Author Topic: Steel GIT-tarz (Read 224 times)

beet1e · « **on:** July 16, 2002, 03:21:40 AM »

I have minimal knowledge about C&W music, but have recently acquired a Sheryl Crow CD – Tuesday Night Music Club. In ”All I Wanna do...”, the backing music is, I believe, provided by steel guitars. I’m interested to know how they work, and how the sound is produced. It doesn’t sound as if the strings of the instrument are being plucked. I find it an interesting and pleasing sound.

I’m hopeful that some of you good ol’ southern boys will be able to help me out here.

Staga · « **Reply #1 on:** July 16, 2002, 03:43:12 AM »

Search some music from Dick Dale....

kbman · « **Reply #2 on:** July 16, 2002, 03:50:23 AM »

Hi beet1e,
It's called a pedal steel guitar and is played sitting down with a slide in the left hand and fingerpicks. The pedals are for individually bending the notes of each string(usually 10...sometimes 12 or double necked 20) kind of like a super articulated whammy bar on a typical electric guitar. They are a staple of Country music but are often heard in mainstream music as well. They are extremely difficult to play well...like most instruments I guess. Very distinctive sound and the muted attack and pedal-actuated bends are why it doesn't sound "plucked" even though they are. Hope this helps.

kbman

beet1e · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2002, 03:56:36 AM »

kbman - excellent! Thanks for that, which was exactly what I wanted to know. So this model in the photo is a double necked 20 string?

kbman · « **Reply #4 on:** July 16, 2002, 04:08:34 AM »

Yup...and I ain't no good ol' southern boy neither...glad I could help.

kbman

beet1e · « **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2002, 04:11:13 AM »

kbman

Quote

Yup...and I ain't no good ol' southern boy neither

LOL!

SC-Sp00k · « **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2002, 04:46:18 AM »

(Insert the sound of plucking Banjo's and calls for viddles with crawdads here)