The Steel Guitar Forum

All of us love pedal steel and try to learn it because we love the sound so much. However most also play some guitar, bass, and maybe fiddle, piano or lap steel. Which instrument is most enjoyable to play for you, in terms of physically playing or the interpretation/expression of the music. Thanks!

Darrell Criswell wrote:All of us love pedal steel and try to learn it because we love the sound so much. However most also play some guitar, bass, and maybe fiddle, piano or lap steel. Which instrument is most enjoyable to play for you, in terms of physically playing or the interpretation/expression of the music. Thanks!

I've played piano for near 70 years, guitar for maybe 60, bass for at least 20, and pedal steel for going on 4 years. But I've WANTED to play pedal steel for more like 50 years.

Pedal steel is by far my favorite one to play, though I may be better on others. I like everything about it (though I'm not all that fond of turning it upside down and working on it).

--Al Evans

I just play six-string, bass, steel, and a very little dobro. Never could figure out that upside-down tuning, so unfortunately no mando, fiddle, or banjo. Probably a better six-stringer than anything else, but I like steel the most, because of all the points of interaction --both hands, both knees, and both feet. New players can get intimidated by all the things you have to remember to do, but what I learned was that once muscle memory takes hold, all those points of interaction make it possible to connect in a very direct way with what's coming out of the amp.

There's an old quote from a Battle Of Britain pilot that he didn't fly his Spitfire; he wore it. That was my "a-ha" moment about pedal steel!

Pedal steel is my favourite if I want to give my brain a good workout. If I want to give it time off, then it's the trombone!

But then no-one points at my 'bone and says "Haven't seen one of these before".

Nothing moves me like the pedal steel when I execute the things I want to do. Most fulfilling. I find it the most expressive and the sound is unlike anything else.

OTOH, nothing frustrates me more when I cannot.

I also tinker with guitar and dobro. I love those too.
Different tools for different jobs.

All of these!!

I have been playing bass for over 50 years, always wanted to play pedal steel so decided I better try before it is too late a little over 2 years ago. There is nothing that gets to me like those strings bending and the bar sliding. Better than sliced bread!

I've played lots of instruments over the years from Bassoon to Banjo. I have to admit to a certain OCD tendency, and pedal steel is perfect for that. Occupies all four limbs, brain and eyes and there's no room for slack on any of the above! Love it.

Dave

Playing steel seems like work. Much easier to just sit at the piano and push the keys down. As old Bach said: "You merely strike the right note at the right moment and the Organ does the rest."

It may be the most enjoyable to play ( after a period of learning) but its NEVER THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO LUG AROUND !

Jerry Byrd called the steel "the most expressive instrument".
For me, the key is not having frets, so that statement applies to any stringed instruments without frets.
In that light, frets are like training wheels.
There are student model cellos with frets.
When playing with multiple fingerings, at once, on a stringed instrument there's obviously a need for frets,

Steel is the most interesting (almost magical) instrument for me to play and certainly the most challenging. However, I'm still not good enough for it to come easily when I play with others.

On the other hand, after 30 years of bass, the easy fun of playing it with others makes it the most enjoyable musical experience for mme.

For me, the most important for playing with others is playing in tune with them.
Most things played on steel with others, are not in open position, unless you use a steel or and dobro capo, so that means good bar control to keep things in tune.
Practice sliding from first fret to the octave at the 13th.
Practicing with prerecorded music is a good way too.
Playing along with radio is what convinced Buddy to move away from tempered tuning to straight up A440 with some minor tweaks like slightly flattening the 3rds and the F of the E-F change. There my be other tweaks, but I don't know them.
Then there's vibrato technique.
With steel not being as "out front" and hardly any solos in today's country music, it can also help thicken to overall sound,
Like chorusing.
I remember at Jeffran, Jeff had one of the first digital stereo effects.
I think it was an Ibanez that had chorus and delay.
I remember what a big beautiful sound that was.
These days, I don't hardly use either.

I can't say that I have a favorite although my phone always rang for need of a pedal steel player. I have more of a producers brain since most of my career was either engineering and/or producing other musical artist. Because of that sometimes I'll record a song of my own playing all the instruments and choose not to put a steel guitar on it. Sometimes I'll do a steel guitar instrumental if the mood strikes me. I do other types of music besides country so steel is not a requisite but I obviously love pedal steel or I wouldn't have spent 50 years playing it day after day, night after night. Sometimes I just want to play rock on a 6 string guitar. I view musical instruments as paint brushes for an oil on canvas artist. No need to use all your brushes for all your paintings.

David- Me thinks I've seen this pose before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V61vKMkXmeM

I feel like this is a trick question, which makes it a good one. I’m going to equate it with the “desert island” scenario, and go with my acoustic guitar. Probably the new Martin, but only because at the moment it has less fret wear than my noble and trustworthy Takamine friend.

I've been playing guitar mostly in the DADGAD tuning. Why I like it to much is most things I play on it are fresh to me.
By that I mean, no more trodding on the well worn paths of standard guitar chord sounds. (E, D, etc.)
Tune the G to an F and you're in a G major chord.
I like this tuning also because there is no third note in the bottom of the tuning identifying it as minor or major.
What's nice about that is that when sitting in with a band and you don't know the the song, you can easily find out the key to the song and not make mistakes. That will get you going with an unfamiliar song.
As far as the choruses, bridges, intros and endings, you might have to lay back.
These days though, bands don't let people sit in like they did back in the day.
For us steelers, it's not so much "who's going to fill their shoes?", it's pretty much, "where are you going to cut your steel teeth? ".

Mike Bourgue defies all logic. He plays the lead guitar and steel guitar in bands and never misses a beat. You got to see him in action to believe it. He was already a monster guitar player and he's quickly becoming a great pedal steel player. For a real musician it's easy to be in love with multiple instruments.
Not sure if you need a Facebook account to watch this but here's a link... The last I heard he's doing double duties for Gene Watson. He's always playing the hot spots in Nashville.

https://www.facebook.com/10003114717266 ... 804575254/

David Ball wrote:I've played lots of instruments over the years from Bassoon to Banjo. I have to admit to a certain OCD tendency, and pedal steel is perfect for that. Occupies all four limbs, brain and eyes and there's no room for slack on any of the above! Love it.

Dave

The responses that highlight the intense focus of playing steel resonate with me. I think a natural appeal of music is getting "in the zone." Most of you on here have more experience with other instruments than me, so you can speak more about the comparisons to other instruments. I have to think that playing steel in a way that is more than just padding chords or stomping the A+B pedals involves pushing yourself that much harder to get into the zone and stay there. I find that challenge enticing and the reward that much more gratifying.

As i have posted before i started on the violin when i was a child. Took up steel many years later. It is said the violin is the most difficult instrument to master. It sure surprised me when i mastered it.

5-String, Earl Scruggs style, Bluegrass Banjo.

Bill

According to A.R. Duchossoir, the steel guitar is among the easiest of instruments to play... badly.

Same here,Bill.I've been playing bluegrass banjo,Scruggs style,over 50 years.I don't have to think;I just play.Playing steel tires me out thinking so much because it doesn't come easy to me.I suck at steel and I know it.

Whatever instrument you practice the most is probably the one you enjoy the most. For me that's pedal steel.

Andy Jones wrote:Same here,Bill.I've been playing bluegrass banjo,Scruggs style,over 50 years.I don't have to think;I just play.Playing steel tires me out thinking so much because it doesn't come easy to me.I suck at steel and I know it.

Many years back I was in Nville and went to visit my friend Bobbe Seymour ( RIP) , when I walked into his showroom he was sitting chatting with a number of folks, he see's me and says..

"here comes Tone Prior, he has always wanted to play Steel Guitar in the worst way, and now he does "

Sure miss Bobbe