Need system for Peddling

Earl Yarbro · Post by **Earl Yarbro** » 21 Jan 2002 9:10 am

Have been playing for 3 years and I'm still having trouble finding and holding the proper position on the pedals without looking. Does someone have a quick system I can use to get me out of this terrible situation. Nothing messes up a good chord like being on the wrong pedal.

Earl

ZB - Day 11-4

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 21 Jan 2002 9:22 am

Hi Earl,
A lot of players that start, face these problem, so it's a part of the learning.
It has to do with training your brain in this. Train in placing your right foot very slow, but always right, never wrong. Then do the same thing (slowly) without looking or blindfolded. Then never maike the movement of looking, but keep the tempo that low, that you don't make mistakes. If you make a mistake, lower tempo! If it workes out good, increase the tempo. Do this every day, and you will find out that you get this automated

JJ

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my web-site
my bands CODand TSC

[This message was edited by Johan Jansen on 21 January 2002 at 10:02 AM.]

Bob Knight · Post by **Bob Knight** » 21 Jan 2002 10:06 am

Earl,
Joe Wright has some videos covering this problem, AND others.

Check 'em out. http://www.pedalsteel.com/

Bob

Earl Yarbro · Post by **Earl Yarbro** » 21 Jan 2002 10:53 am

Thanks, Johan and Bob

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 21 Jan 2002 1:07 pm

My secret is positioning my pac a seat in the same position all the time behind the same fret. Then when I stick my left leg through the knee pedals (set rather close), my foot naturally falls on the correct pedals. This works for the E9th neck. I'm going to put some center, left knee pedals, on the C6th neck to accomplish the same results.

Erv

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 21 Jan 2002 1:23 pm

ZB - Day 11-4

THAT explains it! With eleven pedals, it's no wonder your feet get tongue tied.

Seriously, the advice re: Joe Wright is excellent. Joe analyzes all motion on the pedal steel and breaks it down into small movements that you can do easily and builds on it. e.g., start with your left foot on the first pedal; press that pedal; release it; now go to the second pedal. Once you have that down, start on P1 and move to P3. It's all what's called 'muscle memory'. Once your body 'remembers' how far it is from P1 to P11 (

) you'll find it easier to hit it when you need to.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

[This message was edited by Larry Bell on 21 January 2002 at 01:24 PM.]

Earl Yarbro · Post by **Earl Yarbro** » 22 Jan 2002 6:32 am

Thanks for the advice. You've given me something to work on to solve my problem. Dang, this forum is wonderful. Where else could you get valuable advice from the best players around.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 24 Jan 2002 2:37 pm

Earl, I have the habit of usually holding my left foot on the split (A&B) pedals...just touching them, but not with enough pressure to activate them. Then, when it comes time to move one to the left, or one or two to the right, (I have 5 floors on E9th) it's a very easy thing to guage. Having this "home" position (as I call it) makes it easier, since I'm coming back to exactly the same spot all the time. I have the same type of "home" position on the C6th pedals, too.

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 24 January 2002 at 02:38 PM.]