Is Pedal Steel the Most Difficult Instrument to Learn ?

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Most people who take up the pedal steel have stated at one time or another that it's the most difficult instrument they have ever learned. I myself, having gotten used to guitar, banjo, mandoline, lute, cittern, mountain dulcimer, hammer dulcimer, bouzuki, lap steel, dobro, and dozens of other instruments, have always thought that pedal steel is the most difficult. After all, what other instrument changes its tuning during the number ? I've always equated it to a typewriter with pedals which move the rows of keys to the right or left, and knee levers that move the columns of keys up and down. Now try to type something on it. Whoa!

However, I've lately been thinking that this is because most people come to the pedal steel after they've already mastered the guitar. Think back to the early days when you had to move your fingers into all those chord shapes, not to mention the metal strings cutting into the ends of your fingers. But you've reached the stage where you don't have to think about it. You play an E chord and then your subconscious tells you where in the music you change to an A chord, and you do it without even thinking of the position of your fingers.

But in reality, there's a lot more dexterity involved in moving your fingers out of an E shape, rearranging them in an A shape, and moving them across one string, than there is in just pushing pedals 1 and 2.

Likewise, there's a lot more dexterity involved in going from an E shape to an F shape than there is in moving the bar up one fret. It gets even worse going from a C shape to a C# shape, where the steel guitarist just nonchalantly moves the bar up one fret, whereas the regular guitarist has to struggle with barré chords. Shocked

So maybe the pedal steel isn't the hardest instrument to learn. It just feels like it because we've already mastered other instruments before we took it up.

Marke Burgstahler · From: SF Bay Area, CA

Very interesting post, Alan!

I have guitar buddies of mine that have been watching me develop on PSG...they are always really curious when I explain some of its mysteries.

I always compare it to playing three dimensional checkers.

Changing guitar chords in its purest sense is more challenging that moving a bar up or down or pressing on a couple of pedals, but things get really complex (for me!) when I have to move the bar ACCURATELY to a fret, AND deciding what pair of 10 strings I'm picking AND damping the ones I don't want to ring AND if I'm pushing a knee level around AND making sure my volume pedal is in the right place....WHEW!

Nothing but complete respect for you and your opinion...just offering up a personal viewpoint of a real newbie... Maybe if I had never played a 6 string I wouldn't find the PSG so challenging...hmmm.
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David Doggett · Posted 5 Apr 2009 9:49 am

All instruments are equally difficult to play at the level of the top pros. Their are only so many hours of practice time in a life-time. But some instruments have a shallower (easier) learning curve to get to the point that you can bang out some simple tunes - instruments like guitar, saxophone, and harmonica. Pedal steel is not one of those. Neither are the fretless strings of the violin family. The development of acceptable ear-hand coordination takes time.

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

I think fiddle & violin are much harder than steel guitar.

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

On fiddle/violin you have to be accurate with your fingers, not just a single bar, and pinpoint accurate because you'r working within a much smaller area, and with very little visual guidance--no "fret" markings and a viewing angle so oblique that it's of little help--with your left arm/wrist/hand twisted into an extremely unnatural position. And bow technique is supremely "touchy". I'd say PSG is a piece of cake by comparison.

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

I agree about learning strings. In addition, though, every time I get frustrated with the thought of learning how to use interdependent hands, feet and knees on the pedal steel, I think about what it must take to master the totally independent hands and feet required to play a B-3 with bass pedals. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt almost too much to enjoy the totally cool sounds I hear listening to the organ greats.

Paul E Vendemmia · From: Olney Maryland Mongomery

By far the Bag Pipes.
Just try to listen to yourself play that thing.
In fact why would anyone want to play something that sounds that bad to start with!!!!!!!!!
Paul

Rich Peterson · From: Moorhead, MN

PSG is certaily not the most difficult to learn. Mastery is hard on all instruments, but I think the PSG is relatively easy to start on. Confusing, perhaps.

You can get a musical sound out of it immediately, unlike trumpet. Your fingertips don't get sore (or bloody, like mine did as I struggled to learn on a terrible six-string.) And there are few instruments that sound so beautiful playing a simple part, as long as it's in tune.

You can make the instrument harder to play than it should be, by comparing yourself to Buddy rather than just being inspired by him. By seeking a "magic" knee lever instead of playing what is there. By being so critical of yourself that you can't simply play a sound and see where it will take you.

Sorry. I got a bit too far into the "Zen" there.

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Well --- Since i havn't tried bagpipes ,fiddle etc the pedal steel is the hardest instrument that i have ever played ! At one time i was playing lead guitar and reading notes and playing Glen Campbell , The Beatles ,Ventures and others . So i thought that since i did that that pedal steel would be a cakewalk Idea

But i was really shocked to learn that it was totally different ! But the steel is the best instrument you could want to learn in my opinion ! No other instrument can make so much music and fill the gaps like pedal steel . Go ahead get your belts out Razz

Jerry H. Moore · From: Newnan, GA, USA

definitely fiddle!!! Thats speaking of modern country music instruments. Shocked

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

I think the difficulty to get up and running on a particular instrument has a lot to do with the physical and mental dexterity of the student. For me the hardest instruments to be able to play have been the drum kit and the piano, and I think they are hard for me because I have poor coordination. I think mastering any instrument is a life-long challenge that ironically gets more difficult as the player become more focused and less complacent. I have been messing around on standard 6 string guitar for about 25 years and steel guitars for close to 10 years, and the transition into playing steel was more fun than anything because of having experience with playing guitar and slide guitar. About 5 years ago I started playing tenor saxophone. It was not difficult to get started on, and I think my tone and technique was getting good. However, I soon realized that to become very good on the pedal steel, the saxophone, and to keep up on guitar, would require a second life for me. I dropped the sax because I didn't want it to draw from the limited time I have for steel and guitar. I think I could have gotten to were I was a passable hack on all three instruments, but that would have made it even harder to get really good on the steel. I've been playing more non-pedal lately now that I have a good double-eight, and I would say that non-pedal is in some ways more difficult than pedal steel. Perhaps the (deceptively) simpler instruments are the most difficult?

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

I'll soon be finding out. Laughing

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Stuart Tindall · From: England, UK

I hope so, cos that's the excuse I'm using.

Larry Bressington · From: Nebraska

I think all musical instruments, [once you got past it's phisical challenges] has the same challenges. It's not the instrument you are learning, it's the music intergrity itself.
Classical music is just as hard on harmonica as it is on the steel, and that was mostly written on a piano. Now we can all tinkle a few white keys and say we play piano, but would a world class pianist agree?
Playing 'blues 'on a 'steel' has the same integrity as a 'guitar' it just depends on your 'chosen 'instrument.
P.F is just as good at blues as is B.B king!
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Ivan Funk · From: Hamburg Pennsylvania, USA

I think learning 6 string guitar was more difficult for me than pedal steel but I didn't notice at the time because I was driven to learn. Still I am not a master of the instrument.

There's a saying going around - someone came up with a number: To completely master anything takes around 10,000 hours. I think this can be both daunting and reassuring.

Charles Curtis · Posted 5 Apr 2009 2:35 pm

I'd like to get Milo Deering's opinion as he plays psg, fiddle and guitar. Milo are you here? And by the way Milo did you get that CD done?

Steve Feldman · From: Central MA USA

Uilleann pipes.
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Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

As i first started on violin at about the age of 9 or 10,and taking up steel 12 or 13 years later i would say with out a doubt and as it has always been claimed violn is the most difficult instrument made to master.(sure surprissed me when i mastered one).
Seriously,the old masters had the students work with the bow for up to two years before putting a finger to the strings.I am speaking of difficult classical violin.
I have thaught fiddle and a little classicial noting i know.I had some students that learned to play country fiddle in a short time playing only in the first lowest octive.I had a few that never were able to learn some of the correct bow movements or the correct way to note to play high on the neck or even a simple hoedown.
There is one presice bow movement that many didn't learn as it takes so much time and patitence to master.Yes,master,as you do it or either you don't.No way to fake it.
And as one notes higher on the neck the closer the notes become together.You are either on or off key.No in between.
So from my personal experience and of all the reding i did learning i would have to say with out a doubt the violin is the most difficult with no close second.IMO

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

As i first started on he violin at about the age of 9 or 10,and taking up steel 12 or 13 years later i would say with out as it has always been claimeb lone before the internet the violn is the most difficult instrument made to master.(sure surprissed me when i mastered one).
Seriously,the old masters had the students work with the bow for up to two years before putting a finger to the strings.I am speaking of difficult classical violin.
I have thaught fiddle and a little classicial noting i know.I had some students that learned to play country fiddle in a short time playing only in the first lowest octive.I had a few that never were able to learn some of the correct bow movements on a simple hoedown.
There is one presice bow movement that many didn't learn as it takes so much time and patitence to master.Yes,master,as you do it or either you don't.Noway to fake it.
And as one notes higer on the fret the closer the notes become together.You are either on or off key.No in between.
So from my personal experience and of all the reding i did learning i would have to say with out a doubt the violin is the most difficult with no close second.IMO

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

BTW.For those who are not sure,the only difference between a fiddle and violin is,a fiddle is carried in a gunny sack,and a violin in a case.

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

I played 6 string for years and I got pretty good but the first time I sat down to the steel I was soo lost but it actually made more sense to me in a shorter time than the 6 string.

Then I bought a Fiddle took a few lessons and sold it.

The Fiddle was extremely hard to fret accurately and the bow wasn't easy either.

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