When do you use string pulls or pushes for the slants

Sherman Willden · From: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Coming from the, how dare you mention that here pedal steel world, when do you use string pulls instead of slants?

Thanks in advance;
_________________
Sherman L. Willden
It is easy to play the steel guitar. Playing so that the audience finds it pleasing is the difficult act.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

That's what I said: "NEVER"!

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

I don't use string pulls myself, one of the deficiencies in my playing. I would guess though that you would use a string pull instead of a slant in a multi-string situation, when you want the rest of the strings to remain in a particular chord and just change one string.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

I wouldn't know how. Embarassed

I let my feet do the pushing and pulling. Cool

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

I must admit that sometimes I use a leather worker's thimble to pull a string (non-pedal) when I want three strings but can't reach three with a reverse slant. Embarassed

I have been told that's cheating in the steel guitar world.

In my mind, if it works to get the job done, then do it. I also hold my fork in my right hand while picking up my glass of water with my left. Bad table manners???????? Who said so???????

Travis Hillis · From: Nashville TN, USA

Right on! Whatever sounds good

I try to use slants and pulls...key word: try. Oh Well

Ive been tinkerig with a nifty trick in the dobro G tuning. Go to the 7th fret and play the B(2nd string) and G(3rd) string while bending the B string a half-step. Slowly start to release it and when you hit the 5th fret play and bend it again. Makes for a neat effect if done right. It's in the key of C.

D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

I try to use slants most/all of the time. I believe they are more precise and more toneful. But, there are certain licks that work better (for me) with the cheese-slicer maneuver. Especially raising the 3rd to a sus4 to invoke Ralph Mooney. Or a quick raise of the 5th to #5th between a I and IV chord, to suggest an augmented chord.

George Piburn · From: The Land of Enchantment New Mexico

Ed Altrichter · From: Schroeder, Minnesota, USA

By the time I get to the place where I would otherwise use a pull, I've already gone past it !

Steve Ahola · From: Concord, California

The question is ambiguous: is it "pulls" instead of slants, or "pulls" to fine-tune a slant?

When I joined this board in January, most of my lap steel playing consisted of string pulls in open E. Well, I guess that was one way to get a 6th chord in open E...

I think it has been 6 months since I even thought of pulling a string. At least for me it is better for me to use my ring and little finger to dampen the backside of the steel (both of those fingers are numb from peripheral neuropathy so they aren't much good for anything else). The other thing is that I prefer to use heavy gauge strings for the top 2 or 3 strings and that makes it harder to bend them anyway.

For slants I will often skip the middle string so I'll do the 3rd and 1st or the 4th and 2nd. That way you have a fighting chance of having those two strings be in tune.

Steve
_________________
www.blueguitar.org

Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits

Bill Ladd · From: Wilmington, NC, USA

On slow tunes I'll sometimes pull the center string of a slant to tune it to the chord. Sometimes, if I'm lazy, I'll just hit the interval. On faster stuff or if I'm just passing by the slant, I'll hit all three without the pull and move on.

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

watch Junior Brown on his Git-Steel. He makes it look so easy.

I don't have the strength or pain threshold to do it. Maybe my strings are too tight!

If I could do it well,, I would use a string pull to play "sus" chords or intervals.

Ron

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

watch Junior Brown one his Git-Steel. He makes it look so easy.

I don't have the strength or pain threshold to do it. Maybe my strings are too tight!

If I could do it well,, I would use a string pull to play "sus" chords or intervals.

Ron

Twayn Williams · From: Portland, OR

If I'm trying to emulate the PSG sound, usually I go for a string pull. It helps if you're using fairly light strings. Since I own a PSG, I don't really try to go for a PSG sound on lap steel. YMMV.
_________________
Primitive Utility Steel

J. Wilson · From: Manitoba, Canada

You use both in good taste. There are no rules for this sort of thing. Music is about expression. Both techniques have a sound and a place and if you feel that sound is appropriate and/or value added, then you should pursue it without shame. That is how music grows and changes and improves.
_________________
If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. -Shakespeare
___________________________________________
1941 Ric B6 / 1948 National Dynamic / 1951 Bronson Supro / Custom teak wood Allen Melbert / Tut Taylor Dobro / Gold Tone Dojo / Martin D15S / Eastman P10

Chris Byars · From: Denver, CO

I've used them to go from a minor to a major on strings 1 & 2 or 1 & 2 & 3, pulling the #2 string. Only here and there though, usually at the end of a song (when I remember to, heh). Using Kayton's C6/A7. ECAGEC#AA.

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: