Pedal Steel Guitar Playing - HELP ! - Synth Zone BBS

Author Topic: Pedal Steel Guitar Playing - HELP !
Scottyee
Member posted 06-12-2001 09:10 AM

I want to play REALISTIC sounding Country-Hawaiian Pedal Steel Guitar
solos on my synth/arranger KB. How do I set up & utilize the
pitch/modulation wheels (in REAL TIME) to achieve the sound of notes
SLIDING from one pitch to another? Really want that Country twang on those
classic Country & Hawaiian tunes. PLEASE HELP! thanks,
- Scott
Uncle Dave
Member posted 06-12-2001 11:18 AM

Scott,
A steel player will almost always slide into a note, rather than slide up
after attack. Try using the pitch wheel to slide up to pitch and add lots
of vibtato to imitate the "shaking" of the steel bar used to play the
strings (left hand). A steel player will often arpeggiate the chords from
top to bottom. It's a logical way to finger on the neck. Avoid strums that
go from low pitch to high.
Fran Carango
Member posted 06-12-2001 11:51 AM

UD is right on about the strumming from high pitch to low pitch, it makes
the difference..
Scottyee
Member posted 06-12-2001 12:18 PM

Thanks for the GREAT tips but I am a novice at this and hope MORE details
can be given.
1) what value from center (detent) position (1/2 step or?) should I set
the pitch bend settings to?
2) You say that one should slide UP to the desired note. Do I move the
pitch wheel toward me (1/2 step below the note?) BEFORE playing the note
on the keyboard? Do I then play the note on the keyboard and then release
the pitch wheel so it moves back to center position? WHICH specific melody
notes do I do this on? All notes or just some?
3) Who much vibrato (set to kebyoard "after touch"?) should be added for
the best sounding pedal steel guitar emulation?
4) Can you perhaps provide 'step by step' pitch bend wheel /vibrato
(keyboard AfterTouch?) operation techniques for the first three bars of
the Elvis Presley song "Blue Hawaii" (key of Bb) notes: F,E natural, F,
F#,G,Gb, F, E natural, Eb, D. Thanks - Scott
[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 06-12-2001).]
Uncle Dave
Member posted 06-13-2001 12:36 AM

Scott,
I hate to sound rude, but I don't have time to try to explain in that much
detail! Listen to the record, and pick out the steel part. Pitch bends
should be set to 1/2 or full step only for easiest use. Try keeping the
melody note on top of your voicing, and gently slide up to the note but
pulling the wheel towards you first - then strike the note as you release
the wheel.
The vibrato should be relatively slow and wide. A steel player will use a
wide shaking motion with his left hand while centered above the fret
chosen. About the same as a violin vibrato. Make the note sing as it
sustains......
Scottyee
Member posted 06-13-2001 07:55 AM

UD, Thanks. Your explanations provided just the information I needed to
finally make a synth playing pedal steel guitarist out of me. Now I just
gotta work on that 'southern' d-r-a-w-l. - Scott
Dreamer
Member posted 06-13-2001 10:23 AM

Ha think ya right, Scudy
Scottyee
Member posted 06-13-2001 02:22 PM

Thought I'd post a FOLLOW-UP after digesting all the responses I got (on
both this thread and the one entitled "Seek Keyboard Playing Techniques
for Emulating Acoustic Instruments"). As Dreamer had mentioned (on the
other thread), our left hand is needed to play chords for triggering auto
accomp parts while the right hand is needed to play melody and fills so
continuous access to the controller wheels (or joy stick) is not an
option. What works for me (after some trial and error) is to, instead,
assign 'vibrato' to keyboard afterTouch and 'pitch bend (1/2 step)' to a
foot controller pedal.
It certainly is a challenging trick to master activating the pitch bend at
JUST the right time (a split hair right before playing the note(s) on the
keyboard and then quickly releasing the pitch bend while the note is being
played as well; as triggering & releasing the pitch bend too soon or too
late will totally ruin the effect.
To answer my own question regarding the song "Blue Hawaii". Here's what I
ended up doing: I do NOT necessarily apply pitch bend to all notes played.
The first line of the song is: "Night and you and Blue Hawaii". I only
apply the pitch bend to Night, You, And, Blue, Wa, aii. I notice I seem to
apply pitch bend to beginnng notes of phrases and to longer notes and ends
of phrases. I don't seem to be wanting pitch bend on the shorter (1/8th)
notes. I guess this is more based on indiviual taste and artistic lisense.
I can't wait to try this out on my Hawaiian luau gig this weekend.
THANKS again for all the generous support given. Now my audiences will
REALLY think I'm from Hawaii. Hang loose - Scott (aka Don Ho)