Pedal steel guitar

The pedal steel guitar is a string instrument mounted horizontally on a frame and played while seated. The player typically plucks the strings with the right hand while moving a steel bar along the strings with the left. The instrument has no resonance chamber; its sound is transmitted by an electric pickup to an amplifier. Like all steel guitars, the pedal steel can produce smooth glissandi (sliding notes) and controlled vibrato, expressive techniques akin to the human singing voice.