Similarities/Differences of Pedal Steel and Standard Guitar

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

I was a standard six-string guitar player before I began playing pedal steel. When I switched, the pedal steel seemed so foreign to me -- like a completely different instrument, barely related to standard guitar at all.

Looking back though, I don't actually think they're quite that different...the pedal steel is just a more complex version of the standard six-string guitar, with a steeper learning curve because of this.

Here's an article I wrote that highlights some of the similarities/differences between the two instruments:
http://playpedalsteel.com/similarities-between-pedal-steel-guitar-and-standard-six-string-guitar

I know there's more to it than this Wink

but from a learning perspective, I believe highlighting some of these similarities can help those learning who have a six-string guitar background.

Can ya'll think of any other similarities that may encourage six-string guitar players to not give up so easily when tackling the pedal steel?

Thanks,
Casey Cool

_________________
Playpedalsteel.com - An online resource for steel guitar. Pedal Steel Guides & Digital Downloads: https://steelvibrato.com/collections/pedal-steel-instructional-ebooks

Ben Edmonds · From: Greenfield, Massachusetts, USA

The most obvious and helpful relationship between the two was the fact that E9 pedal steel guitar shares the same root as six string and the A+B pedal is the IV chord and A+B two frets up is V. With the knowledge I already had on six string with these simple moves enabled me to play along with lots of songs pretty easily. Of course that is rudimentary but at first it provided a foundation.

The technique on the other hand, seemed completely foreign and is what requires the most attention.

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

Good point about this relationship Ben. I think the fact that the E9 and six-string share the same root note, is actually the first thing I latched onto when jumping into pedal steel. Using the A+B pedals with this provided me with enough options to get some music out of it.

I had tinkered with volume pedal swells on six-string before switching to pedal steel, so between this and the roots I was able to create some cool sounding parts for the first band I played with. Technique seemed most foreign to me too, so it was hard to play the parts I had come up with, or was hearing in my head, and to translate them through the instrument.

Realizing that practicing technique would better enable me to physically translate my ideas and what I was hearing through the instrument, was a big step for me. It felt like torture for a little while hearing so many things in my head, and not being able to effectively get them out of the instrument Evil Twisted

_________________
Playpedalsteel.com - An online resource for steel guitar. Pedal Steel Guides & Digital Downloads: https://steelvibrato.com/collections/pedal-steel-instructional-ebooks

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Bad starting premise. Form a C chord: the A and B pedals are going to the F, going to the G is lowering the Es.
Worth noting: my armpit guitar knowledge is limited
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Put a capo on the 4th fret of your 6-string guitar. Forget about the 1st two strings on the steel for a bit. Play a "Cowboy" C chord. That's very, very close to the steels tuning.(G#,E B,G#) Then refinger your guitar as to reflect what the pedals do. 1st and 4th strings are raised by the B pedal, to A notes, so change your 6-string fingering to reflect that change. 3rd sting B note is raised to C# by the A pedal. Do that change on your guitar. And so on. This way you can relate your guitar knowledge directly to the steel in a simple, understandable way.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

I would encourage guitar players to put a nut riser on the gui and get a plug socket.
I didn't start learning about steel until I played a lap guitar.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

The differences described are the pretty obvious and, IMO, stereotyped view of the differences between guitar and steel. It's the way a lot of people see it and do it, but not the only way.

To my mind, the essential similarities between guitar and steel guitar are far greater than their differences. And "slide guitar" and "steel guitar" are even more closely related. Really, the only significant difference between slide guitar and what most people consider a steel guitar is that "slide guitar" is played in the standard "Spanish guitar" position, and a steel guitar is played on the lap or in the horizontal "console" position.

To me, everything else is a matter of what one chooses to do with it. Phil Baugh and others have hooked up pedals to pitch-change the strings of a standard guitar. Some steel players don't use any pedals or levers at all. Some guitar players use open tunings like a steel guitar, with or without a slide. Some slide players use a relatively low action and a light bar that sounds very different from a steel guitar. Some slide players use a pretty high action and a heavy slide that much more resembles a steel bar.

I have heard of at least one steel player who has his steel guitar strings low enough to be able to fret behind the steel (on actual frets). Some slide guitar players (including me), influenced by Sonny Landreth, do the same on slide guitar. IMO, this overcomes some of the limitations imposed by either straight-across or slanted steel bar, sans pedals/levers, approaches.

My strongest recommendation for a standard guitar player who is thinking about taking up pedal steel would be to crank up the action on his or her guitar a bit, perhaps put on a bit heavier set of strings, tune it to something like open E (lo-hi E, B, E, G#, B, E), get a good slide, and have at it. Or put it on their lap and have at it with a steel bar. After a while, I think it sort of becomes pretty obvious why a lot of steel players started putting pedals and levers on their steels. Sometimes (not just in music) it's useful to go through the process the original pioneers went through to get at their thought process. I think it also might help "un-stick" pedal steel from its current stereotypes, not that there's anything wrong with the way it's done now. In fact, the way 'mainstream' pedal steel is done now ultimately was, and still is, my main draw to the instrument.

Christopher Woitach · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

To me, the most important thing that guitar and steel guitar shares is the graphic nature of all fretted instruments - the graphic "pockets". They are mostly pretty different shapes, but once you know those shapes they can get you far down the road for improvising
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Jeff Watson · From: Anza, CA. USA

I always tell interested guitar players that the basic thing going on is to think of the bar as an E barre chord moving up and down the neck and when you press the a/b pedals its the same as changing your chord shape to an A barre chord at the same fret position. If they're familiar with playing barre chords up and down the neck then its easy for them to see how you end up with the same 2 fret pockets at a couple spots on the neck where you have your whole I IV V relationship to work from.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

The diffences outweigh the similarities in my opinion. I know some more accomplished six string players than me who gave up on steel, maybe because they didn't like Country Music enough.
Staccato notes are easy to play just by lifting your fingers from the fretbord, whereas on the steel you need to learn blocking technics with your picking hand.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Pat Chong · From: New Mexico, USA

People may give up on anything, due to the fact that there is so much effort involved in doing it right, in this world of doing-everything-now.

But there may be another catch too: It just didn't (for lack of better words) "click" with them. I play bass and guitar, both at "band playing" level. I have tried mandolin and banjo, but gave up on both. However, when I tried pedal steel, something "clicked", and I wanted to work with it. And, (unlike Guitar George), I WANT to make it "cry or sing"!

Mr Tony, I suppose your statement of "find the music" may be what I mean in "click".

...................Pat

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

If you relate to my comment Jim. I don't want to pigeonhole the instrument to Country, but it's my believe that if you have an affinty to C&W, it makes learning easier. I learned from two books, Winnie's and Mr. Scott's. This curve enabled me to figure out songs like "Jessica" on my own later on.
Tony Prior wrote:

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Forum Index > Pedal Steel		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic