PEDAL SOUNDS from a lap steel...............

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Back in the days when pedal steel guitar was making its inroads into country music, that would be in the early 1950's......

JERRY BYRD was one of the hottest recording artists in the industry. He and the Pleasant Valley Boys of Cincinnati, Ohio, were the #1 recording band in that region. The band consisted of Zeke Turner (lead-guitar), Tommy Jackson on fiddle, and often Louis Innis on rhythm guitar.

In order to hang-on to that coveted #1 position, JERRY was required to constantly create new sounds on his steel guitar.

While he elected not to become just another 'pedal player'.......his innovations on his beloved Rickenbachers (Bakelite B-6 and later, the B-7, and ultimately the Trot-More and the JERRY BYRD signature model Rick), were seemingly endless.

The Billy Walker record now being featured on the JERRY's MUSIC page of the JERRYBYRD-FANCLUB.Com, "Charley's Shoes", one can easily catch the 'pedal like sounds' from JERRY's bar hand.

Why not give it a listen and ENJOY!

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Ray, I've always liked that record and I had no idea it was Jerry, but then again, I haven't heard it in a few years. Great stuff.

I love the pedal sound but I don't like to play with pedals, so I'm always working on that stuff myself. Jerry had it down pat. Of course, as pedal steel playing became more sophisticated harmonically it also became impossible to emulate, but if you don't need all those big chords and contrary motion there are a lot of possibilities.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Jon Nygren · From: Wisconsin, USA

I believe this might be a Jerry Byrd tuning(e9), that i've been using ALOT lately...high to low:

E
B
G#
F#
E
D
B
E

Lots of pedal sounds in there, using slants...and sometimes pulls.

I think the "Admirable Byrd" record was recorded with this tuning, but i'm not 100% sure...maybe someone can correct me on that one. Jerry was proof that you can do just about anything with the right technique and touch.

Anyway, I love the tuning and it's retunable to c6 or a6, or just pull the high B up to c# for an e13.

James Kerr · From: Scotland, UK

A Giant on the Steel Guitar no doubt about it, thank you for sending me over there, and thank you to Jon for the tuning, I have a Guitar near to that so I will be giving it a go.

James.

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Some pretty amazing JB playing on "Charley's Shoes," Ray. Wow.

David Cook · From: Florida, USA

Thanks Ray, I love it!!!

David Cook · From: Florida, USA

I think Jerry used the tuning that Jon suggested on his" Polynesian Suite" album.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

.

I hear a country artist singing, and I hear a steel player who is playing such great stuff, but I also hear what is coming down the road for him in respect to what direction the steel guitar is going to take in country music and how his playing is not going to really fit in as well, even though what he plays is musically incredible.

I would like to know more about the events that happened to Jerry Byrd during the time where his style of steel guitar playing became superseded by the harder country pedal steel guitar style. Surely he must have been affected by this. At what age and what year did he finally just leave Nashville.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Trashville left Jerry Byrd.
He came to Hawaii for good in '72, but it had been in the making for at least a decade. Along with him they threw away their heritage and virtually any chance to remain viable of worth. It became nothing but about $, at any cost.

John D. Carter · From: Canton, Ohio, USA

I think that Nashville was the loser here. Not because they went to pedal per se. But because in doing so they excluded the unique sound of the non-pedal steel. In certain respects the simpler sound is the more musically gratifying. As a side note, but somewhat related, check out the article on the Psychology of Tone in the February edition of Premier Guitar magazine.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Bill Hatcher: If you'll go to the JERRY BYRD web site, the LINK is located just below my signature line on this post........I'm confident you'll find the answers to most of the questions you've asked.

I have provided a detailed TIME LINE of both his life and of his recording career.

Thanks to each of you for your kind remarks.....and for visiting the JBFC site.

Jon Nygren · From: Wisconsin, USA

Thanks for posting that Billy Walker tune Ray. It's much appreciated! Do you know what year that was recorded?

I have to wonder if Jerry used his diatonic tuning for that one.

I transcribed the intro just now, in standard old e6(same intervals as c6). I haven't tried the solo yet, but it sounds like some pretty trcky slanting in there...great stuff!!

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Ray. I checked out the timeline. Byrd had a long and incredible career even before the shift to E9 country pedal steel in Nashville. I can see and understand why he left. Not a bad move to go to Hawaii and spend the rest of your life playing the steel the way you want to.

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

If I remember correctly, Jerry Byrd used only 7-strings on his E9-Tuning. (Eliminating the Lo-E)
Ray; I'm glad you found the Original version (Demo-version) of Billy Walker's “Charlie's Shoes”! Unfortunately, as I told you before; I only ever heard that version one time and even though I worked with Billy, I never knew there was such a version! When Billy pitched the song to his producer, he didn't have the recording with him, so; he picked up a Ukelele that was handy and whistled the tune. The producer liked it and wanted to record it with the version that he heard from Billy. That's why the Original Demo wasn't used! I still haven't found the Original version and can't log onto it with my WebTv. How can I get a copy?
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

If I recall, this album was cut during the late 1950's-early 1960's.

I detect no sound of Jerry's Diatonic tuning on this Billy Walker song.

Seven of the tunes on the "Admirable Byrd" album were performed in the E7th tuning......which ones, are not indicated on the album so I guess you're jes' gonna hafta put on your really good ears and see if you can determine which is which by the movement of JERRY's bar in each of the songs. That's how we olde timers had to do it.......so it still works.

I can't find Jerry's "Polynision Suite"......at the moment but I'm pretty sure mose of that stuff was performed in the Diatonic tuning. Slap me if I'm wrong!

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

The idea of playing a pedal sound and style on a non-pedal is fine if you like it. Seems like the tone of a real pedal steel is different to me, more metalic or something (?)

He should have moved to Hawaii ten years earlier, instead of fooling with pedal sounds to please the Nashville mob.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

One of the few criticisms that JERRY BYRD encountered early on, during the hey day of his country music recording career, was that he "SOUNDED" too Hawaiian.

There are those here on the SGF that have openly criticized JERRY BYRD's playing as being too SLICK and SILKY to even represent HAWAIIAN Steel guitar music.

One can't necessarily WIN........merely by changing domiciles.

What JERRY BYRD did, at the time he chose to do it, was right for JERRY BYRD and IMHO, he truly was one of the few artists of the day, that seemed to know what his loyal fans loved to hear and in every instance, I believe he attempted to deliver that work product to 'us'. Had it not been for his playing of "MOONLAND" over local DJ shows, I would never have been adequately inspired to puruse steel gutiar music as I have.

Laurence Pangaro · From: Brooklyn, NY

Hi Ray,

Is that plain old six string E7 (BDEG#BE) on "Admirable Byrd"?

ciao,
LP

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I regret that I cannot affirm that that is the precise tuning on Admirable Byrd LP.

It sounds like it but then again..........

I've never had enough time to just get in and dig at it like I used to do, when I was much, much younger.

If you'll check Jerry's Guitars TIME LINE perhaps you can get a better handle on which guitar he was using. He got rid of the Bakelite 6 & 7 stringers ages before that album was cut, I do believe. In fact I have another time line of JERRY's recording career with song titles and dates.....it's there on the JBFC site.

He's been quoted that he never used the Trot-Mor on any albums but someone sent me a letter that seemed to contradict that issue.

He was playing, and I'm sure recording.......using his JERRY BYRD Model Rick by the late 1950's but I'm just not certain of it.

Laurence Pangaro · From: Brooklyn, NY

Thanks for your response Ray. Looking at the JB Fan Club site definitely points toward the Jerry Byrd model Ric.

Here's a snippet from a Jerry Byrd interview snagged from this website:

http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=10027

"I did an album called "Admirable Byrd" and I did a lot of pedal sounds in there ... not as good as the pedal guys could do it but it was that sound and it was still different. I wrote a lot of the tunes to show what you could do without pedals in an E9th tuning. I got a lot of mail ... one of the songs is "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight" and I do a lot of bar slant work, you know, and a lot of people still don't believe I did it without a pedal guitar but I did. To me it's kinda silly. Why would I lie about it if I did play pedals! I'd tell 'em."

So I guess E9 is the answer. I guess one of these days I'll have to get something with more than 6 strings.

ciao,
LP

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Jerry's E9 for 8 strings: E B G# F# E D B G#(or E)
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Steve Hotra · From: Camas, Washington

Hi Ray;
Not a day goes by without learning something "musically" new.
Thanks for posting the link.
Steve
_________________
Guitars: Rittenberry SD S-10, Gretsch Black Falcon. Effects: Wampler Paisley, Strymon Timeline, Sarno Earth Drive.
Fractal FM9
Amps: Mesa Express 5:25, Jazzkat Tomkat & Boss Katana head / various cabs.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Isn't "THAT"...... what makes playing steel guitar realy exciting and rewarding?

As long as I've played 6-string, C6th/A7th....... there is seldom a day that I don't discover something new and wonderful.

And to think, JERRY BYRD had it all discovered when he was about 18-20 years of age. WHEW!

Wally Pfeifer · From: Illinois, USA

Why would anyone who is madly in love with
the lap steel want to make it sound like a pedal
steel? Now I'm really confused.
Whoa!

Wally

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

I doubt that he "wanted to" , but demand for the pedal sound was the in-thing in Nashville. Country music seemed to change around that time, with drummers in the bands etc.

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