Greg Leisz: How To Utilize His Pedal Steel Style

It is no secret that Greg Leisz is one of the most accomplished pedal steel players of all time. His sound and playing techniques, along with his intuitive musicality, lend themselves well to the accompaniment of artists and bands.

Whether onstage or in the studio, Greg has carved a niche with his playing that is inspiring for musicians and pedal steel players alike. There are certain characteristics of his playing that are worth checking out, and are great for developing your own voice on your instrument.

Let’s take a deeper look at some of Greg’s playing techniques and musical perspectives…

Filling The Spaces: The Perfect Piece To The Puzzle

Undoubtedly, Leisz’s sense of timing and phrasing are pivotal in complementing songs. By carving out a certain space in a song, Leisz adds sonic depth to the music at times that many other instruments or musicians would leave untouched.

Leisz listens intently and intuitively to the melody, the other instruments, and the rhythmic elements of the song. This enables him to add fills, textures, and melodic elements at moments of the song that add interest and complement the music.

Each instrument and sound in a song mixes blends together to create an overall sonic spectrum that is perceived by listeners. By filling in musical gaps, without creating distraction, Leisz adds even more life to a song.

He lets the music be itself. By letting the music naturally flow, his attention seems to be focused on accentuating certain aspects of it that are already inherent in it.

For example, during the chorus of a song there may be a lot of momentum musically: the vocals are shining forth, and the guitar and rhythmic elements are dynamically building. What sounds and musical ideas can be added here that take it to the next level, but don’t create too much “noise” and distract the listener?

Leisz finds this space in the song and uses it to deepen the music.

Adding Melodic Shimmer

When you hear Leisz’s pedal steel in a song, especially in styles of music that may not be conventionally known to have pedal steel, it seems to have a sonic flare to it.

Leisz often uses his volume pedal, vibrato, and dynamics to create a sound that seems to shimmer in the music and reflect deep emotions.

By utilizing the pedal steel’s unique timbre, Leisz finds positions on the instrument’s neck that are great for subtle nuances and expression. Let’s take a look at the E knee lever lower position for instance…

When you lower the Es with your knee lever, and play two frets behind the common AB pedal position of the key, you can create some really cool sounds over certain chords in a progression. Greg is great at this, and you’ll sometimes recognize him utilizing this position.

In the key of G for instance, lowering your Es and placing the bar at the 8th fret will put you in this position. Oftentimes when an Em (6m), Cmaj7 (4maj7), Am (2m), or G (1) chord is played in the progression, there are ample notes that can be voiced with a cool tonal effect in this position.

Leisz not only accentuates these notes in a melodic manner, he also creates a genuine and heartfelt tone with them…

Tonal Beauty: The Depth of Sound

Undoubtedly, one of Greg’s greatest musical characteristics is the tone he is able to evoke in his playing. His voice on the pedal steel is one of a kind, yet resonates with every listener that hears it.

There is a lot of perception and subjective qualities to the tonal aspects of a player on their instrument, but there is no denying that Leisz is doing something right that makes his sound pleasing to the ears.

Through a combination of his pedal steel, effects pedals, volume pedal, amp, and playing techniques, Leisz often creates a sound that is smooth, warm, and creamy — yet has enough punch and presence in it that can shine brilliantly in the mix.

Experimenting with your sustain, delay, reverb, vibrato, and more can give you hints and ideas for adding more depth to your tone, which Leisz has certainly discovered for his own playing and sound.

Take a look at this video, which shows how much sonic versatility that Leisz can create within a musical environment…

Also, check out Leisz’s pedalboard for effects ideas. Although he may not use these all the time and extensively, they can certainly be used creatively for sounds within a song.

Leisz’s tone is hard to nail down in words, but there is one word that best describes his ability to evoke tonal qualities that catch a listener’s ears: touch.

Playing With Touch: The Delicacies of Sound

Although Leisz can play almost any style of music, and has incredible chops, his playing has a humility and gracefulness to it that any human can appreciate and relate to: he plays with “touch.”

Ironically, using the word “touch” to describe the sounds Leisz is able to create seems paradoxical. But when you consider how long he’s played the pedal steel, and the musical experience he’s gained, it becomes evident that he has gained an intuition for knowing just what each musical moment calls for.

His presence and adaptability for each musical situation is perhaps what has made him such an in-demand session player, and these elements have grown into a natural talent and wisdom.

Like Michael Jordan with a basketball, or Picasso with a paintbrush, Leisz finds a subtlety and nuance with each note. He adds more dimension to a song, and brings out a richness with his playing.

Although his picking technique, gear, and many other elements come into play, it is his inherent ability to find a meaningful way to play each note and sound within the music that is so impactful to listeners.

Check out this recording session take with Leisz, where he plays with so much touch that you can’t help but feel the emotion dripping from each note…

Carving Your Niche

Leisz has an amazing voice on pedal steel, and has developed a genuine sound that permeates through the airwaves. Like any musician, he has been influenced by those before him, and around him, drawing from musical experiences and players to discover what resonates with him as he plays his instrument.

As you listen to Leisz, and learn some of his techniques and approaches to playing, you’ll find ways to use his style in your own way.

The best part about learning from other musicians, isn’t always finding the exact notes and sounds they play: oftentimes, it’s discovering how they can help you find these things within yourself.

The next time you listen to Leisz, or learn some of his approaches, find ways to develop your own playing that is genuine and true to yourself: then, just as Leisz has done, you’ll carve your own niche in the musical world that is just as inspiring and creative.

Thanks for checking out this page, hope it is helpful and makes playing more enjoyable! If you’re interested in diving deeper into playing E9 pedal steel, check out these resources and guides…