Ok, I've been playin' guitar for over 50 years now and have never got it totally down, but now in my old age I think I'll take up the pedal steel. That way I can be guaranteed that I'll die frustrated.
@@captainmoretokin2172 I mostly play old-time now and one of the reasons is that we all get to sit down while playing. I even have a tall chair for playing the upright bass :-)
@@nealmont Try a Hammond B3 sometime.....left foot bass, right foot volume, left hand comping bass, right hand lead and chords, and throw in the Leslie on and off. ....40 years later and I can't still make it all happen.
You got that, man. I guess you could play any type of guitar with a pedal steel - from bluegrass to folk and country to twang-banging hard rock. (Imagine that through distortion and wah!)
@@CernanCDengaRight?! I have a MIDI Pedal Steel plugin I can use my keyboard with… I’m definitely building a song around a pedal steal through a wah and Orange Rockerverb.
Mike, I was in White Lake, N.C. way back in my late teens. Three of us were walking around town checking out the ladies. I suddenly heard someone absolutely wearing out a pedal steel. It was coming from a tent revival with a Gospel Band, so I wandered over to check out the player. I stuck my head around the tent flap, and I shit you not, it was a kid playing a ShoBud, and his feet barely reached the pedals.Some people are just gifted. The bastards.
Mike Jervis. An old gent that's been around since the stone age, in my home town, plays the best steel in 10 county's, says the only way to get really good is to play it all the time. By the time you've mastered the steel, you'll be dead. Pretty much sums it up to me. There are few young players worth a hoot -- most seem to be old farts that can barely walk, like ol' Louie Amantero, Livingston, MT
Despite its immense popularity in country and western music, the pedal steel is still a tremendously underrated instrument. Fascinating instrument with an amazing sound.
Unlike guitar where most people just learn where to put their fingers when beginning it seems like you would need a basic concept of music theory and how chords are built before even beginning on pedal steel.
Ive played pedal steel for a few months...put I also play guitar,bass,drums,keys,....other insturments too but im not the best.......lets say jack of all trades
Uh, that's a lie. I am a very beginner. Self-taught, only know like 6-7+ chords that I learned over the course of a few months. Got to try a pedal guitar out and it was so much easier to play than having to do the chords my self. All I had to focus on was which string I played and then it was just off and play..
Music is a language and once you understand the grammar and vocabulary, it begins to make sense. What’s really tricky is once you begin to analyze music it is hard to simply enjoy it. That’s what turned me off from music school. Keep your mind and ears open!
@JM Coulon I'm with both of you . The more I've learned the more I appreciate even genres of music I wouldnt normally listen to or even care about, but it's also discouraging analyzing and knowing that I'll never get to the level playing through my limbs and fingers what's in my head. Music, when you start understanding it and your own shortcomings and lack of skill and creativity compared to others , becomes like madness .
+Nicolas.T +DerDa OK, here's the thing: 1. The history of this insurtment, is not unknown. It's a couple clicks away. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedal_steel_guitar 2. It was developed throughout the decades by several people (as most instruments usually are). All of them men, as far as a quick search has confirmed. 3. I still like DerDa's point: it's a good thing to check your assumptions that men are responsible for everything. Women have contributed many advancements, technological and not, to human culture (they were pioneers in electronic music, for instance). We're still, unfairly, often taught mostly about men. But maybe, after that point was made, it would have been a good thing to just check the actual available facts?
Knee levers! There are knee levers as well?!? I was just thinking I might be able to handle it then you tell me about knee levers! And then there's the C6 neck.
Jonathan Reynolds I don’t play but it looks like it gets more complicated than that, how many strings on these things, hats off to those that master this monster.
That was totally sick. I'm a jazz guitarist and I've always found steel guitar kind of mystifying thanks for taking some of the mystery of of it. I find the sound of a steel guitar intoxicating. I could how if I ever got my hands on one of those things I'd get sucked into the abyss. I like the Brian Blade release Perceptual. Steel guitar all over it in a jazz setting. I don't know who the player is by I dig it.
According to Wikipedia, the pedal steel is played by a guy named Dave Easley, but Daniel Lanois is on there as well, and he's a pretty mean pedal steel player himself. I've seen him just jam spontaneously on the instrument a few times, and it always takes you right off to dreamland. Thanks for the CD recommendation, by the way. I will pick this up. Blade is an amazing drummer.
@@raymarks7430 I just typed "Adios to Calf" into Spotify so I can check this out. D'oh! I listened to it now, and you're right -- the pedal steel's nice. My all-time favourite pedal steel playing is on the first few Mike Nesmith solo albums -- OJ Red Rhodes. Genius. Listen to 'Wax Minute' on the album 'Tantamount to Treason'. It's jaw-dropping.
From this demonstration, you can really see how the pedal steel is the perfect instrument to simulate one of the instrument choirs in a traditional big band, as is done in Texas-style Western swing. Texas and Kansas city aren't that far apart, after all. The cross-pollination was there right from the beginning.
What I find funny about this, is that so many people stereotype country music as being a genre for less intelligent people, but yet this instrument is one of the most complicated damned things in existence. I am a multi-instrumentalist, and I can’t even imagine where to begin with this. God bless those who have mastered it.
As a banjo picker, I find the same attitude regarding Bluegrass music...just a bunch of dumb hillbillies, doing a Buck and Wing! I agree with you about those pedal steel folks. Heck, I have a bad enough time working with only 5 strings, and I don't even have to worry about pedals and knee levers.
I think that stereotype is aimed more at the general consumer than the actual musicians. And in my albeit somewhat limited experience I'd say that it does have its merits.
Right! Cuz only steel guitars, banjo's, and fiddles are limited to only country music. I have heard all of these instruments used in rock songs, blues tunes and other genres. Oooo, lets not forget harmonicas, also only country music. I know you only talking about the stereotype of "country music as being a genre for less intelligent people", but many people think these instruments are only for country music. Sad thing is though, country music isn't really country music anymore. All these kids doing "country music" now-a-days, are really only playing "twangy" rock music.
UncleFestersWorld You make a really good point. I’m not too keen on the use of steel guitar in rock music, but one of the most successful applications of that came from an Australian band from the 1980s called the Triffids. This is a really beautiful song from them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OGkJONhkBgU.html
Pretty basic concept really. Had no knowledge of pedal steel´s but would be cool to try one. Only thing is, i hate using banjo-style thumb picks. Is like what happens if you put tape on the beans under a cats paws
I knew this old cowboy for about 4 years and one day he mentioned to me he played pedal steel, me being a guitar player said get the hell out, I thought well he is probably pretty bad. Then one day he invited me to his house to jam around, when I got to the door he was playing and my mouth dropped, he was awesome.
@Martin G That would depend upon which god you are referring to. The one you pray to, or the one you kneel to when you are puking. I don't think the porcelain god should get an upper case g. That's my opinion, and everyone has one.
having owned several pedal steels, since 79. I will say on thing It takes a lot more knowledge than most 6 string guitarists know ! You've gotta play a lot of "fill ins", that you wouldn't play as a 6 stringer, It comes with time BTW: Great "intro" video It takes lot mot of how relative minors apply to you basic 1-4-5 than most jammers realize/ It requires a level of exact picking, and feeling Good luck to any aspiring players
Rick Winfield sounds like it could be fun . You theoretically could make sounds that nobody has ever heard ! Seems to me that the chord/ note/ key variations are almost endless
@@djf2918/ guitar horizontal in capability of reaching your favorite inverted chord,isn't as rough or technical as a standard 6 string acoustic, as I found. After 63 years, I still find this  most difficult instrument to master, as the best pedal steel players were dobro masters first.This my dear companions is how I observed it. Its the guitarist who duplicate steel players better than steel players can reproduce a guitar.Exceptions even here exists..." if they can do it so can you..." my secret sentiments since1957.Don't quit, retreat...but get back to this, carry-on...♡ Old Grandpaw will smile,& God too! Shalom& and pass a harmony of Concord... thanks for your help 👍
Not only do the strings have to be in tune but the pedals and levers have to be properly adjusted, too. Just because the string is in tune open doesn't mean it will be when your feet and knees start working.
The guitar from an engineering perspective design wise is a compromise it's always at of tune which is why there's the old saying, " as guitar players we spend half our time tuning and the other half playing out of tune!"
Put in an evertune bridge mechanism and they'll always be in tune even after months of wild bends... it goes for like $400 dollars or so.... only downside it's not compatible with a tremolo
@@Tonetwisters That why I took up mandolin and listen with my mouth hanging open to Ms Molly Tuttle play guitar AND mandolin. They call Jerry Douglas " flux" and for good reason. Don't know what Molly will get for a nic-name. Garcia gave great nic-names, so maybe it will be up to Peter Rowan to hang something appropriate on this phenomenal picker lady.
@@sir_john_hammond -- technically you're right but I think the original commentor was speaking to the drastic pitch change to another note rather than the slight pitch change that comes from the bending or tightening in this case of the string: The pedal does of course change the pitch but so drastic it is changing the note but the slight verbato as the man in the video spoke of is just a softer pitch like bending on standard body guitar.
What I took from it was , the pedals only change certain strings , so if you want to just bend a certain string, you use the pedals because the bar would bend all the strings at once . But I could be wrong
Thank you! Not only do you have to be a musician...you have to be a technician as well. All the wiring and leads..this is much more complicated than the average audience can fathom. Kudos!! We should all learn to appreciate the finesse involved.
It's interesting how David Gilmour of Pink Floyd almost completely changed the feeling of that instrument. Used to hearing as the backing of a country song, he used it to add sort of a spacey feel to their music.
its firstgrade Wise Guy. Pedal Steel has been used for country for a long time and no matter which group uses it, it sounds the same. A whiny country song. Gilmour changed that.
Nah a 3 stick Mack single stack mack with a window in the back Pulling 1/2 loaded double shotgun tanks on old US 41 Nashville to Atlanta hitting Atlanta at morning rush hr.
Having watched Steve in person at The Birchmere, in Alexandria, VA - backing Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell through a fabulous evening - I now believe in Heaven!
Brought here by my renewed interest in Linda Ronstadt following a viewing of the recent documentary about her career and the reading of her memoir. The woman ate, slept and breathed music, and even though she was limited as an instrumentalist, she sure had a keen ear for finding the best musicians. A few months ago, I had no clue who Dan Dugmore was, but just loved watching him and listening to the sounds he was making. Now I'll be looking for Mr. Fishnell in Emmylou Harris videos!
@Jeff Baker Thanks for responding. Due to all the "social distancing" where I live, I've had the time to reconnect with old friends. In chatting with my old college chum from St. John's University in Jamaica, NY, I brought up Linda Ronstadt and asked if she'd ever seen her. She said, "Don't you remember, we saw her in '76 when she played in Alumni Hall?" For the life of me, I don't know what could've been so important that I wasn't there, but I wasn't! I asked Joanie to tell me what she remembered about the performance. She recalled Ms. Ronstadt just standing there in her blue jeans and simple blouse, giggling here and there and singing with that voice from beyond. But she went on to say that the band was phenomenal. When I watch her old videos, I'm always looking for Andrew Gold, Kenny Edwards, Waddy Wachtel, and Danny Kortchmar. Becoming a "homebound groupie" at 62! Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
@Jeff Baker Not complaining one bit. Have RU-vid, my 14 year old pup that I can still hug...and chocolate! Now watching Rocky beat Creed for the umpteenth time. Will end the day with one more look at Ms. Ronstadt's official video of "Tracks of My Tears" with Mr. Dugmore on the pedal steel guitar (Doubt I'll get to see the "knee levers!"). All the best to you wherever you are! All the best to humanity all over the globe!
@@lnl3237 I caught a Linda Ronstadt/Jackson Browne double bill at Seton Hall University in '74, (as well as Carnegie Hall that year?) and if I recall correctly (65 myself so...), Mr. Dugmore was playing pedal steel in her band at those venues as well. ;)
@@LS1conehead Thank you so much for responding. How fortunate you were to see these two friends and talents on the same bill in the venues you did! 1974 was her breakout year with Heart Like a Wheel and she was soon performing in cavernous sports arenas to throngs of people. More intimate venues so much more conducive to showcasing their talents. Coincidentally, they'll be appearing again together in a documentary this month called "Linda and the Mockingbirds." Jackson Browne accompanied Ms. Ronstadt and a group from Los Cenzontles on a trip to Ms. Ronstadt's grandfather's birthplace in Mexico. Ms. Ronstadt has been the catalyst for sparking my interest in much of the music I took for granted in the 70's and the people who made it. They made it all look so effortless and easy. Watching this video revealed it surely wasn't! Thank you again for your feedback. I pray Heaven has a beautiful music hall with the best acoustics and because I missed a whole lotta great music down here. Glad you didn't!
This instrument is mostly heard and seen in country music, but seeing this I immediately imagine the potential in microtonal music. You have no set frets, and correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that these microtones that are achieved on this instrument are primarily used to add texture and flavor to country music while transitioning between traditional notes and chords. However, could a person with enough skill and knowledge sustain these microtonal notes and compose a song around them? So a traditional country musician uses these microtones to "slide" between notes, but it seems feasible that a person could stop halfway through one of these slides, and you wouldn't lose any sustain, and the microtone wouldn't decay. You'll see microtonal guitars with what I can only describe as 'wiggly' frets, but again this instrument is essentially fretless. I mean, playing this thing to begin with would require a ton of music theory knowledge, and playing it as a microtonal instrument might require a bigger brain than any human has. However, the possibility intrigues me. Microtonal bands are rare, and most wouldn't want the Nashville sound that comes with an instrument like this. But that seems to be something that could easily be fixed by utilizing a different set of pickups, pickup placement, amp choice, and effects. I'm sure the right person could build a version of this that doesn't have that country guitar sound, but it's closer to a clean sound you might hear in modern alt rock. Tldr: this instrument may have the most untapped potential of any modern instrument.
To mellow out the sound, move the pickup further from the bridge. Since these ARE associated with country music, they're naturally set up to sound like the bridge pickup on a Telecaster.
@@elmerjfapp5730 huh, you're totally right. I never thought about that. I've looked into it, and it's been used in way more contexts than just country music. I was more speaking towards highly expiremental genres, stuff that might be considered avante guard, as much as I hate that term. Like, have you ever seen a microtonal keyboard? They are wild, and people who play them are wild. This instrument though could in theory do a lot of the stuff a microtonal keyboard would do. Not everything certainly, and not when played in a traditional fashion, but it could create a lot of the same non-tradional intervals that you would get from that sort of instrument. Would those applications be useful? Probably not. I mean not a lot of people listen to stuff like math rock or microtonal music to begin with. But the right musician might be able to have some fun with it. That isn't me though!
Yeah , like driving a 4WD, while upside down with 3 or 4 mirrors in different locations to see if your going forward,. Amazing, I would need another 2 lives to get the hang of it
Thanks for the lesson, sir Steve. I had a 3-piece band back in 2001-2007 that was comprised of me on bass, Larry Ptron on drums and Butch Cornwell on steel. Larry was one of the finest drummers I ever had the privilege to perform with and from where I sat, Butch was probably one of the best steel players in Texas. We could play almost anything and it would work. Of course, we played country. From time to time we'd have to throw in a Rock song from the '60s or '70s. Butch never missed a lick. After a few years of performing together, I expressed an interest in learning a little bit of steel playing. For about two months, Butch allowed me to borrow one of his guitars to see what I could do. There were no instructions about the pedals. I didn't even know what key to tune it to. Basically, I was a orphan steel player. I knew enough about music theory to put a song together on the guitar or keyboard. But I knew nothing about the steel. Had I known what was shown in this video, I might have been inspired to go further. At the end of my time, I couldn't even play one song. I was frustrated and discouraged. He passed away several years ago. I wish he would have helped me as much as this video did. I might be able to play at least one song.
I finally learned how a lot of country songs get "that" sound. That sound that sounds like its from a guitar. But its from this. Never would've guessed. Awesome instrument though!
Always loved the sound... recently been thinking of getting one. After watching this it's clear that I'm way too dumb lol. Hats off to all the players who make it look and sound so smooth and easy.
I used to sit at a table at one dance hall or another, by myself, and when it came time for one of the guitarists to have to make a bathroom run, they'd call me up to the stage to fill in for them, while they were gone. When I would get back to my table, there would be at least one girl, sitting there waiting for me to get back. I tried, several times, to play the steel, but it's SO DIFFERENT than playing something like a dobro, with all the peddles; I had to limit myself to just the guitars. I, in no way, was professional quality...but I enjoy-joyed helping the various bands out, and I never would accept any type of payment. I just had a good time doing it, plus the added companionship that came from it. I did try to figure out what all that stuff did, when there wasn't anyone there but the bar out front. I'm saying all that to just say this...IT LOOKS SO SIMPLE, when someone that's GOOD, does it...but when you sit down at even the peddle steel that just has the 2 peddles at floor level and a Volume lever for one knee and I never figured out what the other knee lever did, on the other side...it's as complicated as trying to fly a helicopter, if all you can fly is a paper airplane! You fellows, that are Steel Guitarists, are WAY UP THERE in importance to me! You're so advanced above a regular guitar player, I remain in "aw" of y'all !!! THANK YOU for sharing this information with us! Bill, from Tennessee, 🇺🇸
I've always known this was a tough instrument to master and that was one of the reasons it has faded in use in music today. After watching this I have a whole new appreciation for the brave souls that put the time and energy in to being able to produce a melody like no other instrument can! I'm so happy that I'm old enough to wear the title of old fart so that I can live in the past and appreciate all the music of yesterday be it country, rock or jazz! I hope this instrument will continue to be used in the music still to come! Hopefully?
Brings back memories visiting my uncle in Nashville ... his friend was Shot Jackson ... he played and I recall built steel guitars. Shot was very Nice !!
Only took me 35 years to find someone to explain to me how this works. I'm totally blown away by this engineering marvel, and the musicians who can master it. Thank you very much.
How convenient it is for one of the most beautiful sounding instrument to require a expert level coordination of hands, feet, knees, and music theory at the same time. Damn.
Very complicated, but such an efficient and in-tune instrument. Demonstrated really well here. They always sound much fuller and richer than any conventional guitar I've ever heard. A great instrument; but I suppose tend always to be the same sort of sound.
Ok so I don’t understand how anyone could give this a thumbs down. That was an awesome eye opener of the Steel guitar. And I think with my dyslexia I could learn that in about 10 years. Thanks for sharing. I play many instruments and had Somone offer to buy a steel guitar if I would play it for Church service. Would love to but man that thing scares me.
What an amazing video. I was totally absorbed throughout and learned so much. Steve Fishell is a master in his art - the only other pedal steel guitar player I know is Paul Franklin and these two guys are just maestros. Thank you so much for posting.
Most accomplished pedal steel players do bar slants, look at how many Lloyd Green does. The pedals simply make chords that aren't possible from slanting on a lap steel.
Great, instructive & inspirational... but, I kept waiting for you to break into that famous lick by Jerome Garcia when he played with that Los Angeles quartet, Crosby, Stills, Garcia & Nash.
Hi Steve a good friend of mine back in the seventies stepfather was a pedal steel guitar player. His name was Curly Chalker. Curly did a lot of session work in Nashville. He was also the steel guitarist for the house band on the HeeHaw show. He was a cool guy and interesting to talk with. He passed away in 1998. I figured you knew of him and may have known him. He was considered one of the best.
I've wanted to learn how this beautiful instrument was played. All that you have shown answered my questions. I want to Thank You for a fantastic demo.
Been playing guitar for 15+ years and i really want to get a lap steel to start with. I think i could pick up on it pretty easy with a few lessons. Pedal steel is a whole other level! They sound so beautiful! Great playing
You’re completely right. Lap steel is fairly straightforward and helps you to learn intonation with the bar and also to get the feel of the finger picks. Definitely worth practising for about six months to a year before you buy a pedal steel. That’s another level, but completely absorbing.
