Palm Blocking! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Jason Putnam · From: Tennessee, USA

This palm blocking technique is absolutely driving me crazy!!! I have watched youtube videos, tried it over and over. I just don't get it. If I set my picks down on the strings like I'm in position to pick notes, the edge of my palm is no where near the strings. If I turn my hand clockwise it is, but then my picks aren't close to the strings. There has to be some trick to make this happen that i'm missing. I guess its something you have to learn in person, because the videos aren't helping. I don't know if I can contort my hand in a way that will make it happen! Surprised

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1967 Emmons Bolt On, 1995 Mullen PRP 3x5,Nashville 112, JOYO Digital Delay, Goodrich Volume Pedal, Livesteel Strings

Tony Williamson · From: North Carolina, USA

my pivot point is my arm where it touches the steel. you can also anchor with your pinky. easy done on telecasters and banjo. pivot your hand to let your picks hit first. thats all i know.
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stelling banjos . shobud ldg and superpro/ martin hd28v weber mandolin, session 400, danelectro delay, korg d3200, bose L1 x2

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Jason,I had a tough time of it too.The best thing I can say is that blocking is not only difficult to describe in words,it's different for each player,because no two right hands are exactly the same.What helped me was to concentrate on what I was playing rather than how I was playing it,then I found myself more or less "bouncing" my right palm on,then just off the strings,and sometimes during fast staccato passages (think the intro to "Panama Red") having my right palm just barely touching the strings.

Tony Williamson · From: North Carolina, USA

you might get on it if you try to do it fast. sometimes some things are hard to do slow. try like dave said, bouncing your hand , you may fall right in to it. dont be afraid to play, and dont try too hard. Smile

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stelling banjos . shobud ldg and superpro/ martin hd28v weber mandolin, session 400, danelectro delay, korg d3200, bose L1 x2

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

One possible thing to try: If you're trying to do it with the pinky and maybe third finger extended, try doing it with the pinky and maybe third finger curled under. Or vice versa.

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

Spend $29 and get Jeff newmans right hand alpha DVD. Do exactly as he says, don't bi@/h about it or try to "do it the way it feels best" - and you will be pick blocking effectively in a few weeks. The key here is you are gonna cause more trouble unlearning a bad habit than the skill requires.

**This post doesn't imply Jeff's is the only way to palm block, before the flames build, but he shows you step by step and why you can't do this or that and expect it to be clean. He taught thousands of helpless ham fisted players this way so it's a "proven" system - but you gotta do the drills exactly as he says - he's not here anymore to rap you on the knuckles when you do it wrong.
It's really not that difficult after he shows you - it's the old way you were doing it wrong that causes you fits.
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

Dickie Whitley · Posted 15 Dec 2012 9:20 pm

I agree with Jerome, get the DVD.

Brian McGaughey · From: Orcas Island, WA USA

Jason,

Here's yet another opinion.

I made a large leap in progress when I learned that for me the best way to approach palm blocking was to keep all strings blocked by default with the edge of my palm until such time that a note was required and to let your palm UP to let the note out.

In other words, keep all strings blocked by default other than when you need to break the silence (or the block).

After I started to look at it that way, the light went on and I got it.

Your results may vary...(the fine print)...

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Try picking the strings while they are muted with your palm. So you get that muted plunky sound. Leave your hand in the same position and unmute only the string or strings you want to have sustain by slightly moving your palm. Some people also bounce there palm on the strings.

I don't palm block very often but it comes in super handy when playing palm harmonics.
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Bob

Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · From: Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)

Hi, Jason ...
There are some very good suggestions here. Smile

I'm a palm blocker myself and my hand has a straight up and down motion much of the time (something a little similar to what I've seen in Jay Dee's picking style) instead of a "rock back and forth" from picks to palm edge. I also curl my ring and pinky fingers under instead of having them extended. Not only do I block with the edge of my hand, but my ring and pinky fingers also operate independently to block certain upper and middle strings as I need them to (in conjunction with using my palm edge).

I don't know if this could be of some help at all, or even how well you can see my hand motion in the videos, but here's a couple where you can see sort of what works for me in palm blocking. Perhaps, in addition to trying the various methods already mentioned, there might be something you see in my technique that also might be food for thought to try or experiment with. Smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnr48aDUdIs there are steel shots throughout, but the best view of my hand action in this one starts at 3:10 in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LczsOXAPTTY around 2:30 in this one it shows my hand action pretty well.
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1986 Mullen D-10 with 8 & 7 (Dual Bill Lawrence 705 pickups each neck)
Two Peavey Nashville 400 Amps (with a Session 500 in reserve) - Yamaha SPX-90 II
Peavey ProFex II - Yamaha R-1000 Digital Reverb - Ross Time Machine Digital Delay - BBE Sonic Maximizer 422A
ProCo RAT R2DU Dual Distortion - Korg DT-1 Pro Tuner (Rack Mounted) - Furman PL-8 Power Bay
Goodrich Match-Bro by Buddy Emmons - BJS Steel Bar (Dunlop Finger Picks / Golden Gate Thumb Picks)

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