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Post new topic (EPM) Emotional pedal manipulations
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Author Topic:  (EPM) Emotional pedal manipulations
Larry Bressington

 

From:
Nebraska
Post  Posted 14 Feb 2021 8:18 am    
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A topic that rarely comes up these days as a powerful tool to create tension and release, of course you can just mash the pedals and have them as a mechanical device, but often overlooked is the 'Emotional pedal manipulations'. Tactics such as dancing on the pedal/s in 1/4, 1/8, 16th notes, slurs with the A pedal, pulling the A pedal up very slowly to create almost there then let it drop a slight and bring it back up to the top. Dropping one pedal and raising another alternately etc back and forth, many tactics can be imagined...

We're snowed in up here, so i thought it might be a topic worth a few thoughts and discussions.
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Thomas Stone


From:
San Francisco
Post  Posted 14 Feb 2021 11:46 am    
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"Emotional Pedal Manipulations" immediately brings to mind Ben Keith's work on Neil Young's "Heart of Gold." Simple but devastatingly effective sl-o-o-w pedal raises and drops perfectly coordinated with his volume pedal, all creating a spooky, ethereal sound.
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Larry Bressington

 

From:
Nebraska
Post  Posted 14 Feb 2021 4:39 pm    
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Yes Thomas indeed, beautiful work on that one, lots of thought in the footwork as well as the hands. Perhaps there’s room for a new motto ‘the tone is in your feet’ Very Happy
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 15 Feb 2021 1:28 am    
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The whole sound of the pedal steel comes from the fact that every chord you strike can be deformed like rubber, and can morph into another chord without you being able to say exactly where the boundary was. That makes the extreme stuff possible, as well as the day-to-day magic tricks.
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Andrew Goulet


Post  Posted 15 Feb 2021 7:29 am    
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I've been playing with this lately too. I had a hard time getting much subtlety with the old Fender, but the Marlen has a smooth, tight response that makes the pedals much more expressive. I had just about given up on half-pedaling until I got this guitar, and now it's at least in my reach.

Ben Keith is spot on, I think. I could see an argument of Mooney-style bouncing being a part of this as well. One-quarter pedaling combined with bar movement could yield some interesting moves.
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