An Introductory PSG Education,

Aaron Jennings · From: Montana, USA

Hello Everybody,

I'm new around here, I signed up recently after purchasing an Erickson/BMI S10 PSG with 3 pedals, 2 levers. (LKL/RKR). This is the pedal steel John Rosette was asking about a few months back, here: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=226635

(Thanks for everyone's assistance in the linked post. John did a wonderful Job fixing this instrument up for me).

I was hoping to get some feedback on the below random questions, and hope lumping all together in a single post is not bad etiquette for the forum.

1. Volume/Expression Pedal
As a novice learning the instrument, is it detrimental to play without an expression pedal? (IE, am I forming a bad habit by having my right foot glued to the ground?)

2. Along the same vein, I believe my Erickson is tuned to a standard E9 copedant, (like the one on b0b.com, minus the "F" and "G" levers.). Is the lack of these two knee-levers significantly reducing my range of expression? Should I make adding these a priority?

3. My exposure to great PSG players has been fairly limited. I'd love to hear suggestions for albums / players with unique styles that I can listen to for training my ear. I have fondness for swing, and have been listening to steelradio.com to expose myself to different artists.

(one of my personal favorite tracks so far is: Bob Swampgrass Anderson - Pedalmaster Blues )

I'm really enjoying trying to absorb the vast amount of information available in the forum, and am really impressed by the community everyone has built here.

Apologies for the rambling post, it's in my nature.
Thanks!

Ray Anderson · From: Jenkins, Kentucky USA

Welcome Aaron, you're in good hands on this forum, it is great. This is my 2nd year, so I'm still a Nooby also. I can tell you what worked for me. YMMV Plug into your amp and just leave your VP under your foot so you can get used to it, VP will come later. Stay with the standard copedent (most of the instructional materials are geared for it). Take hold of every Newman course you can get your hands on i.e. A&B Pedals will keep you busy far a good while,then D Lever course will put you into high gear and then F Lever course will put some icing on your cake along with Mark van Allens Chord theory CD. You do not need any more levers at this time as this will keep you busy for a long time to come. Hope this helps. Happy Steelin Winking

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 12 Sep 2012 3:52 pm

Hi Aaron, I've been at this sucker a whole month, so you may take that into account. Both of the books I have been using as the core of my lessons are Winnie Winston & Bill Keith's Pedal Steel Guitar and Scott's Anthology of Pedal Steel. So far I haven't come across anything that uses the D and G levers. I think you can get by without them for a a good while.

I really like having the expression pedal. I don't use it a lot right now, but sometimes I'll work on a few things with it, and it does make a difference. It's an item that I think a lot of beginners tend to overuse, maybe as a cover up, or cause its fun, but a little of it goes a long way. Learning to use all your limbs at the same times is some task, why not add one more!

For Steel players, I like Ralph Mooney (Waylon Jennings Dreaming my Dreams is a great album), Tom Brumley (Buck Owens and the Buckaroos at Carnegie Hall) and about 20 other guys. For pure steel joy, Lloyd Green is fantastic. His playing on Charlie Pride's In Person at Panther Hall is one of the most excellent steel guitar and country music albums of all time. There are so many guys, but seriously Lloyd played on thousands of Nashville recordings throughout the 60's and 70's, and his touch is something else. Check out DIVORCE by Tammy Wynette. That's Lloyd Green at the beginning there, and the man is so good he doesn't have to flash it. A lot of his intros are accessible to beginners.
Anyway, you have a great steel and see you around.
-Dan

Aaron Jennings · From: Montana, USA

Thanks for the input Dan, I forgot to mention that recommendations for training materials would also be extremely helpful.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

you can play without a volume pedal no problem. might even be a good idea to allow you to concentrate on the basics of finding your way around the tuning. you've got plenty oe stuff to work with. eventually you will want the e-f raises.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I would let the other three or four knees wait, but set aside the money for all of them: it'll be easier to rerod the whole thing at once.
Let it wait til either:
You're looking at a tab for something that calls for it that you really wanna learn, or;
You advanced your ear training and playing that you hear it, recognize it and want it.
Remember, the A# (some call it Bb) lever got invented when people suck Tom Brumley was using it on Together Again, but he wasn't, he did it the hard way.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

Generally with only two levers the most effective is for the RKL to drop strings 4+8 E>Eb and RKR to raise 4+8 E>F.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

...meanwhile start learning all that you can without them. Lots of us began with no knee levers and quite a few with no pedals at all. Keep picking that thing and it will lead you where you need to go...

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Yup. Buddy and Jimmy started with lap steels.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Hi, Aaron, and welcome, welcome. You'll be having a lot of fun. Answers to your questions, like much on this forum, are likely to be very opinionated, and here's mine!
1. The volume pedal should rightly be referred to as an expression pedal, as much of what is done with it goes beyond just turning things up and down. While you can get by without one, and there is much to work on on top of the guitar, for most players the volume pedal is such an integral part of the whole package that you should be working on it along with everything else as a package. (I understand the concept of working on one thing at a time, but I have had many students who, for example, started on a steel with no left knees, and when they got them, had already trained themselves to recklessly flop their left knee around when playing floor pedals, to the point that learning to not move the left knees until needed was nearly insurmountable. It all works together... you can start with a cheap used VP for sure.
2. While there is some legitimate disagreement here, I believe with just two knees the most important changes would be Es to Ebs and 2nd string lower. Another possibility is to put the E to F raises on one knee, and combine the 2nd string lower with the 8th string E to Eb on the other knee, giving you some more mileage. There are many chordal/theory reasons for the decision, but the 2nd string lower allows use of the 2nd string in many more places or runs than without it. It's also possible to use a reverse slant on strings 5 and 8 to get the sound of the E to F change while learning.
Especially if you like swing, the E to Ebs are handy for swing and blues sounds, and 7ths. Careful reading and experimentation with the Winston book and tunes therin will give you a feel for what the various changes are useful for, and what you'll get when you add them. There's a LOT in that book...
3. While a search through the archives here will give you nearly endless suggestions for great players and recordings to draw from, my recommendation is to simply buy and listen to every recording you can find that has steel. You will quickly find players and directions that stimulate and inspire you, and from there you can follow up on their influences and similar artists. The search itself is a blast.
Best of luck with the quest!
_________________
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com

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