Pedal steel guitar

The pedal steel guitar is a process developed in the 1930s in the U.S. electric stringed instrument. It is related to the lap steel guitar ( Hawaiian guitar ) and is used in particular in the field of country music use.

The essential difference from lap steel guitar consists in additional pedals and knee levers that allow you to change the pitch of the strings while playing. On the open strings tuned to is using a over the strings sliding Slide Bar (literally slide bar, see slide guitar ) in the gripping hand, the pitch varies as the Zupfhand touches on the strings, usually with the help of set on the fingertips finger picks.

Construction

The pedal steel guitar is one or two necks in a table-like frame (usually a wooden or metal frame with four legs ) are lying flat built. The player usually sits on a chair or stool behind the tool and operated with the foot attached to metal rods pedals, with the knees the mounted under the frame toggle.

The most common are pedal steel guitar with two necks, which are covered each with ten strings. The construction with two necks is in particular the fact that the pedal and lever mechanism in early versions of the instrument only small changes in pitch allowed, so that a second neck has much more bandwidth could be played on pitches. Despite improved technology, this construction has been retained as the standard.

Commonly used are different tunings of the strings, most commonly the mood for the first E9 and C6 for the second neck. As with an electric guitar, the vibrations of the strings are converted into electrical signals by means of an electromagnetic pickup, which are reinforced with a guitar amp. In addition, the use of a volume - pedal is in use, by which the volume can be changed.

History

The pedal steel guitar has evolved in the 1930s from the lap steel guitar. Instead of a resonant body, it is based on the use of electromagnetic pickups. The pedals to change the mood found already in the 1940s using. Numerous electric guitar makers such as Paul Bigsby, Leo Fender and Adolph Rickenbacher had been established even before the development of the electric guitar in the ( pedal ) steel guitars.

Since the development of the electric guitar, the application of the pedal steel guitar is confined mainly to the field of country music, where it is still widespread today. But even in Jazz and Blues find pedal steel guitars always use. Even in rock music, the pedal steel guitar is sometimes used, such as David Gilmour, lead guitarist of the British band Pink Floyd, and Don Felder, a temporary member of the American band The Eagles.

Pedal steel guitar player (selection)

Tailpiece Plucked string instrument Guitar tunings#Open Neck (music) Rickenbacker Eagles (band) Steve Howe (musician) Robert Randolph and the Family Band
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