usage on "Danny Boy"...Hope everyone listened to how much up and down volume movement you can actually hear from a true master...

The "Pumping" only sounds awkward when the timing is out of sync with the pick attack..Mastering the VP requires the same type of focus which is exactly like learning to play in time...We practice timing by playing along with a metronome.....Once our memory turns that into muscle memory we become connected to the instrument...From then on we just feel notes and the VP breathes life into them.

The students at PFM are mastering it, all they needed was guidance towards why and how it is applied...I have always believed this about serious students....New students want to learn and will do the harder work, when they are shown the how's and why's.....Then with encouragement towards how their practice on specific issues will benefit them personally they are off to the races.

The VP gets mastered within a few months of deliberate and focused practice on VP timing...Never working on it is not advised by me...I also have a FB page in the PFM where students are putting up videos on this or any other issue they choose..I am guiding them daily...I believe learning to play and playing music should be fun every step of the way....We are all in the journey together.

[Franklin]

Logan,
Thanks and welcome to the class!
Paul

[Patrick Huey]

As I’m diving deeper into learning this thing, I’m curious to all of you guys and gals opinions on what could be some common beginner bad habbits. I kno there has to be a few things that set you back, something that seems easier to do when your first starting that comes back to bite you in the rear later on as you progress, I just caught myself a few minutes ago, taking off my finger picks trying to “smooth out” the sound, in my mind, it did work I must say, but I kno that isn’t right, and I should learn how to correctly control my picking to make it smooth and sound better, I immediately put them back on and began to wonder is there anything else I’m doing to make this easier now, but harder later, I do kno I’m holding the bar correctly, but I’m curious if there is anything I’m doing that is gonna slow me down later down the road, if, and that’s a big if, I ever progress on this thing

Logan I’m gonna recommend you check out these awesome vids for beginners by JamesShelton. Lots of great tips on posture, positioning, etc.
https://youtu.be/widGd62mbBA

[Patrick Huey]

Logan,
Thanks and welcome to the class!
Paul

Logan,
That was going to be my next recommendation....check out the new Paul Franklin series 😀😀😀