Well after trying the latest streaming video technology live, we here at www.pedalsteel.com are just going to utilize all the power I have to edit video and stop live broadcasting. I can make a much better lesson with all kinds of cameras and angles when I don’t have to worry about being live.

When you were live you had no control over the engineering of the WebCast. If it froze or timed out I didn’t know it. Now it’ll be better because we can concentrate on making each video a better quality product. From video to audio I can edit everything in Final Cut Pro and then output it for the webcast.

To take a test run on an edited WebVideo, go to Online Video Instructional Download. You can utilize the code: Free Pages to discount your copy of the download to $17.50. A great price for a one hour video. It includes a scale instruction video and more. These are growing each time as Joe gets better at editing, playing and teaching pedal steel guitar. A 515 meg video is high quality. 560 X 400 is the size. Try one.

There are two ways to look at your hand position. We can look at how picks go towards the strings. I call this the angle of attack. We also can look at where are palm or side of hand is located across the strings. One way is to have the hand laying next to the strings. This is what I call a traditional method. We can see how this would allow for utilizing the side of the hand as a block or damper to control the strings. This places your hand at in a position that has your first knuckle higher than the rest. To describe it as a 45 degree angle is appropriate.

Another method that is used I call the modern. This is with the top of your hand in a flat position. This places your picks on the strings with all of the pick in play. The traditional rotates the hand and puts the edge of the pick on the strings.

The thumb angle is different with both because of the rotation. With the hand in the traditional position then you have the thumb pick attacking the strings at a slight angle. In the modern method the thumb pick is placed flat across the string. A good way to see is how well your thumb pick looks. A chewed thumb pick usually comes from the angled attack created by the rotation of the right hand.

All of this also relates to the position of the rest of the arm. We will break it all down in later posts. But for the most part this video will get you started on your way. I talk about the different ways that you can hold your hand. The WebVideo is dated December, 19 2009. It also has a section on scales using Excel and recording the screen on my computer.

When it comes to playing a pedal steel guitar, the Right Hand is where it is at. No matter what you want to learn on your guitar, the right hand will ultimately be involved. Want to learn a scale? Right Hand. Want to play a harmonic? Right Hand. The list can go on and on but each of the different parts that combine to play the steel, such as, bar hand, pedals, knee levers and volume pedal are all dependent. The key to a pedal steel guitar is getting the string to vibrate, then you can change the pitch by using the bar as a slide.

The fact that the tuning demands exact string groups when you are playing makes it even more important to learn. I believe the best way to learn to advance your right hand is to take a training approach. Dedicated drills that are derived from the moves you’ll need to know is the easiest and most efficient method.

The right hand can be exercised with small movements that will eventually be combined to play more advanced licks. You learn to look at the Thumb as an individual digit, then the first finger and the same is applied to the second finger. After you learn to play them individually then you start to study groups of 2 and 3. When you do repetitions of the various drills you will start to not only know the move but you will be exact and be conditioned. Hands that in playing condition definitely get better tone. Hours of work at practice and on the job are the only way to get to the next level in your musical journey.

Work on your hands and everything else will be better. Picking the string(s) that you want, when you want is the key. After all why slide the bar if you can’t pick the strings? It will always come back to what can your right hand do for you now.

I was giving a Pedal Steel Lesson the other day and the student asked about changing the strings on his Pedal Steel Guitar. I instructed him to consider how much he actually used them. If you are playing your steel a few hours a week then your strings should last at lot longer than if you are playing 8 hours every day. I like to keep the strings “fresh” sounding. The key to look for is when they start to buzz or whine. When they do this they are getting ready to break.

One tip for changing strings is to hold the string at the wind end and with a rag go the entire length of the string like you were cleaning it. This will get the winds out of the new string so when you put it on to the guitar it is not twisted. This will also help to give your strings more life than if you just put them on without getting the winds out. You can get your lesson with me on Skype. Check it out!!

We are now streaming a lesson every once in awhile that are geared towards the E9th Pedal Steel Guitar. This instruction is viewed online with Quicktime Player and then the student gets to login and download the video to their hard drive. You can then watch it as often as you wish.

There are currently 10 lessons already recorded and available for purchase. You can check out the WebCast Lessons at the shopping cart. They start out giving my basics, we get into the right hand to start off, then the left. then we put them together. This Pedal Steel Guitar learning method is based upon many years of studying what works best and what are the possibilities.

Watch the video clip to see what happens when we talk about scales. See how charts are seen on the screen to help the student learn the scale patterns that are necessary to becoming a better Pedal Steel player.

One thing we get to do as steel players is choose our set-up. We get to arrange our pedals and knees the way that makes us the happiest. That is usually still the way they were on your first guitar! I like to think of my Universal Tuning as one big guitar, with huge possibilities. In My Approach to Pedal Steel Guitar I wrote about musical and physical “what if’s”!! You have two ways to change your sound. With your body or your guitar. I’ve done all the pencil and paper work on set-ups and ususally came back to the conclusion that anyone can play any set-up but they tend to stick with what they know.

Joe's Ultimate Set-Up

The above set-up is what I would get again on my next guitar. It has all kinds of possibilites for chords and single string patterns. There is a lot of information out there but my general rule for a set-up is to learn the one you got as good as you can. If then you want more then add pedals or knees or strings or however you want to make your playing become more like “you’.

I ‘ve started creating the coolest teaching aids for learning to play Pedal Steel Guitar. I set-up 7 cameras on one steel and record them all separately. That allows me to move all the shots to one computer where I can edit them together to create DVD’s. These DVD’s have multi-angle set-ups. You learn to use your remote control to switch you view on the fly. So while you are watching the cameras on the screen you press your angle button and the view will change.

To make things ever more interesting I utilize 3 separate audio files on each track. You can change from Steel and Band, to Steel Only, and then band only. The audio button allows you to switch your audio with your remote control. The first DVD I made with these navigational tools was House of the Rising Sun. I played it with tracks and then added Scale Pattern practice sessions. The scale practice are directly related to the song. Different rhythms are also available with the audio button on the remote. House Of The Rising Sun.

Keep practicing hard.

Just want to remind everyone that I’ve got lots of free Pedal Steel Guitar Instructional pages that are available. You just go to the url and sign in with your email. With your email I’ll be able to send you updates about this blog and future WebCasts that I’ll be presenting.

Free Pages Sign-Up

You can now take one-on-one video lessons via Skype. All you need is a webcam and a Skype account. You can sign up for Skype for FREE. Go to www.skype.com. Watch the video to see my ad. skypepromo

http://bubblesoftstore.com

Wow What a weekend we had at Scotty’s this year. Had a new booth out by the Carter folks and had a nice time. Fred Justice was out there too. It gave me an opportunity to sell to more people without the hollering to the music in the big hall.

Working on some new LIcks-a-Million DVD’s and updating this website and Sierra Steels.com also.
Don’t forget about the skype lessons. Check them out here
More later…joe wright