| Author |
Topic: Improving your Pedal Steel Chops by playing non-pedal steel? |
Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 3:42 am |
|
Over the past few years I have been playing many more non-pedal steel gigs than those on Pedal Steel.
Aside from the occasional Studio Session, and a few concerts, I always perform with my lap steels or Resonator.
Well last Sunday I got the "inspiration" to dust off my Pedal Steel and play it at church. All I can say is WOW! I truly had improved greatly by not playing with pedals... how can that be?
I started thinking about it after the first few songs, and realized that I was playing new licks that I had never thought of before.
Normally when I sit down at my old tried and true Shobud, I would mindlessly sling out the same old licks I had been playing for 30+ years. (Tom Brumley, Lloyd Green and Al Perkins being my mentors)
But lately I have been listening to a lot of Jazz Standards, Big band Music and not so much Country. (partly because what is called Country nowadays has so much distorted guitar and "rap" like vocals I can't stand it)
Anyway, I was able to approach the instrument in a whole new way. Not using the pedals to achieve the standard I-IV Bud Issacs pulls and Chromatic E9 licks that I always play, but instead moving the bar a bit more, and only using the pedals to grab a sweet chord here and there, and thinking more Piano-ish. so to speak.
I think taking a break just long enough to forget some habits, turned out to be a good thing...
Dom 
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
|
|
 |
Ransom Beers
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 4:36 am
|
|
| I do that though I don't play non-pedal steel but if I sit & practice a lot it seems I don't learn anything new so I step away from it a few days then go back & amazingly I hit a few new notes,combination of said notes & so forth.I do believe if you have a steady diet of practice without a break you become stagnant,it's good to take a break once in awhile. |
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 4:04 pm
|
|
Hi Dom,
What's the tuning on your non-pedal?
_________________
Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
|
|
|
Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 6:20 pm
|
|
Hi Dom:
I agree with your opinion that playing non pedal steel steel has an edge to it when you play pedal steel. Not only the picking or attack on the strings but bar feel and movement as well.
Regards,
Lenny |
|
|
|
Tom Cooper
From:
Orlando, Fl
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 7:04 pm non ped
|
|
| Hey Dom. I just went back to pedals after long stint just like you and kind of had the same experience. Esp having gotten into old jazz and west. swing. I think more of where the 7th is and use more bar movements. I play a D8 E9/13 and A6 in my group I lead and a D10 Emmons legrande in a 60's style country group. Finally getting to play real country. Agree that the new stuff is awful. Only thing is blocking. Non pedal didnt really help me with that. Had to really sit down with pedal steel and burn the lamp to get the blocking down. But the A6 pedal steel neck now makes much more sense after learning some jazz and having to move the bar. I have only been playing 5 yrs or so and have lots to learn but been playing a lot at church and in the bars. Lots of good experience, but not really in stuff I really wanted to play IE americana, alt country and the like. 40's through 60's is where my ears seem to want to go. Jazz tunes are mind blowing to me and scales leave me dizzy but really exiting to learn. In the other group I am gettng to really dig into the honky tonk 60's style. BTW, do you still make nuts for lap steels? May want to get one made for 10 string lap. Thanks for post. |
|
|
|
Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 3:20 am
|
|
Having started on lap steel, I probably do a lot more bar slanting than many pedal players. On C6th I play a lot of songs, or backup, without using any pedals, thanks to my old lap steel beginnings.
The only problem, the closer string spacing on Pedal steels makes it tough for some bar slants. |
|
|
|
Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 3:41 am
|
|
Tom, Yes I still make lapsteel nuts and bridges. Check your personal messages.
Fred;
My 12 string non-pedal tuning is basicaly A6th but with extra notes on top and bottom.
Hi to low: F# D Bb G E C# A F# E C# B G#
Strings 1-4 are re-entrant and very familiar to E9 pedal steelers.
A6 is also familiar because it's like holding down your A+B pedals.
Jack, I agree that the string spacing on pedal steel makes slants tricky. I prefer 3/8 spacing.
Dom
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
|
|
|
Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 4:11 am
|
|
Interestingly I find the opposite to be true as well, especially on C6 with students. When they internalize what the pedals do and can VISUALIZE the changes on the fretboard, their nonpedal playing improves dramatically and understanding of the tuning as well.
My recent injury has allowed me to focus on this somewhat and I'm now working on a nonpedal course for the 10-string standard pedal C6 tuning with the F on s.9 and D on s.1, which is a VERY important note, IMHO.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
|
|
|
Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 8:43 am
|
|
| Herb Steiner wrote: |
My recent injury has allowed me to focus on this somewhat ...
D on s.1, which is a VERY important note, IMHO. |
Certainly the non pedal guitar will be a silver lining in the cloud of your injury.
I love the D string on my non pedal C6/A7. I wish I had a B string (like Joachin and Bobby Black) for chords, but when I tune it to B, I always go back to D for melodic playing. Obviously I need a 9th string. |
|
|
|
