<SMALL>...unless they want a typical crying country steel</SMALL>
And why would they not?
Good point on the panic button, Rick. I think I could benefit from practicing sans volume pedal. I'm pretty good with the crying and sustaining effect but I sense I do back off when not playing a stretch with confidence.
Yeah, the best players all use them and use them well. I have a George Strait song where Paul Franklin is playing it hot with single notes and then to hand it back to George he just fades out with the pedal. Not your typical use but very creative and very noticeable. Can't recall the song right now, but I recall that lick.
------------------
HagFan
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ron Page on 22 August 2006 at 09:30 AM.]</p></FONT>
Wow, this thread came up from the cellar!
I'm of the "expression pedal" persuasion. One of the interesting things to me is how differently I use the volume pedal between styles- for high volume rock gigs, I may use it very little, but when I play on a singer/songwriter type show, with more dynamics and a much lower overall band volume, It's truly essential to my playing style. Almost like playing a different instrument. I would really miss the ability to gently change the picking dynamics and attack envelope, especially on the more sensitive tunes.
Pros always say, its not used for swell but sustain, and yet I hear them using it for swell constantly. Thats a bit confusing for a beginner, so i am going with "do as they do, not as they say" and swelling away. I havent nearly got the hang of it yet and sometimes sound like a busted accordian. If anyone knows of any excercises for volume pedal that would be...swell. hehe
recording with one has been a pain in the butt, but I managed to get a nice consistent level on a few tracks, now if only i could play in tune that would really help.
Location: Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
State/Province: -
Country: United States
Postby David Doggett »
Ben, for volume pedal practice play some slow hymns or Bach corales (A Mighty Fortress, Sacred Head Now Wounded, Now Thank We All Our God). Try to sound like an organ, with a steady sustain.
------------------
<font size="1">Student of the Steel: Zum uni, Fender tube amps, squareneck and roundneck resos, tenor sax, keyboards
Dave Easley recorded a lot of "3now4" without using it much, if at all - maybe the reason he can play things no other human can is because he's not all confused by his right foot flapping around. Of course, he's not worried about trying to fit "steel parts" in with the band, because there is no guitar, piano etc., he does all the rhythm fills himself too. Of course, he doesn't really play "steel parts" either. http://steelguitarmusic.com/music/daveeasley.html
considering that even the earliest LAP Steels had Volume knobs..and every Electric Guitar has volume knobs so perhaps the obvious is yes.,
IF you add a volume knob to your Steel in a location that is accessable than perhaps the answer is NO.
To have no way to control volume other than the AMP for any electric Instrument would be a possible journey off the cliff...
For our Instrument it is safe to say that most players do not really use them as an ACTUAL GAIN control but rather for sustain and swell, but I do suspect most of us back off close to zero in between songs or perhaps when sitting out while another soloist is playing.
Can you not use a V Pedal ? sure.
should you use one ? probably ...
t<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 23 August 2006 at 02:08 AM.]</p></FONT>
I've always played without a pedal until recently and had a devil of a time getting used to one, but since I have I think it is a necessary piece of equipment. The trick is in how little you use it. If you're just beginning to play steel I suggest you keep your foot off it until you feel comfortable with your floor pedals and knee levers and then slowly experiment with the volume pedal.
Every fx board I've built for guitar over the last 25 yrs has had a volume pedal on it. It's like breathing to me. I don't use it for "sustain" which I find to be a weird idea, but 95% of the time for swells and other expressive maneuvers. In a live situation, 5% of the time I'll use it to back off for volume control. If I want more sustain/volume I'll use a compressor or clean boost pedal.
You can't play a decent pad without a volume pedal!
Years ago, I forgot my volume pedal for a not too close to home gig. I was miserable. I can see someone sometimes not using one for recording, but for live gigs, I just wouldn't want to play without it. I can only speak for the way I play. Fills are not as loud as solo parts. For that matter one fill in verse may not be as loud as the next, according the effect that you're trying to get or the dynamics of the song. I suppose you could pick the strings harder or softer, but I just don't want to completely rely on that, with a volume pedal available. I don't have a volume knob on my steel. For me, it would be a nightmare trying to play something like "Almost Like a Song" without control over the volume.
The subtle expression available with the volume pedal is one of the things I like about slower steel parts as well as jazzy steel. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
Once was called to do a ballad demo. The engineer was used to doin' hip-hop and didn't know what a steel guitar was! When he realized I was controlling the volume, he flipped! Demanded I stop. I simply told him that there would be no signal from the guitar without the pedal, and he could "quantize or whatever" later.
On another ballad session, a different engineer demanded I not use the pedal. I turned to the producer, and said, "Let's do a test. I'll record a passage the engineer's way, then my way. You chose." He chose my way without hesitation. The engineer was not very happy.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John Billings on 24 August 2006 at 02:22 PM.]</p></FONT>
A volume pedal is a foreign concept when playing pedabro. It's all in the hands.
A good reason to leave the volume pedal aside is when using both feet to push pedal steel pedals. Can't live without using both feet on the pedal steel!
Reading this post got me to wondering just exactly who was actually the first player to incorporate the use of a volume pedal with a pedal steel. Anyone out there know?
