steel guitar
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A type of guitar, typically played horizontally on a stand or on the lap, where the strings are not fretted with the fingers but are instead stopped or altered in pitch by sliding a solid metal bar (called a "steel" or "slide") along the strings. The sound is often characterized by smooth, gliding notes (glissando) and is central to certain genres of music like country, western swing, and Hawaiian music.
Usage Examples
- The haunting sound of the steel guitar is a defining feature of classic country music.
- To play the steel guitar, you use a metal slide in one hand while plucking the strings with the other.
- She added a beautiful steel guitar solo to the ballad.
Advanced Usage
- The term "steel guitar" broadly encompasses several related instruments, including the lap steel guitar and the pedal steel guitar. The pedal steel guitar is a more complex version with foot pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of the strings mechanically.
- It is often used to create emotive, singing melodies and atmospheric background textures in a musical arrangement.
Variants and Related Words
- Lap steel guitar: A type of steel guitar played horizontally on the player's lap.
- Pedal steel guitar: An electric steel guitar equipped with pedals and knee levers to change the pitch of the strings while playing.
- Slide guitar: A broader technique where a slide (often a glass or metal tube) is used on a traditional guitar held in the standard position; the steel guitar is a specific instrument designed for this technique.
- Console steel guitar: A multi-neck steel guitar typically placed on a stand.
Synonyms
- Lap steel
- Hawaiian guitar (an older term)
Related Phrases/Concepts
- Slide: The solid metal bar used to play the instrument.
- Glissando: A continuous slide upward or downward between two notes, a characteristic effect of the steel guitar.
- String bending: A related technique on standard guitar where the string is pushed sideways to raise its pitch, but the steel guitar achieves pitch changes by sliding the bar.
Noun
- guitar whose steel strings are twanged while being pressed with a movable steel bar for a glissando effect