Do you feel "connected" to the pedal steel when you play?

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

As I continue to learn how to play this thing, it has begun to strike me that part of the challenge for me is not feeling a physical connection with the instrument. Always feels to me like the pedal steel is something I sit close to, like a desk. It is something â€œotherâ€ than me.

But with Spanish and lap style guitars, I feel as if they are an extension of myself. As a lead guitarist, I am connected to the guitars, quite literally â€“ I cradle it, I wrap my fretting hand around the neck. And as a lap steel/reso guitarist, the guitars are on my lap, feeling anchored to me. I donâ€™t experience anything like that with pedal steel.

Has this difference ever factored into the challenges of playing pedal steel for any of you? How did you get past this feeling of disconnection?

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Give it a hug. Rolling Eyes

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Funny. I almost feel like I'm dancing in place with the steel as my partner. But it did take awhile to get there.
We work together.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

I know exactly what Chris means. I think it has to do with the mechanical nature of the instrument, and the fact that we equip ourselves with picks and a metal bar to play it. If it wasn't for blocking, there would be no actual physical contact with the guitar. Unless you play barefoot... Pedal steel is not a thing that can just be picked up and played, like bass or classical guitar or flute.

In other professions, you can watch a seasoned auto mechanic or machinist or woodworker or heavy equipment operator, and see how they have "become one" with their mechanical devices. Maybe I'm a little weird in this regard, but I can see the poetry in motion of someone who really knows their trade, just like I can appreciate the amazing music a good pedal steeler can make. So, fear not Chris. It is possible to eventually make contact. And zen, who knows?

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

I've been playing for about 5 years now, and very occasionally I do something instinctive that sounds good, on what is generally a very thought-intensive instrument.

So to answer Chris's original question - er, sometimes. Long may it increase. The obsessive aspect is often mentioned for good reason, but you can't master any instrument without becoming absorbed in it. So don't regard the pedal steel as especially sinister - I used to belong to a clarinet forum.... Smile

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John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I completely zone out when playing.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Fred, that's like saying that the complex linkages between ivory and string diminish the connection of pianist to the instrument. Piffle. Oscar Peterson or Floyd Cramer didn't regret not playing a harp.

The machinery in both steel and pianoforte is an integral part of the instrument.

I think integrating all of the elements so it feels like a whole is something that comes later, with lots of seat time.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Mitch Ellis · From: Collins, Mississippi USA

Chris,
Regarding the pedal steel, Lloyd Green once said "You have to make friends with these things." When I play, I am totally unaware of my steel. And in my opinion, that's a good thing. To me, it means that I'm comfortable with it, that it fit's me physically, and that it's operating flawlessly. It means that we've "made friends" I guess you could say. Like wearing a well broken-in pair of boots, I only think about them when something is wrong with them. The rest of the time, I just put'em on and go.

Mitch

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

For me, with the right steel (e.g., Zum, Franklin), I feel deeply connected with it. But I go in and remove most or all of the helper springs, and set the leverages so there's a pretty linear pushback. When I hit the pedal, there's not a lot between me and the string except the tension of the string. I imagine my pedal/lever tension may be a hair higher than some. I'd say I like the action FAIRLY easy, but not TOO easy. Some pushback is GOOD.

And I agree with Erv. A steel needs some love. I have to bond with a steel (or a guitar), or it's no-go. I know this is hopelessly metaphysical, but there it is anyway. For me, at least.

Zone out? Jeez, sometimes there's drool coming out both sides of my mouth. Exclamation

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

Means the stage is level. (Rim shot! Very Happy

)

With the right steel, I feel the connection in my left foot (I'm an E9th player). Shoes or not (I don't, in fact, play without 'em), expressing with my foot on the pedals is as close an analog to the physical connection I feel with my left hand on guitar as I get.

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Good thoughts - I get it. And glad to hear it. Seems those moments I mentioned that I lose myself in it...that's what I'm seeking as a regular part of my playing.

I appreciate the thoughts about seat time. I hear pilots talk about flying hours, and that's what I started calling seat time. As in, sometimes my wife asks me if I'm practicing for a specific gig, and I tell her no, just building up flying hours. This instrument, more than any other I've played, has the biggest "use it or lose it" aspect. If I go too many days without playing, I can sense that my movements are not quite right.

A very "zen" instrument, indeed. Love it. Thanks for your perspectives. They all make sense.

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

I hate to drag guitar brands into this discussion, but I will.. Smile

I've owned quite a few steels, and have settled on a P/P as what works best for me. Sure it sounds good, so do a lot of guitars, but there is something tactile about the way the P/P responds to my playing that inspires me. I believe it may have been Herb Steiner who described that phenomenon in another thread, and I concur. I really think that 'feedback' factor is a big reason so many people like P/Ps, despite the inherent disadvantages(?) of the mechanism.

In my opinion, that's 'connected' to the guitar, and I think that's what a lot of the other posters have said or hinted at. I'm not saying you can't get that with some other guitar, but I think you have to find the guitar that 'talks to you' and that's the one you want to play.

Andy DePaule · From: Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon

For my 2Â¢ worth...
I've never had that feeling, but with the new Mullen it is real close.
When I sit there it seems to fit my body perfectly.
Every pedal and knee lever just perfect for where my feet and knees naturally go.
So while it's only 2Â¢ worth of advice, it will cost a lot more than that to get one. Laughing

That is unless you already have a Mullen?
Now if my playing will only catch up with my steel I'll be ready for Nashville.... Very Happy

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Dave Meis · From: Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA

When I first sit down at the steel, I spend a few minutes doing very slow pulls on all the changes, and just LISTENING (not looking) as strings come together into chords and unison.. maybe take 3-4 full seconds to engage the A pedal.. paying attention to 'timing' the pulls so they work together ..'schooching' the bar so that A-F combo sounds in tune.. that kind of thing. It's not like a piano where if I hit the key, I get the note. Or a guitar, where if I'm ANYWHERE behind the fret I get the note. It has to be 'felt'. Gets me 'centered', 'connected' and CONSCIENCE of what I'm doing. I rotate steels every few days, and the difference in them takes a few minutes to 'accommodate'.. they have personalities. Smile

Moving my seat an inch one way or the other..those kind of things. I agree with Dave Mudgett that some 'resistance' helps (my Sho Bud plays too easy), and I agree with Bill Terry that my PPs feel more comfortable to me, but if I had only one guitar, I'd do it the same way.. it takes less time than it took to write this. Metaphysical? Yes. Zen? Yes. Enjoy the journey..because you'll never 'arrive'! Smile

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Playing in socks helped me bond more.

Tyler Hall · From: Mt. Juliet, TN

When you find the right guitar, it'll feel like a part of you.
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Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

Without picks made me feel it more. It is pretty immediate compared to a piano.
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David Weisenthal · From: Arizona, USA

I've been playing a few weeks short of 2 years, and for the most part do not feel connected to it like I do when picking up a 6 string. It is still tougher to just jam with, but definately huge improvements over the last year. There are moments now when the PS feels very natural, especially on days when I put 2-3 hours in. Last week I finally moved the knee paddle on the RKR down 1 inch and it made a world of difference. This instrument really has to fit the player.
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John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

Just got done playing a gig tonight and I thought about this topic while playing. And, I realized that I'm one with my steel, when, I'm not actually thinking about analyzing what pedal or knee lever to use to achieve the sound I want. I know my steel intimately, that is, I know what pedal and lever does what and where I can use them without thinking too much about it. It just comes naturally for me now. But, I've been playing this steel for 13 years and playing steel totally for over 40 years. Maybe it's just all the seat time I've achieved playing that allows this. Knowing the chords and knowing how to get from point A to point B is essential for the process. Time with your instrument is the key. Your steel will become an extension of your body and your mind, but, everything has to work in harmony with each other. I know this is starting to sound a little psyche like, but, I believe it's the way to answer your question. And, yes, I do feel connected to my steel when I play it.

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

"When you find the right guitar, it'll feel like a part of you."

A pedal steel to me is like a woman ....This is why I copied Tyler's phrase ....I think that too many of us just take the steel the way it is , put our copedants in , and go !!.... I remember when having my Excel built , I gave Mitsuo all the measurements the way that the steel would fit ME .. It's like sitting in a race car where you have everything right there in front of you, and your feet sit just right , and everything just fit's like a glove ..This is why I miss that steel so much ...It really was part of me ...Take the time to set your steel up to YOUR liking ..Set it up to play in your socks if that's what does it for you ....Make things EASIER for yourself ...Have yourself a glass of wine, turn off the lights in your studio , and close your eye's and just play !!...If you don't feel connected at this point , you've got a hole in your soul !!.....

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

Definitely! Especially with my current steel, my Jackson Blackjack Custom. I played two other guitars, but the Jackson is the one I feel connected to. When I went to the Jackson Steel Guitar Company, David and Harry Jackson had set up several different Jackson steel guitars for me to "test drive"-there was a standard Blackjack, an UltraLite, a Shot Jackson Comemmorative model, and a Blackjack Custom. I tried out both the Blackjack Custom and standard Blackjack, but out of the two, the Blackjack Custom became my favorite. So, David and Harry asked me which one I liked better, the Blackjack Custom or the standard Blackjack, and I told them I liked the Blackjack Custom, then David smiled and said, "It's the one we built for you" and it's an awesome guitar! Not only does it look and sound great, but it has the sound I've been looking for for seventeen years. I think somehow my Blackjack Custom, which I nicknamed "Black Diamond" connects to me like I connect to the guitar itself

Ben Lawson · From: Brooksville Florida

Here on the East Coast (N.J.) we don't get to play too many instrumentals. When I get a chance to play one I get into my all thumbs mode. I spent most of the last 30 or so years backing up singers. When someone is singing I get comfortable behind the singer. Not too at ease at steel shows or instrumentals only jam sessions.

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