Does your heel lift off floor?

Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

Hope this doesn't sound dumb, but...

Is it normal to lift your heel when using the pedals? I find myself doing this when engaging one pedal at a time. With A + B, or B + C, my heel usually stays on the ground, but it seems like I'm more accurate hitting a single pedal with my heel off the ground. Am I getting into a bad habit, or is it "anything goes" with pedal steel?

Craig Robson · From: Wisconsin

so this is not a dumb question at all... you are almost certainly correct that, for a lot of reasons, it would be good to keep your heel anchored. The issue related to playing a single pedal is flexibility in your ankle. I have a couple of moves that want the A pedal followed the E knee lowered, and I don't have the ankle flexibility to make the move without hitting the B pedal unless i raise my heel. Do what you need to do.
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Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

Thanks for your comment, Craig. The A pedal followed by kneeing the E lower is a contortion that also makes me lift my heel.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

It is not a dumb question.

There is a lot of things to consider. As to how you have to make certain pedal and knee lever moves.

How the guitar is set up. How the levers are located, How the guitars pedals and knee levers are adjusted.

There is no set rule on a steel guitar, Some players split the E knee levers, Emmons setup Raise on LKL and lower on Right knee. With the Jeff Newman Uni setup Raise E's RKL, Lower E's RKR.
As they say "Whatever Floats Your Boat".

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

What Bobby said. I literally got cramps in my leg trying to do what you describe. Splitting E levers right and left with the E-lower on the right knee solved the problem. Now the only time my heel is up is when engaging the left vertical.

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