Volume Pedal

[John Harmon]

Hi folks, wonder if anyone has any tips on learning to use a volume pedal? I'm at the point I would like try. Thanks, John

[Rick Abbott]

The volume pedal is mostly to create sustain. When playing, consider 3/4 on as a starting position. If you play a note and want it to sustain, you rock the pedal towards full on as the note begins to decay. It's not supposed to jump in volume, it's supposed to stay the same volume for longer. It also gets used to back down behind a vocalist, or to swell up into the vocal space as needed.

I hope that makes sense. It takes a long time to make the volume pedal transparent. Sure, you use it to keep silent when you need...or to cut off your awful mistake, haha. But it really is a skill that gives the ability to sustain and swell for effect.

You start by not turning it off, but playing the notes at 1/2 to 3/4 volume and immediately pushing the pedal, then returning to the start position. Now I'm just rambling. Keep at it, it takes a few years.

[John Harmon]

Thanks Rick, anything helps. At my age I may not have the years it takes, but we all need to keep learning I guess. And yes that helps. John

[Fred Treece]

To pick up where Rick left off, you could start using the volume pedal by holding it steady in that 1/2 to 3/4 full-on position that he described in his post and just play as you normally would without it. When you can do that, then practice playing longer sustained notes (it can be the same note over and over at first) by gradually applying pressure to the pedal from your toe, like an accelerator on your car, after you pick the string(s). The volume level should stay as close to the same as possible to the initial pick attack level until the pedal “bottoms out” and the note starts to decay, or less if you don’t need the notes to ring that long. Then the trick is to get your pedal back to its normal volume position and start over again.

Do that at “no tempo” at first, then try to do it in time with a metronome.

A volume swell is a different effect, in that the initial attack of the note being played is meant to be almost silent, so it kind of comes out of nowhere, by picking the string(s) with the pedal backed off completely, or close to it. Then the volume of the note or chord is gradually increased via the same method as sustaining, to a level that is appropriate for the part of the song being played.

The volume swell is a more dramatic effect, and luckily it is actually easier to do than the sustain technique. In both cases, you still have to manage your way back to the starting position on the pedal for your normal pick attack volume level.

One thing to avoid is a constant “pumping” on the pedal for everything you play. It reduces the novelty of the effect and can sound kind of artificial.

Also, when doing a volume swell, there is a tendency in beginners to pick the string(s) softly before applying volume to the swell. Pick the notes with your normal attack, if not slightly harder. You want those strings to ring long and clear.

[John Harmon]

Very helpful Fred, thanks a lot

[Bill Groner]

John, here is a video of a nice example of a volume pedal in action. He does exactly what Fred and Rich have described in their replies. These guys have more videos you can watch, that are very good as well. Pictures are worth a thousand words, videos are even better! Hope this helps you out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWxY7Uv4x1E

[John Harmon]

Thanks Bill, definitely helps, especially since I've started working on that particular song. Won't get it like they did but.... John