The first shape is a simple A major triad and I follow it with a bend from the 2 to the 3. 1 I play four chord forms and then strive to reproduce the same basic sound while bending into one of the notes.
The best way to understand pedal steel and grab some new ideas is to develop a fundamental understanding of chords and intervals. For a quick taste, watch this video of Emmons playing Ray Price’s “Night Life,” a country standard cowritten by Willie Nelson. The best place to start would be Danny Gatton’s Redneck Jazz Explosion album, although Emmons also has a variety of amazing solo albums. I’d say it’s absolutely essential to go and listen to some Buddy Emmons at this point. In steel parlance, a setup is called a copedent. Over the years this was expanded upon to the point where modern pedal steels might have two 10-string necks, eight pedals, and four knee levers! This results in a mind-boggling number of possible setups. It occurred to some clever minds that with the inclusion of mechanical foot levers it would be possible to change the pitch of the strings as you play. If you’re tuned to a G6 chord, for example, it’s frustratingly difficult to play a Gm7. The limitations of this instrument are evident to anyone who has played slide guitar in an open tuning-you’re hemmed in by the tonality of your tuning. With its roots in traditional lap-style Hawaiian guitar playing, the lap steel sound was hugely popular in the United States in the 1920s. And when it comes to sounding unique, it’s hard to top the pedal steel. I’m more likely to sit down and pick the brain of a pianist or a fiddle player than worry about how fast I can sweep pick. But when I switch over to country-land, my guitar playing draws more influences from other instrumentalists I meet. I’ve played rock and metal for many years, and have been totally obsessed with guitars and technique. The beauty of country music is that it features such diverse instrumentation.
Create pedal steel-inspired licks in the style of Brent Mason and Johnny Hiland.Ĭlick here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediate Lesson Overview: