What is a Pedal Steel Guitar?

steelygeoff (55)in #music • 7 years ago (edited)

It is neither a portable workbench or a knitting machine nor is it an organ, zither or a Hawaiian guitar (although it is pretty closely related to the latter).

Photo showing knee levers & linkage

I would liked a £/$/€ for every time I have been asked, what instrument I was playing. This would not normally be at country music vennue, where most followers are fairly familiar with the instrument, no, this frequently happened while I was dismantling my rig after an evening in the average UK social club or similar.

The instrument I am refering to is the pedal steel guitar.

@steelygeoff's Bennett D10

At this stage I would like to make it clear that this is not a tutorial, merely a brief introduction to the somewhat enigmatic instrument that since the 1950s has become synonymous with country music. While not everybody is a country music fan, I have over the years met many people who nevertheless like the sound of the pedal steel (even with me playing it!). So I hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed sitting at my instrument and explaining at least some of its mysteries.

I would like to dedicate this post to the uninitiated among my fellow Steemians.

#pedal-steel #slide #guitar #country-music

7 years ago in #music by steelygeoff (55)

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elliotjgardner (61) 7 years ago

I don't know what it is about the pedal steel but I almost always get a warm feeling when I hear the smooth 'rises'

Not sure if I missed it but how do the pedals interact with the strings? Do they place them under more tension?

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steelygeoff (55) 7 years ago (edited)

Hi there, thanks for your comment and it was probably my fault for not making it particularly clear. Yes that is exactly what the pedals and levers do, some pull the strings to increase the tension and pitch while others (in particular the knee levers) slacken the tension on some of the strings.

I am starting to think it is perhaps more difficult to explain that to play! I plan to do an addendum to that video showing a closeup of the actual mechanics.

It was probably that warm feeling that got me addicted in the first place!

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