New player question

Mark Carter · Posted 7 Feb 2009 2:40 pm

Hello all,

Long time guitarist.. New to pedal steel.

First things first. After looking at options and lurking in this forum, I bought a Stage One guitar. Doug is awesome, and the instrument is better than I could have hoped for. Great sound, very smooth, excellent.

My question is this. Being a 6 stringer for so many years, I am very comfortable playing with the fingers on my right hand. I must admit, finger picks and a thumb pick feel really awkward. I certainly know that it's just because it's new to me, but it has me wondering... do any pedal steel players play without finger picks/thumb pick? I'm just curious.

Thanks much! Really enjoying the playing experience to date.

Mark

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

Mark,

Welcome to the forum!

I believe a few do play with just fingertips, but it is generally held that a goodly part of the tone of the steel comes from the attack of the picks against the strings, and you will find this held most trenchantly by those who have used the Jeff Newman training material.

Jeff was adamant that there were lots of very bad finger-picks for playing steel, and few good ones. He insisted you needed a fingerpick of 0.025" metal, and he also pointed out you need to bend and customise your picks so they fit well and are comfortable for you to wear and play. An essential part of a steel-players kit is a pair of needle-nose pliers for just this purpose.

As for thumbpicks, there are many different styles, and I'd suggest usding the "search" function to get you dialled in to the various threads that have cropped up on these contentious subjects. A lot of players also customise their thumbpicks as well (I do, and I use Dunlop Large thumbpicks).

Stick with the picks, you'll appeciate them as you develop that steel-guitar tone and clarity of sound.
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Randal Smith · From: Nashville, TN, USA

Bobbe Seymour doesn't use fingerpicks, and I don't know anyone who gets a better tone. I don't use them either, my tone is open for debate. We both use thumbpicks, but that's about the only thing that Bobbe and I have in common as far as tone and technique are concerned. Laughing

Having said that, Whatever works for you is the way to go. I used fingerpicks for years and only changed over when I got back into steel a couple of years ago.

Dobro great Tut Taylor played with a flatpick. There was a fellow at the last NTSGA SuperJam that played steel with a flatpick, I was told. He didn't play at the Jam, just visiting from KY.

Experiment. You'll find what works for you.
_________________
Randal Smith alias Smitty the Kid
Nashville, TN
Simmons SD10
Warmoth Custom Guitar
Gibson GA-20 Amp
"We have enough youth, how about a Fountain of Smart?"

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Wear them when you are not playing. We all went through that. When you get to the point of feeling naked without them on you're there. Believe me it happens.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

better to know how to play w: picks & not know how to play w: the bare fingers rather than play w: the bare fingers & not know how to play w: picks Mark
many play with & without picks
imo, a thumbpick is essential
one gets a clean & better attack w: picks
especially recommended for speed pickin' & pick blockin'
on the other hand,if you play C6 or nice chords, one gets a warmer sound w: the bare fingers
learn how to play both ways Mark, you won't regret it

Mark Carter · Posted 8 Feb 2009 5:03 am

Thanks for the insights everyone. Great advice. I got two of the Jeff Newman courses to get me going and he was very adamant about not only picks but the right picks.

I'll work on using them (since that is my "out of comfort" zone) and see how it goes.

If I can ask one more question please... why do I see finger picks that extend so far above and beyond the finger tips? I've played a little banjo in the past {then I got a regular sized one and it was much easier Smile

} and the picks curve right up next to the finger. The extended finger picks I've seen as I explore steel are a surprise.

Best wishes to all,
Mark

Brian Kurlychek · From: Maine, USA

When you get the Jeff Newman video, look and see how he has his picks. They are bent right over, and just about perpendiulcar to his finger. I see alot of the great players have them bent like this and their fingers are curled way under when they play. My picks follow the contour of my finger and stop at the nail, just in front of it. I am used to playing this way and can't imagine having a bent pick like how Jeff has it and its probrobly too late to change now anyway because I am comfortable with how I have them.
_________________
We live to play another day.

David Doggett · Posted 8 Feb 2009 11:26 am

Pedal steel strings are usually a little closer together than banjo strings. Some players feel they can pick a little cleaner without the picks curled so close to the nail. Reece Anderson's picks stick almost straight out. But the majority have them curled pretty close. It's all in what you get use to. I have changed mine to stick out more (but not as much as Reese's), so that I can do a back-stroke strum without snagging on the strings.

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Bobbe keeps those long finger nails so he can '' pluck buggers '' real easy Laughing

Love ya Bobbe Razz

G.P.
P.S. They serve him well with the steel guitar also . Cool

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

There have been plenty of postings regarding pick shape etc, going back to Big E's comments in the archives with plenty of pictures as well as conflicting opinions of forum members my advice is to look at how the majority of the top pros wear and shape their picks and copy them.

Pat Comeau · From: New Brunswick, Canada

Ned said=

Bob Mainwaring · From: Qualicum Beach Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

Hi Mark,
I know this may not be a direct answer to your question but it might give you another thought into what material to use for a thumbpick.
For many years I used plastic thumbpicks with a pre-formed shaped end. Like most guys I chose to file and reshape the tip to my liking.
Another thing I did was to get a sharp pointed knife and cut some longnitudinal angled lines along the back face for added "stop-on" grip.
After a few years of doing this I switched over to a metal thumbpick with the holes stamped in the back which allow a small portion of your skin to stick through thereby keeping the pick in it's place.
I won't return to plastic as I like the solid feel too much.
Another little habit I obtained is to place my two fingers in my mouth to wet them before placing the picks on the fingers - they seem to stay there better in my opinion.

All Z.B.est.

Bob Mainwaring.

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