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

1. guitar whose steel strings are twanged while being pressed with a movable steel bar for a glissando effect