Non pedal players playing Hawaiian pedal?

Butch Pytko · From: Orlando, Florida, USA

Just thought I'd alert the non pedal players that I have a post on the Pedal Steel section called--"Setting-up Hawaiian tunings on D-10, 8X5". I'm a little worried that the pedal players/non pedal players playing Hawaiian may not be aware of my post over there--so far only one response. I have some ideas of my own, & will go ahead with them, but will listen to any one elses input. I want to take one of my D-10's & totally change the copedent over to a strictly Hawaiian set-up, using the authentic Hawaiian tunings: C13, B11, E13 & possibly Billy Hew Len's A7. I can't see using the E9 or the standard C6 for Hawaiian, although it's talked about & used here on the forum--it's just not Hawaiian to me. Crazy as it is, I've been using the E9/C6 pedal set-up for years in my country/western gigs, but my other great love of Hawaiian steel guitar tells me it doesn't fit. So far, I can't believe that I'm the only non pedal player that is interested in doing this--there must be others out there that are interested in the Hawaiian pedal set-up!

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I continue to wonder whether or not some of us are backing ourselves into a corner?

WHAT is a HAWAIIAN PEDAL STEEL GUITAR/Tuning????

My tho'ts would suggest that any standard C6th or E9th pedal set-up CAN BE USED FOR PLAYING 100% HAWAIIAN MUSIC.......

It's the manner in which the pedals are NOT USED or used that determines what kind of music is being played, rather than just the tuning, is it not?

With E9th, you have a form of E maj, E7th, C#min,
A6th and/E9th tunings. ALL in one ready-made tuning and pedal set-up. Are those not enough choices?

Rather than playing 'Aloha Oe' in E maj tuning and then smashing the pedals to make sounds like today's Nashville pickers do, you'd utilize those pedals to
give you chord variety but it would be done without a sustain of the melody line. (Like Bud Issacs)

We early day pedal players did this from the beginning of time. With more than 50+ tunings known to man, there is only a fracion of those that are used regularly by todays' current pickers.

Just a few of my tho'ts.......

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I agree with Ray.

When playing Hawaiian music on the pedal steel it's HOW you play it that's important.

If the pedal steel had been around at the peak of the Hawaiian craze, it would have been used.

It is not sacrilegious to play Hawaiian music on a pedal steel. Whoa!

I have tabbed out 54 Hawaiian songs and they're all for the E9th pedal tuning.
The only one that I have a problem with is "Sand".
That song is definitely written for the B11th tuning.

Butch Pytko · From: Orlando, Florida, USA

Ray--I'm wondering if you have read all of Basil's extensive write-ups concerning the Hawaiian pedal players outlook. It took me years to fully understand that the Hawaiian steel players were into pedals--not ALL of them, but some. To answer your big question--YES, you can use the E9 & standard C6 set-up to play Hawaiian or anything else. As I said I've used my D-10's in C/W for years. I want to try a different perspective on using pedals--from the Hawaiian point of view. I'm in the very beginning of learning/experimenting with a totally different pedal set-up. Just last night I started to map-out a copedent on paper that I want to use. I have one of my D-10's ready to completely dismantle & start from scratch. So far, my way may be different than some people--I'm looking at it to change the Hawaiian tunings I've listed, by using pedals to get the various tunings. As I said, on my other posts, I'll be using some of the common standard C6 changes that I'm hearing in my Hawaiian music library, but not all of them. Also, I'm in contact with Basil for some assistance on this. So, I'm looking at this as a fun project of sorts & see what happens. Believe me, I've been a hard core non pedal Hawaiian steel player for years, but as I said, Basil has opened my eyes here recently about the great Hawaiian pedal players, so I want to see what it's all about.

David Cook · From: Florida, USA

HI, You might check out Herb Remington's pedal setup. He can play beautiful Hawaiian. I don't know his full setup , but he has it on an A6 tuning

Butch Pytko · From: Orlando, Florida, USA

David--how ironic you'd mention the great Herb Remington. I knew Herb when I lived in Houston in the 80's. He was very kind in helping me set-up a BMI single neck to his A6 with pedals & knees, exactly like his set-up. It was a gift to my Dad--I now have that guitar. Haven't looked at it for some time, but I remember it followed the C6 copedent, but with some variations. Again, since it would be similiar to the C6 copedent, I just don't think it would have been what the Hawaiian pedal players created.

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