Pedal Steel Backing Tracks (Where To Find, Info, Types)

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Like with many other instruments, it can be beneficial to practice pedal steel guitar with backing tracks. There are a variety of playing situations that can improve your pedal steel playing, however playing with other instruments provides a meaningful musical context.

Pedal steel backing tracks are a great way to hear the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic relationships within a song. These can act as a framework for developing playing ideas on the pedal steel guitar, and give you opportunities to hear these ideas with a group of instruments.

There are many available options for backing tracks nowadays, and finding worthwhile ones for pedal steel can be both challenging and rewarding. Here’s how to find backing tracks for pedal steel guitar, and tips on using them for your playing…

Why Use Pedal Steel Backing Tracks?
How To Use Backing Tracks for Pedal Steel

Why Use Pedal Steel Backing Tracks?

If you’re developing a musical idea on pedal steel, you’re likely applying melodic, harmonic, and/or rhythmic concepts that all play a pivotal part in music. Also, you may be trying to learn specific playing techniques that require you to learn and adjust through repetition.

Pedal steel backing tracks can provide you with a musical backdrop to apply concepts and techniques that you’re working on, while you’re in the practice room. Better yet, you can usually play and use backing tracks as many times as you’d like, and some audio programs will allow you to slow down the tempo of the tune as well.

This can be very helpful if you’re trying to work on a lick, melody, or solo by gaining accuracy and getting it up to speed. Pedal steel backing tracks can also act as a vehicle for rehearsing tunes, which can prepare you for a show or actual rehearsal with other musicians.

How To Use Backing Tracks for Pedal Steel

The best way to utilize backing tracks for pedal steel will depend on the specific playing goals that you’re working on. To practice parts for a particular song, the backing track will allow you to hear your playing in a way that resembles musical playing situations with other musicians.

For example, a backing track can allow you to practice and hear what your pedal steel part sounds like over the chorus, verse, bridge, etc. of a song. If you’re going to be improvising a solo within a song, the backing track can be a nice way to have accompaniment in the practice room so you can hear how your phrasing and melodic ideas are flowing together within the music.

Better yet, pedal steel backing tracks can help you gain a better understanding of the overall “feel” of the tune. You can hear the style of the drums, learn the relative tempo of the tune, as well as its time signature. Also, most backing tracks will allow you to play the tune in the key that the song is intended or written.

Pedal Steel Backing Tracks (Where To Find, Info, Types)

Many traditional country songs will feature pedal steel in the intro, as a way to “kick off” and start the tune. Having a backing track that has a count-in can be a great way to practice playing these intros, which can sometimes be more challenging on the bandstand.

Furthermore, some backing tracks will allow you to pan and isolate the various instruments in the audio so that you can hear certain playing aspects better. For instance, you can sometimes make it so just the drums and bass are playing, without the guitar and piano.

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…