The Steel Guitar Forum

Howdy everyone.

I'm almost 2 years (December will be 2 years) into the pedal steel. I'm enjoying every minute of it !

I play along with various songs and mostly use 1 string at the time, sometimes 2. I transition up and down fairly smoothly. I see a lot of players moving up the neck and pressing pedals, knee levers... like really fast as they transition up the neck. I want to do that!

Can you offer any "aha" advice that might help me understand what pedal combinations to use? I use the knee levers rarely. I mostly just stay on the A & B pedals. I just feel like I'm missing something.

Oh yea... Paul Franklin ! Yes... I want to play just like Paul Franklin.

Thank you for this forum !!
Dawn

A little bit of theory might help here Dawn.

A three note chord( a triad) will appear 3 times up the neck in an octave(12 frets) with the notes in a different order.

So if you play strings 8,6,5 in the open position, which is an E major chord, that is a root inversion. The notes are E, G#, B.

Then play the same strings 8, 6, 5 at the 3rd fret with pedal A and the E to F KL together. This will give you the 1st inversion of the E major chord. The notes are G#, B, E.

The next inversion, 2nd inversion is at the 7th fret with the A and B pedals down. Same strings. The notes are B, E, G#. Still an E major chord

The next inversion is at the 12 fret and is the same as the open position.i.e. the inversions start again in the higher octave.

So in a nutshell:
* Open position no pedals.
* 3rd fret A pedal and E to F KL.
* 7th fret A and B pedals.

They all the same chord with the notes in different order.

Hopes this helps you on your steel guitar journey.

I would suggest finding a local player to help you get rolling. Or maybe look at some beginner videos. The question you are asking is what a teacher would show you on the very first lesson. It seems complicated at first but dont worry it gets way worse

It also gets more fun as you progress.

Skype lessons might be an option. I teach a few students on skype and so do a bunch of other guys.

Thank you for the replies.

Colin, I have a diagram showing the different inversions. I suppose more time will get all of it ingrained into my brain.

Bob, I live in the middle of nowhere. I know only one pedal steel player in my area. He is about 45 miles away and he is left handed. He is an awesome player but I have a really hard time learning from him. He knows the stuff but doesn't have the "teaching knack" of being able to express it in a way that is understandable for someone new, like me. He is more of a "here, this is how it is done" kind of teacher. I learn better by understanding what is happening rather than just doing it.
I have considered Skype lessons. I don't mind paying for lessons but I've seen so many instances (with guitar lessons) where the teacher strings the student along for way too long just to keep the money flowing. That happens at our local music store that offers guitar lessons. With online resources nowadays, there is tons of information which I take advantage of. I watch Youtube tutorials a lot for specific songs intro and leads. I'm hoping that some of this will eventually click and I will have epiphanies about how the chords and positions are related.
Maybe lessons from a seasoned player is my best option.

Dawn

John has a complete pedal steel course that he teaches via Skype. The lessons progress in a sensible manner that help you understand the instrument from the ground up. Here is his web site:

http://www.steelguitarlessons.com/

Check him out.

Hey Dawn,

If you'll email me, I'll reply with my PDF explaining my E9 curriculum. Perhaps it would suit you. I have a couple of maxims:

• Nothing's written in stone for pedal steel. What I try to convey to students is what I consider to be best practices, based on playing, learning, and, especially, observing great players, for the last 45 years. But I always stress, if the way you're doing something is pleasing enough to you or the band(s) you're playing with, and I don't foresee future obstacles with the way you play, more power to you!

•We go as fast as we can, but as slow as we need to. I do not string students along, I'm always trying to be as concise and efficient as possible. If we zip through a topic and it's clearly not understood or a playable technique, then we'll spend a little more time trying to ensure the info gets across and absorbed to a decent degree. We don't strive for perfection, that will come with more time and practice.

I teach you how to get a professional, "flowing" style, which is really smoothly stringing together chords, harmonized melodies, and a few licks. all available in "pockets" on the guitar: just what you're striving for, sounds like!

I wish you well in your pursuit of getting the hang of what I call "the beautiful beast." If you can find a good local teacher, that's usually the best option. After that, Skype lessons are really excellent and allow a teacher to monitor your progress and guide you on a personal level. All without tearing down your steel, and driving somewhere.

Bob Bestor, thanks for mentioning my name!

All best,
John McClung
Pedal Steel Lessons, Casuals, Sessions
Olympia, WA 98512
Email: steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net
Website – http://steelguitarlessons.com
Skype name: professortwang
Cell & text: 310-480-0717

Hey Dawn,

If you'll email me, I'll reply with my PDF explaining my E9 curriculum. Perhaps it would suit you. I have a couple of maxims:

• Nothing's written in stone for pedal steel. What I try to convey to students is what I consider to be best practices, based on playing, learning, and, especially, observing great players, for the last 45 years. But I always stress, if the way you're doing something is pleasing enough to you or the band(s) you're playing with, and I don't foresee future obstacles with the way you play, more power to you!

•We go as fast as we can, but as slow as we need to. I do not string students along, I'm always trying to be as concise and efficient as possible. If we zip through a topic and it's clearly not understood or a playable technique, then we'll spend a little more time trying to ensure the info gets across and absorbed to a decent degree. We don't strive for perfection, that will come with more time and practice.

I teach you how to get a professional, "flowing" style, which is really smoothly stringing together chords, harmonized melodies, and a few licks. all available in "pockets" on the guitar: just what you're striving for, sounds like!

I wish you well in your pursuit of getting the hang of what I call "the beautiful beast." If you can find a good local teacher, that's usually the best option. After that, Skype lessons are really excellent and allow a teacher to monitor your progress and guide you on a personal level.

Bob Bestor, thanks for mentioning my name!

All best,
John McClung
Pedal Steel Lessons, Casuals, Sessions
Olympia, WA 98512
Email: steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net
Website – http://steelguitarlessons.com
Skype name: professortwang
Cell & text: 310-480-0717

I'll vouch for John. I haven't taken lessons from him (maybe I should), but I've known him since the early/mid 70's. A more honest guy you'll never meet. And he is a monster player and teacher. There have been many testimonials about his lessons on here about him and his lessons.

The biggest a-ha I ever learned was that if I play a note that sounds bad, I am only a half-step away from playing a good note. Any note, over any chord. Some notes sound better than others, but a one-fret move up or down (or a half step pedal/lever change) will cure just about any clunker.

That's why it is important to know where all the notes are and how they sound in context of a chord. If you want to know why a note sounds the way it does over a given chord, the good notes versus the bad notes, study scale and chord theory. If you want to know how to play them all, a good teacher who can show you how to practice correctly will do the trick.

Hi, I've been taking skype lessons from John McClung for a few weeks now and there are "a ha" moments in each lesson. Skype has been working great despite pretty much the entire USA between us and John's approach has connected so many dots for me. I've had been messing around for a few years on and off. John's curriculum and approach has already had a huge impact. Youtube is still great for that intro you love and want to play but the tools John provides work for that too! And the lessons make me dedicate time between them so I dont show up empty handed. It's keeping me focused despite a demanding job, family etc. It's my therapy. I better stop now or John will raise his rates!