Guitar, Pedal Steel
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The Pedal Steel Guitar has no body. It has two necks, with ten strings each, and is mounted on a console. Chords and single notes are played by plucking the strings and sliding a steel bar or tube along them. The pedal steel was developed in the 1940s and became a popular feature of Hawaiian and country music.
| Family |
| Strings |
| Pitch range |
| 6 octaves. |
| Material |
| Body and stand of wood or metal, with a sliding steel bar. |
| Size |
| From 28-36 in (71-91 cm) long ; 9 in (23 cm) wide. |
| Origins |
| The pedal steel guitar was brought to Hawaii from Mexico in about 1830. An early Hawaiian player, Joseph Kekuku, was the first to slide something along the strings. |
| Classification |
| Chordophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of strings. |
| And also... |
| Both pedals and knee-levers are used to change the pitch, producing a slurring sound. |
