Volume Pedal Technique for Beginners

[Casey Saulpaugh]

When I was first learning pedal steel, it took me awhile to figure out how to properly use the volume pedal: to get that classic pedal steel sound. I was listening to a lot of Greg Leisz for inspiration, and there were times when I felt like the volume pedal was truly "speaking" for me. Then there were other times when I felt like I'd never have it under control.

A big turning point for me was: getting my right leg and foot muscles more comfortable on the pedal, at a proper position/angle. If your muscles get tired quickly, it is easy to move them to a different, more comfortable position; sometimes this more comfortable position can be detrimental to volume pedal technique if your foot isn't positioned correctly. So getting in a proper position with the right foot, and getting comfortable in this proper position, can go a long ways.

Here's an article I wrote recently that talks more in-depth about volume pedal technique, which has a lot of ideas and tips for beginners and other players:
http://playpedalsteel.com/volume-pedals ... el-guitar/

It also discusses the tendency to use the VP to hide the attack of picking the strings, in an effort to hide right hand blocking insecurities. (It is very common when learning pedal steel, to use the volume pedal to "cover up" developing right hand blocking technique, by having the volume pedal cut the signal out when the actual notes are being picked by the player).

Any other tips for beginners? Does anyone learning have any questions, or puzzled by something involving using the volume pedal?

Casey

[Doug Earnest]

Set your volume to a reasonable level, take your foot off of the pedal and then move your volume pedal aside. Do this every day.

You will be surprised how much better your picking technique will become. When you get to where you can pick cleanly and block properly, then work on using the volume pedal as the expression pedal.

[Casey Saulpaugh]

That's great advice Doug. I practice often without amplification, so I can hear the instrument itself, and get feedback on things I need to work on from hearing the instrument react acoustically. This will also help with picking with more strength, and with more confidence.

Treating the pedal steel like a six-string electric guitar, and thinking of it as one with 10 strings that is flipped horizontally, can help demystify it for players coming from a guitar background. From this perspective, I bet many electric guitar players practice once in a while without plugging in.

Putting the volume pedal aside for a bit is a good idea for making a player understand its use from more of an expression standpoint. It is after all, an extension/expression of our steel voices, but not the actual voice itself: that comes mostly from the right hand and bar control (and the soul too) in my opinion.

[Robert Parent]

I would strongly suggest practicing without one. The reason I say that is that learning to play dynamics using your hands will go along way to perfecting your technique. When I started playing as a kid in the 70's I could not afford one. It turned out to be a huge blessing unknown to me at the time.

When you do get a volume pedal remember that less is more.


Robert

[Don R Brown]

A couple years back there was a discussion of volume pedals on here, and one tip was helpful to me. Rather than placing my foot so the tip of my shoe was at the top or over the top of the pedal, I move my foot back a bit, leaving the top inch or so of the pedal with no shoe on it. This feels more comfortable, and seems to give me better control.

As always, your mileage may vary.

[Jack Dougherty]

Remember.....it's not a gas pedal...
Practice with a 2x4 under your foot...

[Ian Rae]

..it's not a gas pedal...

The best description so far of how not to use it!

[Ollin Landers]

Once when I went to visit with Jeff Newman he tried several times to get me to not "choke" the notes off using the VP. He told me to think of the VP not as a volume control but as an expression pedal. I wasn't able to quite get it and no matter how hard I tried I still would turn the VP all the way off.

So he used a technique he said a recording engineer did for him in one of his earliest sessions.

He put a 9 volt battery under the back of the VP. He told me to practice that way until I got a feel for how far to rock the VP without cutting off the volume.

Worked for me. I never rock the VP all the way off anymore. And I'm grateful for that. It forced me to use good right hand technique.

[Casey Saulpaugh]

It sounds like developing right hand technique, and not using the volume pedal to hinder this, is important. This will also help with understanding it from an expression standpoint, and learning not to "choke" the notes off by using the VP. After all, which came first, the steel guitar or the volume pedal?

I used to put my foot too far back on the VP, like Don mentioned but in the opposite direction. Thinking back, I was putting it there cause my foot and leg were getting tired from leaving it in the proper position (I was trying to shortcut building proper technique cause it was physically easier at the time). Not a good idea! Just like conditioning our left ankle/foot for pedal work, we need to do the same with our right foot for the volume pedal.

I like that 9V battery technique Ollin...a nifty learning trick from Jeff Newman.

Any other ideas, tips, or tricks?

[Ian Rae]

While this thread's been running I've been considering the whole matter of volume pedal technique and I've decided that I am a bit of a "choker". The problem with using a lump of wood as a dummy pedal/foot rest is that although it spotlights your right hand, it doesn't train your foot to keep still on its own. So instead I've been doing it the hard way and willing myself to keep my foot still. The Hilton that I use has a variable zero point and I have taken time to set it up more carefully than when I first got it, so that I get a sensible volume in a good relaxed middle position.

This tells me that with a non-adjustable pedal the player is at the mercy of his personal geometry, and the length of his legs and size of his feet may not necessarily make the ideal pedal rest position the most natural or comfortable.

What is interesting is that I have never felt any need to move the pedal when I'm playing swing stuff, even though I'm on a uni and it's all the same guitar!

[Zeke Cory]

I set up the volume pedal pot so it is only half way off when backed to the normal off position. When you can't use it to cut off your mistakes, you will find yourself making less of them. I also found this to increase the sensitivity response of my pedal so it seemed to give me two positive effects. My best to you in your steel guitar efforts.

[Hans Holzherr]

Casey, I find it excellent that in your article, you address the 'starting position' and set it at 25%. From my experience, most beginners set the volume on their amp too low and to compensate, set their 'starting position' at 50% or more. Of course, sooner or later, they have to unlearn that bad habit, which may be hard.

[Dave Dube]

What I would advise a beginner about volume pedal.
Check this very accomplished, highly respected professional out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1TvjnlYHM

At 1:02 you will get a good look at his volume pedal. You will see that he is not holding it still. If you want to sound anything like that, one of the things you are going to need is to figure out how to recognize the way different combinations of hand and foot movements sound and then to coordinate them. There is alot to learn and you won't learn it by holding still or not using the pedal.

You know you should pick hard "like you mean it." I heard this is something Buddy Charlton used to teach his students. When doing that, at any given volume the attack would be way too loud without carefully adjusting the volume prior to picking. Look at the video and watch what his foot is doing and listen when you hear the attack and notice where the foot is. Yep. He's not choking off the attack but he is modulating it. What you do with your volume pedal on this "pick" has a lot to do with what came before it. The video gives a beautiful demonstration of a flowing melody with impeccable volume control.

Having said that, you really do need to learn how to pick first, so +1 on what Doug Earnest said. That way the choking habit doesn't develop either. By the time you get to the volume pedal you should be under control and pick cleanly and you can tolerate to hear your own mistakes Just remember you are going to have to deal with the VP eventually. It will make a big difference.

Lots of good tips in this thread.

[Casey Saulpaugh]

Great video, thanks for sharing. That was truly awesome playing. There really are lots of good tips on this thread.

In the video, I think Terry does a great job of controlling his volume because his foot is moving like Dave says, and moving to the flow of the melody and the phrasing/timing of the notes. His foot has to get to a certain position each time he picks, and he definitely picks like he means it -- you can tell from the thick tone he's milking from that Carter Starter.

You almost have to be thinking a split second ahead of your actual pick like Dave said too, to get the volume pedal at the right position, or what I called the "starting position" in the article. With practice, you eventually won't have to think about this; the split second thought will become ingrained or habitual. Thanks Hans, and good point - if a player sets their "starting position" at 50% or more like you said, and also turns the volume of the amp too low, they'll lose so much sustain, which is what the instrument thrives in.

When I spent time experimenting with my Hilton's variable zero point as Ian did, and Zeke did with his volume pedal's pot, it really helped me out immensely. I'm 6'4" tall, and my personal geometry was making it tough for me to find a comfortable position on the volume pedals I was using. I was able to fine tune a good relaxed resting/starting position for me, and it took at least a couple practice sessions to do this. It feels great now - to this day I haven't touched it. I still had to will myself the hard way to keep my foot in the right position though, like Ian mentioned. I think that's the only way to build those muscles - kind of like you have to will yourself when you're lifting weights or running a long ways!

Great advice so far ya'll