Leg technique when activating vertical levers?

Bruno Rasmussen · From: Svendborg, Denmark

Unlike when I employ all other kneelevers, I find the move I have to do with my left leg to active my vertical kneelevers being kind of uncomfortable/awkward. Maybe I'm just not using the right leg/foot technique. Is there different techniques I could try, in my efforts to find one that will suit me? What is your technique?

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Bruno,

Tell me about it. At best it is cumbersom. At least it is for me. UNLESS, I am able to use it when one or two pedals are down. Then I use them as a pivot point to push up on.

But otherwise, I come off the pedals and quickly rest my toe on the floor and push up. Thankfully, I have gotten somewhat good at this. Albeit still is not like the pedals and all other knee levers.

I have been toying with the following idea. Install a polished and angled piece of aluminum bar stock along the pedal area of the pedal bar. It would extend back JUST enough for the toe of my shoe to catch and use it as a base for pushing up.

Not sure it will work, but I am going to try it for sure. I have seen some players simply lift their entire leg when engaging verticals. NO way do I have enough strength for this. Wish I did.

carl

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Well, since our local kinesiologist, Joe Wright, isn't posting much these days, I'll take a stab at it. Joe has studied all the movements needed to play pedal steel and uses that information in his technical instruction.

There are several scenarios and factors involved in using an up lever.
I. Adjustment of the Lever
Before you even start thinking about that, however, it's critical that the lever be adjusted properly to your body. Put your left foot flat on the floor with the toe between your A and B pedals. If you can't fully activate the lever by raising ONLY YOUR HEEL off the floor, leaving your toe planted, the lever is too high and you should either lower your entire guitar or change the angle of the lever. Assuming that this is all ok . . .

II. Vertical Lever Alone
The easiest move is to do what you just did in the adjustment test. Take your foot off the pedals and flex your left ankle so that your heel moves up and your toe stays on the floor. That's pretty simple.

III. Combined with Pedals
One of the most common changes used on a vertical lever on E9 is the one that lowers 5 and 10 from B to A# (sometimes called the 'X' lever). A useful combination, particularly for guitars that allow tuning splits is to raise 5 (and 10) a whole tone with the A pedal and lower a half tone with the vertical. The process is the same as using it alone. Your toe is planted and the heel rises, as does the top of the knee. If you can't reach it, you should adjust your guitar or the lever itself so that you can reach it.

I play a universal 12-string setup and use my vertical with pedals 2 (my A pedal) through 8. If the lever is properly adjusted and your guitar is the proper height, this should be possible.

Hope this helps. I do recommend Joe Wright's technique instruction (Left Hand, Right Hand, Feet, Knees, Ankles, EVERYTHING is addressed). Go to http://www.pedalsteel.com and take a look at the materials Joe offers. He is among the best technical players I've ever watched.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

I notice a lot of guys put their B-Bb change on LKV but a much better change to put on there,ergonomically speaking,would be F#s to G on 1st & 7th strings.That way you get to push off the pedals down position for a IV7 chord and the licks that go with it. On my U-12 I put the B-Bb change on RKL inside so I can use it with the 4th & 8th string raises and lowers which are on the other knee.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Michael you make good points. In fact, on my D-10 I do use the Vertical to raise 1 and 7 to a G. I lower the B's to Bb on LKL2. And I loved it.

However on my universal I have no choice but to lower the B to Bb on LKV because of all my other changes that must be where they are.

So I have the problem mentioned above,

carl

Bruno Rasmussen · From: Svendborg, Denmark

Thank you for your interest in this. As I work on the C6 neck almost 100% of the time, it would be of great interest for me to hear any comments/suggestions to my kneeleverconfiguration.
LKL G to F (5), LKV A to Ab (4), LKR A to A# (4), RKL C to B (3), RKR C to C# (3+7).

I have tried other combinations, but haven't found one in which the vertical lever action feels natural. I am using the toe on the floor technique, but feels that it somehow breakes the rhythm or the patterns in which the foot moves, and therefore is hampering for what ever pedalwork comes next. If there are some exercises that would help developing that specific left foot(knee) technique, I would be very interested.

Bruno

[This message was edited by Bruno Rasmussen on 19 March 2003 at 04:07 PM.]

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

I use B to Bb on a vertical with both the E raise and lower levers (plus several other combinations) with no problem. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Dave Van Allen · From: Doylestown, PA , US , Earth

you just lift your leg... hmmm, that doesn't sound right somehow...

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Dave That's why steel seats aren't normally good leather, but kinda plastic coated

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 20 March 2003 at 08:07 AM.]

Chip Fossa · From: Monson, MA, USA (deceased)

I'm with Michael J., too.
My LKV, however, raises only 4th E-F#. With
A/B pedals squashed this change comes close to a full minor structure if you were to use
B/C pedals. There are some neat things here.

My B-A# [5,9] change is on RKL inside.
So with a full compliment of A/B pedals down,
and LKR [4,8 E-D#], & RKL [5,9 B-A#] engaged,
you get quite a full Diminished [7th] chord.

I, too, play a U-12. 'Standard' Universal tuning, except 2nd string is tuned to C#, and the levers that work it bring it to D and D#.

Just engaging B-A# and going down 2 frets from any position gives you a dominant 7th.

Chipper

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