Practice rigs and tips on practicing

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

I know practicing pedal steel can be a lot of fun, and other times downright frustrating. I've learned a few things that have helped me enjoy practicing more, and improve my efficiency while practicing. Here's an article talking about some of these strategies:
http://playpedalsteel.com/pedal-steel-practice-tips/

Do ya'll have any ideas or strategies on how to practice? How about some pics of practice rigs/stations? Since this instrument is so challenging, I think we can all benefit from smarter practicing!
Cool

Casey James Saulpaugh
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Bob Moore · From: N. Rose, New York

The article is very good. I am not a seasoned player but enjoy playing too. The one thing many of the more knowledgeable ones will say to start playing with someone
(band) jam type of thing. As good as books are I learned the faster I started playing with some else, your teachings as to what you have already learned will be used. Enjoy the trip and go crazy with the rest of us that attempt to play steel. Bob Moore

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

That advice about having everything you need to practice on-hand is absolutely right!! When I can't practice because I have to go on a wild goose chase for my stuff, I just get frustrated and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth... and it might take a few days to get re-motivated! Rolling Eyes

Johan Forsman · From: Sweden

Good reading and great tips! Having all at hand and a plan is key, I need to get better at it!

Fred Rogan · From: Birmingham, AL USA

while it may look like a bit of a mess, I have my PC right in front of my Williams D10 so I can watch YouTube and Skype; my Tascam guitar trainer right in front of that; the DVD player over to the right, my iPod Nano which goes into my PA is laying just to the left of the Tascam; and I have the Sho-Bud LDG to my left and amps to my right.
The best practice tip I have heard and I can't remember where I read it, when learning a riff, do it super slow then work up to speed. I also benefit greatly by practicing with a metronome (that teal colored round thing in the picture).

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Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

Great ideas and tips everyone. Fred thanks for posting your practice station: it looks awesome and effective. I like how you have your computer monitor/screen right in front of you for easy viewing, good idea.

Mine usually looks messy too, kind of like a mad scientist at work Devil

Sometimes that mess is part of getting the job done though: it's just like building/constructing a house, there will be a mess in the process, however it cleans up nice in the end. The only difference is we're building technique, tone, timing, etc.

I dug this photo up from a couple years ago, it is a practice station I made for a weekend while traveling. If I know I'll be away from home for a few days, with extra time on my hands, I always bring my steel and set up some kind of practice rig.

Keep the photos coming, I've always wondered how steel players set up for practice or woodshedding! Cool

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Fred Rogan · From: Birmingham, AL USA

By the way, I don't use my left foot on a volume pedal. That Hilton was used on the Sho-Bud until I got another pedal for that guitar and just set the Hilton aside. That is one bit of clutter I need to take care of. Funny how a picture helps you see clutter you don't notice otherwise.
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Show Pro SD10 guitars
Milkman Amps

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

It's very important to have a guitar at the ready so if you have a few minutes free you can tear into it.
Some years ago, I put my guitar in its case and didn't have time to look at it for quite an extended period and when I finally did set it up, it scared me at all I had forgotten! Whoa!

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

Erv, you're right having a guitar at the ready is key. Then whenever you get the impulse to play, there are less barriers of entry into doing so.

I used to leave my pedal steel in the case after I came home late from gigs, but now I try to set it up as soon as I get through the door. This way, I can make a cup of coffee the next morning, then practice a bit without worrying about setting up the whole rig. I've definitely had times where I didn't practice cause I was too sluggish to get the steel out of the case! Muttering

Fred - I guess a picture is worth a thousand words, like they say. I like the color of your Williams! Alien

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Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

Another tip is to have, in addition to a guitar, is to have an amplifier to experiment with sounds to work with how you want your guitar to sound, another tip is to have rhythm tracks in case there's a song you've learned that you want to play, and have a few CDs of country songs on hand to get ideas for steel parts-this is how I learned to play songs on steel. In my practice area, I've got my pac-a-seat and guitar, then my amp beside me, so I can plug in. I play almost every song on my computer now, instead of using a CD player. I only use a CD player now if I play at church.

James Jacoby · From: Ohio, USA

I have two identical, Carter S-10s, and two of everything--two identical bars, two Pac-A-Seats, etc. I keep one set up in my practice room, with picks, bar, VP, Amp, all hooked up. All I have to do is turn on the amp, and touch up the tuning, to practice. I keep the other steel packed up, and ready to go, a fully stocked Pac-A-Seat, and amp, ready to go. I could never go through all the hassle of setting up, every time I wanted to practice! I have about $3000 in the two steels. Still less than the cost of one new one. Most of my PSG friends, do like I do. It sure expedites practicing! -Jake-

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

Brett, great point about the amplifier and experimenting with sounds. I always keep my amplifier near me when practicing, so I can easily adjust my reverb (I usually practice with none), and levels efficiently.

James, having a separate rig, always set up for practicing is smart. It sure expedites practicing, and saves us some heavy lifting Winking

I was having to re-setup my gear after gigs for awhile, because I only owned one double-neck during this time. I was adamant on practicing C6 during the day, and gigging at night with it as an option too, so I had no other choice but to break her out of the case, even after a long gig. Very Happy

Now I have two double-necks, problem solved!
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Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

I have a D-10 set up, and run it into a small mixer that my headphones and laptop are plugged into. There's also a Manhasset music stand that I use for the usual, but also turned around (with the little shelf in back) and laid flat works as a table for my laptop - I know it's not the best, but it works for me until I get something else to use.

Audio is on iTunes and loops can go through Audacity. Audacity is a great open source software package that edits, records, etc.,etc.
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--carl

"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I've got a weird one for you, EXTREMELY steel-specific, transformational, potentially life-saving!

NEVER, EVER, EVER dick with your fingerpicks while you're practicing. To fulfill this, you need AT LEAST two sets of them. One is to practice with, the other is to dick with - while watching TV, driving, in bed, whatever. When the ones you're dicking with are better-adjusted than the ones you practice with, switch 'em out and start dicking with the now-second-best ones. But NEVER spend MUSIC PRACTICE TIME on something other than music. ESPECIALLY dicking with fingerpicks.

That goes to something I try and pound into guitar students - ALWAYS PLAY MUSIC. If you have a really non-musical type of chops builder, either "fix it" into being music or dump it.
Make stuff SOUND good = Always play music.

There's a few other picky details. It helps to use two sets of pliers. And you're going to try National NP2's, Dunlops, Kysers eventually, just BUY them all now. My fave is ACRI's, they solve every complaint about picks that anyone has ever had:

Janet Davis and Elderly sell them. But I still stick on Dunlops and Nationals just because. AND: There is nothing done to a $30 set of gourmet frou-frou fingerpicks you can't do to $2 Dunlops with sandpaper. I can't talk about bars though, counting all the home-made ones and guitar slides and experiments, I'm somewhere north of my first 100. But I can quit anytime I want to! I just don't... want to... yet...

Johan Forsman · From: Sweden

I've been practicing to drones for some time now. I purchased the ones Bob Hoffnar did, which are really good. Did some myself using my DAW... and I think I have already improved my intonation skills!

Sometimes I just use the drones by themselves but sometimes I want to use them with a metronome app on my iPhone. Works pretty well, BUT...I've found it just slightly annoying that I have to switch apps to change either tempo or drone, and the apps I've been using all controls the iPhones main volume which means if I turn it up on either app I will turn both drone and metronome up.

Today I found this one: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pitchronome-tuner-metronome/id951356535?mt=8

It is a metronome and drone tone generator in one. Also has the tuner which I assume will be of no use for tuning the pedal steel if you're working with offsets. The app allows invidual volume control over metronome and drone and all is intuitively fitted (and managed) on one screen.

Seems really nice so far, I will try it in practice tonight. But it seems to be what I've been looking for.

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

I too am a big fan of practicing to drones. They can improve your aural skills, intonation, and musicianship all at once!

If anyone's curious about drones, and how/why to use them, I wrote an article about it a few weeks ago:

http://playpedalsteel.com/improve-your-intonation-practicing-music-with-drones/

Johan, I've had that separate app problem before too (for practicing metronome and drone simultaneously). I had to resort to using my old iPhone (still has metronome app on it), along with my current one (has drone app on it), while I practice. That way I have separate controls over each, for volume and settings. It'd be nice to have both in one, in an intuitive user-friendly interface. I'll have to check the one you found out, thanks for sharing. Mr. Green

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Johan Forsman · From: Sweden

You're welcome Smile

thank you for sharing your ideas on your website...

Re the app I mentioned above, now that I have used it a bit more. I like it a lot, the UI is great and intuitive, the drones are OK for sure, perhaps not the most pleasant ones to listen to for hours, but OK. In all, having both metronome and drones in one app does it for me. I would be interested to know what you think of it, if you do decide to give it a try.

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

I'll definitely try it out and let you know. It looks pretty neat from the website. Also, it'd be much more economical to control both the metronome and drones, with only one hand while practicing.

I'm glad you're liking it so far, look forward to trying it Mr. Green

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James Mayer · Posted 26 Aug 2017 11:05 pm

Check out the "TE Tuner" app. It plays drones (one or multiple(chords)) and includes a metronome. It also analyses your pitch in real time. The tuner allows for custom temperaments/offsets. Great app.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I have two guitars set up for practicing.
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

Don't know if anyone mentioned this but Joe Wright once said when he is not playing or practicing, he always has his bar and constantly twirls and manipulates it. I have a bar at my end table near my easy chair and while watching TV I do the same thing. Sometimes something so simple can make a big difference.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Len,That makes sense I should try that!
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

I enjoy using both the Pitchronome and the TE Tuner apps. I really like how user-friendly and intuitive the Pitchronome app is with its nice, simple layout. Especially for its volume controls.

I'm finding the TE Tuner app to be a great tool...the tonal/sound options for the sound generator and metronome are a really nice feature. Having a drone and metronome that sound pleasant is key if you're going to be using them for awhile. I love the versatility of this app, a lot can be done with it.

Thanks for the app recommendations Very Happy

Stu, I really dig the stand you have on the wall for the D-10 practice station. Nice touch, thanks for sharing the pics!

I've found the Joe Wright tip to be really useful for better bar control when playing hammer-ons and pull-offs in the open position.
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