The Steel Guitar Forum

Anyone out there in Forum Land know of a source of instructional materials
(DVD preferred) for behind the steel pulls to sumulate the pedal steel sound?

Some of the examples shown on U tube are quite impressing. Thanks...Wes

I was wondering if when pulling a string if its still possible to keep all strings muted behind the bar. Seems when I pull a string I have to raise my fingers off the strings which noticeably changes the tone.

Wes Hamshaw wrote:Anyone out there in Forum Land know of a source of instructional materials
(DVD preferred) for behind the steel pulls to sumulate the pedal steel sound?

Some of the examples shown on U tube are quite impressing. Thanks...Wes

Could you please post some links to the examples on u tube. I searched there using "behind the steel pulls" and found nothing. I an very interested in seeing/hearing this!

Thanks!

Jim

I'm not sure if you're looking for steel or Dobro material here, but it I think it would be about the same. Anyway, here goes:

Janet Davis shows this technique in the You Can Teach Yourself Dobro set of book, CD and DVD. Stacy Phillips also discusses it in The Dobro Book which comes with a CD. Both authors refer to this technique as 'choking' the string. Both books are readily available, b0b may sell one or both. Click the Instruction link at the top of the page. As an aside, I really like Janet's approach to teaching the material. Also, Bob Brozman probably covers it on one of his DVDs.

HTH.

Bobbe Seymore at Steel Guitar Nashville.

Jim, it seems that most of the examples that I stumbled across were on Dobro.
As I mentioned, it was by accident that I found the site and now, like you, I can't find them either.

There is an mp3, however, playing "Way to Survive" using the behind the steel
pulls (I'm told). This rendition shows fine, subtle technique on standard non-
pedal steel - not Dobro.

Sorry, I don't know how to include an mp3 here on the post for you to select
but there must be a way to call it up. Thanks....Wes

Check out Martin Gross on here. He does a lot of string pulls...just like me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv19x2FS ... re=related

Harry, this is great stuff!!. Quality action photography of the behing the steel
pulls in action.

Was this a D tuning that he used on Dobro? It appeared that he just used one
finger (behind the steel) for his effects. It stands to reason that he needs the
thumb and lst two fingers to hold the steel (bar) which leaves the ring finger
for pulls.

You say that you use this same technique in your playing. Could you share some of your "secret" moves with us? - descriptions, tabs, etc?

Thanks all for your contributions to this post - a most fascinating subjuect...Wes

Hi Wes

I really don't know what tuning he uses...I'm not a dobro player. It appears he just pulls the 2nd string, whereas I pull the 3rd and 4th strings with my tuning.

See below for an old post I made in 2003. It explains my tuning which is an extended E major.

Many years ago I was searching for that perfect tuning for the six string lap steel, one that I could play any style, and any kind of music, but mostly country and country rock. After much meditation I came up with an easy tuning that works for ALL kinds of music, from rock to classical, and everything in between. It was right there in front of me all the time and I never realized it. All I did was move the E maj tuning down to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th strings......in other words open E would be on the 2nd string instead of the first string. I then made the 1st string G#. So the tuning is: (low to high), B E G# B E G#.
I got to playing around a bit and found out I could do all "runs" without any bar slants, which makes for faster playing. You can see that all of the major chords can be played on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings, just like in regular E7th tuning played on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings. If you need a minor chord, you can either do a "slant" on the 2nd and 4th strings, or just fake it with an octave, which I do most of the time. Anyhow, for an example....if you are playing "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way", an old Kitty Wells tune, in the E7th tuning, key of C, you would start on the 8th fret (straight bar...1st and 3rd strings), then up to the 10th, 11th, and 12th frets using slants on those last three notes. With my tuning you start on the 2nd and 4th strings at the 8th fret(that's now C), then move to the 1st and 3rd strings at the 6th 7th and 8th frets, you now have the same run that you had with the bar slants, and it is much more accurate. Slants can sometimes be off a "tad", and sound sort of "out of tune", especially if you are playing something fast. So you can see if you know the E tuning, there is really nothing new to learn, other then doing away with bar slants. Of course this tuning calls for some string changes, I use D'Addario strings as follows:

1st G# .011
2nd E .014
3rd B .018
4th G# .020
5th E .032 wound
6th B .038 wound

If you do "finger pulls" you will find that this tuning works well with pulls on the 3rd & 4th strings, once you get the hang of it you can sound like an E9th pedal steel with out the pedals. Try this tuning......you'll like it. Easy as pie!!

Happy picking!

Harry

Hi Harry,
And sharing your "secrets" you have done - and then some!! I'm going to order some strings from bOb right away and give your tuning a try. It seems
the more we analize these tunings, the more bogged down we become. Here
we are back to one the most basic turnings developed early on - the secret is
in its simplicity.

Like you, I'm not into Dobro either. I just don't care for the tone and lack of sustain but that's an individual choice. Those that do play Dobro show some
mighty fine techneque there on U-tube.

As far as instructional material available, it looks like we have to pretty much
fugure it out for ourselves. I'm looking forward to it.

Again, thanks for going the extra mile with your help........Wes

Wes,
He's using a Dobro Tuning (GBDGBD) but with the high B tuned down to A.
So, low to high, you get GBDGAD
Good luck!

Harry Dietrich wrote:Check out Martin Gross on here. He does a lot of string pulls...just like me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv19x2FS ... re=related

Yep, way kewl!

Here's an other one with string pulls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSZn1b7hysI

and an other one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUvc8c0u7bM

... J-D.

I'm not into dobro at all, but I like the stuff Martin Gross does, nice.

Rather than looking for specific instructional material, try looking at the tuning you have on your guitar and figure the moves you can make with string pulling. The main "move" would be pulling from one major scale tone to another, some of the sweet tones are the 1 to 2, whole step, 5 to 6, whole step, 7 to 1, half step and 3 to 4, half step. Of course half step pulls are easier than whole steps... but a good start is to figure out which string in your tuning is the third of the scale or chord, and practice licks using that string pulled up a half step. (A favorite sound of David Lindley, for instance, not necessarily with a pull). You'll probably learn a lot more than you would by copying licks from a tab course.

Here is the link to a earlier topic review to the same subject.

cheers
Martin

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... sc&start=0

Martin, thanks for the referral to the prior post. I too am not into Dobro but
I really enjoy what you do with those pulls - great technique!!

Thanks to everyone for your input to this post. Possibly someone will come up
with a book of instruction one of these days - seems as though there could
very well be a market out there. I'd buy one for sure.......Wes

Our own Harry "The Hitman" Dietrich is the "Master Puller" in these parts ...

He was freakin' folks out this year at Joliet ... you'd swear he was standing behind a PSG instead of an EH 150 .

Having the right gage strings is paramount to easy string bends....JMHO

Happy pulling

Harry

I play anything that slides, but I also play 6-string with double benders. Those clips reminded me of what you can do with benders. I may just go put my Hipshot on one of my dobros and see what it sounds like. If I use an unwound third string, noise at the bridge shouldn't be too bad. I do bends behind the bar now. Raise the first string 1/2 step is a nice passing chord in G tuning.

I use to play around with BTB pulls. Then I went to a heavier set of strings and found it more difficult to do. I think it worth mentioning your opinions on both string length and gauges on string pulling technique. I do not have enough experience on the topic to be helpful.
Mark