picks........finger picks vs flatpickin

Carroll Hale · From: EastTexas, USA

coming from a long line and history of flatpickin I have only been playing a reso for a year of so...it is much easier for me to do fast pickin using a reg flat pick..than the thumb and finger picks...I use the thumb and finger picks on most of the slower songs and especially when I really need to play 2 or more strings at a time..... but, for just plain fast songs.....I prefer the single flat pick

any one else have any thoughts or opinions on this..
just curious on how the rest of ya do it...
thanks,
ch

Ian · From: San Francisco, CA

Caroll,

I used to play guitar with a flat pick years ago. I found getting used to fingerpicks initially difficult when I switched to dobro. However, I've grown so used to them that I couldn't imagine ever going back (I do use a flat pick for lap steel occasionally). You will be able to play much faster - eventually - once you acquire some basic skills. I highly recommend Michael Witcher's Resonator Guitar: Tunes, Techniques & Practice Skills - it's a great book.

In addition to playing faster (I feel that speed is a mere side effect of proficiency) 2 finger picks and a thumb pick will enable you to play in a much more dynamic manner - imagine playing the piano with only one finger.

As for the pro's, I believe Tut Taylor played with a flat pick. There may be others but the concensus is that finger and thumb picks is the way to go; most dobro tablature reflects this.

Best of luck,

Ian

Carroll Hale · From: EastTexas, USA

thanks for the comments.....been off dodging hurricanes..........keeping an eye on IKE now..

trying to force myself to use the thumb/finger picks more as I practice...getting better the more I play...still use the flat pick when I really need to do some fast pickin...
have a great day...hope we can avoid IKE>...
later,
ch

John Bushouse · Posted 10 Sep 2008 10:30 am

I saw Joe Diamond's grandson (whose name I can't recall) playing steel with Cyril Pahinui a few years ago. He played with a flatpick and fingerpicks on his middle and ring finger - a hybrid style like country pickers use. You might give it a try, Carroll.

Jon Nygren · From: Wisconsin, USA

Chuck Mahoney · From: New Jersey, USA

i could not get used to playing with thumb/fingerpicks at all - Now I just use my bare fingers. I prefer to be able to feel the strings when I play. (I use a flatpick when I play standard guitar) I had an email exchange with Doug MacLeod about this, and he said "do what's comfortable". So that's what I do Smile

Gary Boyett · From: Colorado

Here is a clip of Dick Meis playing with a flat pick, and two finger picks.

Dick Meis

There are quite a few videos of Dick playing pedal and non-pedal.

I would say he has it down pretty well. When I asked him about it he just said when he started he didn't know any better. Now it's too late.

Rob Anderlik · From: Chicago, IL

Just about any technique is a starting point; to quote Jimmy Heffernan: "there are lots of ways to around the barn."

Just thinking out loud, but it seems to me that certain techniques - especially banjo type rolls and right hand blocking/pick blocking, lend themselves to playing with a thumbpick and fingerpicks or in a fingerstyle right hand position using your thumb for downstrokes and your fingers for upstrokes.

With that said, Tut Taylor plays with a flatpick. Seems to work for him!

Regards,
Rob Anderlik

Bill Leff · From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

I play with thumbpick and 2 fingerpicks and play mostly with a flatpick on guitar.

One thing I can't do very well with the thumbpick and fingerpicks is fast strumming (or "framming" as the Sacred Steelers call it). The backward strokes don't work well.

Any tips on this highly appreciated!

Rob Anderlik · From: Chicago, IL

Peter Jacobs · From: Northern Virginia

I just saw Kasey Chambers (Australian music superstar and ironically, an "Americana"-music goddess) last night. Her dad, Bill, is a multi-instrumentalist who played reso and lap steel much of the night (plus mando and electric guitar).

He used a Stevens bar and a flat pick and got great tone and his playing was awesome -- very emotional, appropriate and spot on. He translated his guitar technique to steel perfectly. He did some country, C6-sounding stuff, and you'd never have known he wasn't fingerpicking . He had great volume pedal technique, too.

Peter
_________________
Peter
---------
www.splinterville.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@splinterville6278/videos

Carroll Hale · From: EastTexas, USA

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: