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Topic: Pick Blocking Wide Grips |
Jack Devereux
From:
Brooklyn NY
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Posted 27 Jun 2013 3:24 pm |
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Hey folks, I've been working on pick blocking, and am (slowly) starting to figure out how it works for melodic playing, but am having trouble moving between three note grips. For example, if you're grabbing 8-6-5, and then want to jump to 6-5-4, how do you block string 8? Do you quickly set your hand back down in the first grip to mute those strings and then move to the next three? Or is there some palm muting involved? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
thanks,
Jack |
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Bud Angelotti
From:
Larryville, NJ, USA
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Douglas Schuch
From:
Valencia, Philippines
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Posted 27 Jun 2013 4:29 pm
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Jack,
I'm a newbie, so take my answer with a grain of salt, but to answer your specific situation I use the my thumb, or even the pad at the base of the thumb to block lower strings if my thumb then moves up to a higher string.
I play a Uni, and find it harder to block a note played on string 1 (equiv. of a high G on C6) or string 2 (equiv. of a D on string 1), then need to quickly get back to some other strings. I currently use my bar hand, trying to remove the bar with my middle finger extended beyond to mute, but that means holding the bar in a manner that is not very natural to me. I read where Paul F. said his left hand does not do any blocking [with his left hand].... so maybe I need to experiment more on this?
Doug edited to include the part in brackets - important part left out!
_________________
Bringing steel guitar to the bukid of Negros Oriental!
Last edited by Douglas Schuch on 28 Jun 2013 7:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2013 5:59 am
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I tend to palm block larger string grips. I'll both pick or palm block individual notes depending on the decay envelope I'm after - Palm for staccato.
Curly Chalker is the king of fast passages using large string grips. You might watch him on you tube. |
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Jack Devereux
From:
Brooklyn NY
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Posted 28 Jun 2013 7:17 am
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| Thanks fellers. The hybrid/blocking with the ball of the thumb thing seems to be working well. I need to just order the Paul Franklin and Jeff Newman DVDs and pick them apart... |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 28 Jun 2013 7:38 am
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| I'd block string 8 with the thumb of my bar hand. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 28 Jun 2013 7:45 am
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Pick blocking is good, but you must also learn the other methods (palm blocking and bar tracking). Then, you will be able to decide what works best for you.
No one method works well in all instances, so don't become "boxed in" by any single technique. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 28 Jun 2013 10:06 am
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What Donny said. There are more ways to block than just with the right hand using pick blocking and palm blocking.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Mule Ferguson
From:
N Wilkesboro NC,
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Posted 2 Jul 2013 7:08 am
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A good shot showing left hand fingers and hand blocking
By Doug Palmer. Moonie Licks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj8R1VdfGWg
Mule 
_________________
Emmons La Grande D10, Zum Encore, Multicord,Marlen S10 1972, Nashville 112, Evans HVP #2, Peavey Profex ll, Martin, Merle Travis D28M Bigsby Neck.
D28 Henderson, Dobro and Tut Bro. Fender Tele, Stelling Stagehorn Banjo |
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Bo Legg
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Posted 2 Jul 2013 11:53 am
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| Joey Ace wrote: |
| I'd block string 8 with the thumb of my bar hand. |
OK Joey where were you when Paul was saying the only time he used his bar hand thumb was to make it sound like a marimba and then everyone made a total joke out of my pick blocking. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 2 Jul 2013 12:53 pm
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I find that wide grips are no more or less of a problem to pick block than anything else. Pick the note then put the same pick back down on the string. Pretty easy idea that is pretty hard to do at first. Just takes practice.
_________________
Bob |
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Mike Heugel
From:
Taylor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 2 Jul 2013 4:19 pm
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I personally palm block almost exclusively when making the jump "away" from my body (i.e moving thumb from 10 to 8, or 8 to 6). It's a natural part of the movement as my hand is already in-motion after picking the initial grip, so the block is done with the lower-outside portion of the hand, near the wrist joint.
_________________
"No officer, I don't even own a cat... " |
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Daniel Policarpo
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Posted 2 Jul 2013 4:54 pm
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| Keep plugging away on all blocking methods. Amazingly, someday you won't even think about it, your body will know what to do and you can just concentrate on that phrase you are in the middle of lickin'. Funny enough,when I was going over how I blocked string 8 according to your query, I found that I lift the ass end of the bar just a little as I move it forward a couple strings. Damnedest thing. I never consciously practiced that. I also block it with the bar thumb, but mostly will block with palm, it really seems to depend on what is going to happen a little bit afterwards. I'm new at this too, so I thought that was interesting. |
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 4 Jul 2013 1:48 pm
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Angling the bar and moving it as needed to play PRIMARILY with the nose helps immensely. Block behind the bar by flattening the fingers and extend the LH middle finger past the nose end of the bar. Just get used to picking the blunt end slightly off the lower strings. If you are covering all strings with the bar you will constantly fight the blocking battle.
MUTING WITH PICKS ONLY GETS PART OF THE JOB DONE.
Watch any accomplished player. The bar moves toward and away from the player as much or more than up & down the frets. Because that's what works. It's what Donny refers to as bar tracking above. Those techniques are useful to perfect palm blocking as well. Close grips, wide grips, whatever.
For example, playing 4 then holding that note and playing 8 then blocking both can be done by
Playing / holding 4th string -- nose over 4 -- blunt end slightly raised off 9 & 10
Playing 8 along with 4 then ...
... Pick the blunt end off the 8th while drawing the nose off the 4th and BLOCKING BEHIND THE BAR W/ LH FINGERS
_________________
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12 |
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