Behind the bar pulls

Mark Vinbury · Post by **Mark Vinbury** » 12 Oct 2007 8:44 am

If you ever wondered what this is about here is a great clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUvc8c0u ... ed&search=

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 12 Oct 2007 9:16 am

Wow, that is smooth and pretty! Thanks for sharing it.

Gary Lynch · Post by **Gary Lynch** » 12 Oct 2007 1:09 pm

All with no slants! A pedal steel sound in a fashion but more mellow for sure. I just tried it and it's not easy! In fact I couldn't pull it off straight away. Steinar told me about this but I have seen it in action.

Martin plays like flowing water.

Steve Wilson · Post by **Steve Wilson** » 12 Oct 2007 11:31 pm

I really like this! Any idea on the tuning? Standard Dobro? DADF#AD? I want to try it. Would you use lighter gauge strings to make the pulls easier? Any thoughts appreciated.

Michael Hardee · Post by **Michael Hardee** » 13 Oct 2007 12:10 am

Steve, he's tuned G-B-D-G-A-D, standard bluegrass dobro tuning with the second string B tuned down to A. He pulls the A to B. Probably an .018 second string. Not everyone can do this, I think it depends on how you're wired; I've tried and tried but my ring finger just refuses to cooperate. Really a lovely effect if you can pull it off. Good luck!

Steve Wilson · Post by **Steve Wilson** » 13 Oct 2007 12:29 am

Michael-
Thanks a million, I am gong to give it a try tomorrow.
Steve

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 13 Oct 2007 5:33 am

I've been experimenting with pulls for the past year or so. I have gotten to the point where I don't mute the string every time I do it, but I am still not comfortable enough to do it with any regularity. The trick is to get your finger on the string low enough that you don't push down. When I do it I still have a problem with my fat fingers muting the surrounding strings.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 13 Oct 2007 9:37 am

Great playing! Great audio!

Surely enjoyed each of the cuts.

Clean, uncluttered and fine tone.

How about some more of this?

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 13 Oct 2007 9:59 am

I know a great player from Livingston, MT called Dobro Dick (His real last name escapes me right now) who can do double pulls. I watched him do this on some swift bluegrass tune at Weiser a couple of years ago and could barely believe my ears and eyes. He had this lick where he would grab both the 2nd and 4th strings, brace his thumb against the side of the neck, and pull both strings up a half step perfectly in tune (did I mention that this was a fast tune?).

Michael Hardee · Post by **Michael Hardee** » 13 Oct 2007 11:53 am

Well, there's proof we're not alone in the universe. Anyone who can do double pulls behind the bar has to be an alien:)

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 13 Oct 2007 12:15 pm

That turned my head.

Martin is a fine player indeed!

I have a friend who turned 80
this month and he does double pulls
on Resonator using E Major tuning.
Second string to C#, third to A,
at the same time. I watch in amazement.

RT

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 13 Oct 2007 2:13 pm

Garland Nash used to amaze me with pulls, incredibly unlikely slants and chord combinations. Mark Van Allen or Jim Ferguson could testify to that as well. Garland was pretty amazing.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 13 Oct 2007 2:13 pm

Wow.

That opened my mind up. I have tried pulls like this but my finger can't do it.

Now that I see how it is done, I 'll try a lighter gauge string til I get close.

Thanks for sharing. Best lesson I have had in a while

Ron

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 13 Oct 2007 5:49 pm

That guy is really something!! It made the arthritis in my fingers hurt just watching him!!

Great tone too

L. A. Wunder · Post by **L. A. Wunder** » 13 Oct 2007 8:04 pm

I love the sound, but how do you do it without muting the string? I've tried it before and it never works, all I get it a "dead" sound. Is there a special trick to it?

James Harrison · Post by **James Harrison** » 13 Oct 2007 8:46 pm

Martin you are at the top on my players list. I have tried the behind the bar string pulls and I just can't get it to work for me, but I am not giving up, I still try. $:\$

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 13 Oct 2007 11:43 pm

never thought about tuning the b to a, no wonder my pulls seemed irrelevant $:\$

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 14 Oct 2007 9:19 am

Man, that was nice! I like this technique and am gradually finding more ways to use it. Pulling the note up by 2 half-steps is tough and most would want a lighter gauge for this. De-tuning the string by a full step in advance, as in the video, is another way to "skin the cat".

If you're having trouble with string pulls, it may be because the bar is losing contact with the string! Find the right balance of a) pulling UP a tad on the string-- as well as towards you-- and (b) using extra downward pressure with the bar. It may not take much of either...just enough to maintain full string/bar contact.

Well worth working on-- to make new chords, replace a slant, get that moving-tone sound w/o pedals...also you can use the pulling finger itself to create a kind of vibrato. It's a neat effect & a sound you can't get any other way on a non-pedal steel IMO.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 14 Oct 2007 8:02 pm

L.A.,It takes just a little more pressure on the bar,Like anything else new you try,just some practice and it will fall into place,I find it easier to do on a lap steel with lighter strings than the dobro,don't you know.

John Kavanagh · Post by **John Kavanagh** » 14 Oct 2007 8:07 pm

I'm not much of a steel player, but for some reason I can manage string pulls - I'm self-taught enough that I just thought everybody did it. Now slanting in tune...

Even single half-step pulls give you a lot of chords in a 6th tuning. I use G6, but say you're at the 12th fret in C6 tuning - pulling the c up gives you A7, pulling the a gives you C7 (or C13), and pulling the e gives you an F or Fadd9. Pulling a and c together gives a nice 4-note diminished 7th.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 14 Oct 2007 9:22 pm

When I do pulls behind the bar, I put my left thumb against the back of the fretboard, for leverage. If you push down on the bar, you go sharp. Put your thumb on the neck, and pull the string upwards and backwards at the same time. You'll have to build up a callous on your pulling finger, and mute with the pinky.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 14 Oct 2007 9:40 pm

It's a cool technique worth exploring.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 14 Oct 2007 10:39 pm

Stephen do you always pull the thin B? do you drop it to an A like the dude in the video or stay in GBDGBD?

Dion Stephen · Post by **Dion Stephen** » 14 Oct 2007 10:59 pm

nice video! thanks

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 15 Oct 2007 5:33 am

Steve Norman wrote:Stephen do you always pull the thin B? do you drop it to an A like the dude in the video or stay in GBDGBD?

Both. Pulling the second string "B" up to a "C" gives a nice sus4 chord, in "G" tuning. I Don't retune to "A" very much. In GBDGBD, I'll pull the 1st string up to an "E", for a 6th chord. Listen to Stacy Phillips. He uses slants over three or FOUR strings, then pulls the other string up to pitch. I think Mike Auldridge calls 'em hockey stick slants. But Stacy takes it to a whole new level.

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Behind the bar pulls

Behind the bar pulls

Anyone Know the Tuning?

Thanks for the referral...........