Posture While Performing

Tony Rincon · Posted 19 Nov 2024 10:39 pm

Hey Friends,

This topic may have been covered before, but here we are.

Just curious what you all think the 'correct' posture should be for sitting down playing pedal steel, lap steel, etc.?

Do you think your thighs should be parallel to the floor, knees 90 degrees? Your pedal steel adjusted just low enough to grab the levers? Or the pedal steel 'locked in' where you 'climb into' your playing position?

I know every situation is unique. For instance, a very tall player, a very short player, etc. I'm curious how your setup works best for you without wrecking your back and posture?

Also, how do you maintain your posture and body while not performing?

I'd really appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks, have a great day!

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

My recommendation may not match others but here are my observations:

Your seat should be high enough that your legs from the knees up should be parallel to the floor or slightly lifted off the front edge of the seat.

The legs of you pedal steel should be long or short enough that you knees have some clearance under the mechanisms but not so far away one must lift a leg to actuate a lever.

IF you mean posture while not playing yet seated at the PSG for any length of time for any reason, I recommend getting a pack-a-seat with a back rest. You can give your back a break once in a while by leaning back against it. I think I don't ever rest against it while playing which may be a backrest depth issue in my case. - It's way back there, yet I appreciate having it.

Buck Reid points out your elbows should be pulled in close to your body while picking. This makes the stroke of you fingers perpendicular to the strings without bending your wrist. In fact he had this recommendation for me after observing my posture.

Hope this is helps.

Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

I'm kind of surprised this post didn't get more replies.

This comment got my attention, though:

"Buck Reid points out your elbows should be pulled in close to your body while picking. This makes the stroke of your fingers perpendicular to the strings without bending your wrist. In fact he had this recommendation for me after observing my posture."

Having the fingers perpendicular to the strings is one of the biggest problems I have with pedal steel. I'm so used to using just my fingers on "regular" guitar, and having them pluck the strings at a 45 degree angle, that holding my picking hand so that my fingers pluck at a right angle to the strings seems nearly impossible, and really uncomfortable.

So, my right elbow is not pulled in close to my body when playing.

I can't be the only one who finds it really awkward to pluck the strings at a right angle, can I?

Also, another ergonomic issue that hasn't been addressed yet is the position of the arms. Should they be level with the guitar? Or should they be slightly higher? I've seen photos of players with their arms slightly lower than the guitar, and this seems like a really bad idea.

Anyone?

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Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Jim covered most things. I would add that the overriding consideration regarding arm posture is that the wrists should be straight.
Your fingers are making strong repetitive movements, and if the tendons are pulling round a corner then trouble lies ahead.
I used to teach young trumpet players who wanted to hold the instrument so that it looked somehow "cool". I would ask them if they still wanted to be playing at my age, and if necessary I would explain about the ropes and pullies.
At the pedal steel I keep both my wrists straight* and take no notice of my elbows Smile

*to be precise, I keep my left wrist flat - obviously it angles in the horizontal plane
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Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Well knowing Physical Therapy; I can tell you the best posture would be as much "Less Tension" you can have with positions and movements.
Like for example; with Elbows out; you are putting more tension on shoulders. The more knees are bent; the more tension it takes to keep them in that position. The bending of Wrists; puts added tension on tendons and ligaments...
Sitting up straight back; ads best circulation and cutting down on Tensions; will give you the longevity to playing and progression; you want...Go To It!!!!
Show me a pic of you playing and I can probably fix many limits to your playing.
Ricky
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Bill C. Buntin · Posted 19 Dec 2024 8:53 am

Whatever position you choose to be in that is comfortable. And still maintain all necessary rudimentary movements. There isn’t a true etched in stone standard. I agree with the arms pulled in. I think the forearms should be basically level. This varies a good deal between s10 /s12, universals and sd10/d10. Example, as a d10 player I tend to lean over a bit when on the front neck. My posture then changes more upright on c6.

Reece Anderson was adamant with me at the beginning of my journey. 1-to consistently sit behind fret 15-the same all the time. 2.-Chair or stool of specific height based on my body size etc. legs level and ability to comfortably move the knees. 3. - do not look at your feet. The feet movements have to be second nature. 4- do not look at your right hand. Focus on the bar hand. All of these things have to be second nature. The posture you need to accomplish these things , for me, just naturally became evident.

Jeremy Reeves · From: Springfield, IL, USA

straight wrists is the main thing for me, helps avoid any repetitive stress injuries/inflammation. everything else is adjusted to make that possible

Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

So, when playing "regular" guitar, my wrist is straight -- in line with my forearm-- and my fingers contact the strings at a 45 degree angle. I've never had any wrist problems.

Now, with pedal steel, I'm given to understand that my arm should stay right at my side and fingers should pluck perpendicular to the strings. This is a completely unnatural position for my wrist.

It's not like my forearm is angled way off of my body. I just checked and measured the gap between my torso and my right arm... 4". That doesn't seem like a big issue, and I haven't felt any tension in my shoulder, but now I'm wondering if I need to rethink my hand position and try to train myself to hold my hand differently.

Jeremy Reeves · From: Springfield, IL, USA

the point is to be able to play as naturally as possible without holding stress in your body, and without doing repetitive motions that stress and inflame your tendons. that's all the rules are trying to achieve.

Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

I went looking for shots of right hand position.

This one looks like the wrist is in alignment with the forearm, fingers plucking perpendicular to the strings. This feels unnatural when I try it, like I'm clawing at something...really awkwardly.

This shows Pete Drake's right elbow a few inches from his side, and his wrist angled. This is about how I think my position looks.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

"Clawing at something" is an excellent description of what we do!
There are no transferable picking skills from regular guitar.
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Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Dave Russell · From: Washington, USA

Here is the first of 5 videos that I watched on this topic done by a guy named James Shelton. They were in a group of 162 Youtube videos that someone on here put together on learning E9 Pedal Steel.

https://youtu.be/widGd62mbBA?si=dXe-0EbWspxIWMDv
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Joseph Lazo · From: Wisconsin, USA

Dave, thanks for linking to that excellent video. I wish I had seen that when I first started, but am relieved to see I'm pretty much doing exactly what he recommends doing with the right hand.

Interesting his comment about getting better tone by having the pick hit the string at an angle, rather than straight-on/perpendicular to the string. That's how my fingers hit the strings on "guitar", that's how they're making contact with them on the steel, too.

Like this:

As opposed to this:

Dave Russell · From: Washington, USA

Joseph, that is my natural way of doing it as well from finger picking guitar but when it comes to the steel, I'm so green that I'm just happy to know which end the bar goes on right now....haha.
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Gary Wessels · From: Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

Here's a little wrinkle to consider:

Jeff Newman, in "right hand alpha", as he's teaching pick blocking, teaches to have the crease in your right hand over the highest string being picked at any given time. I can't see how one can keep their wrist straight and play with the hand oriented so far toward front of the guitar. It's really awkward but he says it'll get better.

I can't really play like that.

He also emphasizes that the only way to get good tone is to have the SIDE of the finger pick the string.

When you watch Buddy, his wrists are straight and he is using the sides of his picks. My hand looks more like his than like Jeff Newman's, but most of my blocking is with picks and fingertips.

Some hot players hold their right hand like JD Crowe did on the banjo, with knuckles flat to the guitar top. Others adopt Buddy's 45 degree angle of the back of the hand.

I'm not sure what to say the right way is.

Anyone have any insights on this?

Gary

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I try different things, my right hand stays near the pickup while my arm will rest on my steel's pad or sometimes it doesn't touch the pad. My seat stays near the volume pedal so my right foot can handle the volume pedal and my left foot works the A & B pedals. Since I don't use knee levers a lot, I just let the pedals raise and lower the strings and sometimes I extend the fingers of my right hand.

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

Gary Wessels · From: Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

Dave,

That's an excellent post! Thank you for that comprehensive rundown...really helps to contextualize all the different perspectives and approaches we see and hear.

Gary

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