Here are some audio clips of my playing, which can help demonstrate pedal steel playing, tips, and technique audibly. I laid these tracks down in a recording session at my home studio. Hope you enjoy…
Pedal Bounce Rock Pedals Blues Runs
Classic Steel Sounds Minor Runs Diminished Runs
Smooth Sustain Slight Staccatto Classic Rock
For more pedal steel music and tunes click here!
E9 Neck of Pedal Steel
Pedal Bounce
For some E9 flavor, listen for the B +C pedals on these riffs. I am skipping around positions while keeping a constant bass root note going on the 8th, 9th, and 10th strings: to widen the voicing and make it speak a little more.
Classic Steel Sounds
The following E9 improv riffs demonstrate that classic steel sound, almost like a celestial-crying floating sound. These also demonstrate using the volume pedal, in a way that slightly lowers your attack on strings, and then sustains notes for as long as needed.
Smooth Sustain
Let’s keep it smooth on the volume pedal with these next examples: here’s some sustain out the yin-yang. The pedal steel with its hot output, volume pedal, and bar vibrato can sustain notes better/longer than many instruments. Listen to these glissandos, and how many notes can be made from only one “pick” of the strings.
E9 Light Staccatto
Some more E9 action, this time in the 4th, 3rd, and 1st string pocket. Played slightly staccato for a ‘lil West Coast effect, with horizontal bar movement.
Rock Pedals
Get you get your fuzz pedals out, crank up your tube amp, we can get down and dirty on E9 for sure.
C6 Neck:
Classic Rock
Let’s keep the distortion rolling, this time on the C6 neck– without any pedals. Almost sounds more like a rock guitar when no pedals are played.
Bluesy Runs
Here are some improvised bluesy runs, played in a similar mindset to Buddy Emmons’ pocket approach. Played on the C6 neck…
C6 Diminished Runs
Here’s where the fun begins! These examples start with the drone tracks, to give the dissonant sounds a little more context.
C6 Diminished Runs (Improv)
Minor Runs
Some minor runs (mostly minor pentatonic, and blues scale) on C6 neck. Also played with a similar mindset to Emmons’ pocket approach
Additional pedal steel audio for learning and inspiration…