I put on the picks.

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

OK. Steel guitar. Steel picks. I can dig it. So I put the things on. Thumb, index and middle finger, and I've been working with them for two whole days doing Emmons tab. In the back of my mind I wonder if this is some medieval ritual I have to go through to get into the steel guitar guild. Do more tortures await?

The steel picks are much less flexible than my fingerstyle setup which is, flat pick between thumb and index finger, and bare middle, ring and pinkie fingers.

With only 2 finger picks I can't claw with my mid-ring-pinkie and pick 5-4-3 simultaneously, which has a really nice sound on pedal steel. I also can not do ragtime bass walk with a thumb pick, but maybe that'll come in time.

I'm working on it, honest.

Grrrr,
Charlie Smile

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Charlie, nobody says you have to limit yourself to just 2 fingerpicks. Some people use 3, and a few people even use 4 (plus thumbpick). But, hey, you wanna play with your fingers, go ahead. (If you wanna play with your food, go ahead!) If you like the sound you get and it works for you, then DO IT.

You have my blessing and, as you might know, I am the undisputed Master of Acceptable Tone!

J Hill · From: Colorado, USA

Charles,

There's nothing wrong with using a flat pick with fingerpicks on your middle and ring finger. My teacher does and he's a remarkable player. Somehow I think his tone is better because of it. I don't know but there's something about his picking that's magical. Give it a go. I've tried it, I think a person could get used to it as quickly as the 'normal' way. Have fun.

Les Pierce · From: Shreveport, LA

Give it, at least, 3 or 4 weeks before you give up. At least that way, you'll know which works best for you.

Also, there is no reason you can't just reach out and grab strings with the fingers without picks. I think Buddy said that is what he does.

String muting is a lot more difficult with thumb and finger picks, I agree. Palm muting, to get that bass thump, is one thing I have had great difficulty transferring from standard to steel guitar, but I'm getting it, through practice. I've even started using the thumb and middle finger on my Tele. I saw Brent Mason doing this in the Hot Wired video, and tried it. It works very well.

Les

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Strat,Tele
Dekley S-10

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

I appreciate the replies, the flat pick/bare fingers info, and the encouragement.

I was trying for a "I'm miffed, Ha-Ha" tone, but I don't think I quite pulled it off. Re-reading my post it seems a bit pompous, and I didn't mean to sound like that.

At this time I have more accuracy with my bare fingers, but I've been using bare fingers on 6-string for years and years. I tried steel picks several times in the past, but I've always had some excuse why I shouldn't/couldn't use them. This time I am most humbly going to give steel picks an honest try. No more excuses.

Thanks guys,
Charlie

rpetersen · From: Iowa

Charles - I use bare fingers and a thumb pick for lead and I have found that if I bend the fingerpicks almost around the tips of my fingers, it give slmost the same feeling as no picks as far as the placement of the finger - I cannot play with a pick bent as it comes out of the package.

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Ron Petersen &
The Keep'n Tyme Band
Mullen Universal 12 - 1975 Session 400 - Nashville 1000 - Nashville 112

John De Maille · From: On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.

Charles,
When I first started to play steel, I used no index or middle finger picks, just a thumb pick. And, even that was a little uncomfortable. I had been playing six string guitar, finger style, for years and was never used to using picks on my fingers. But, I met Jeff Newman in 1975 and he said that using a thumb pick only, would never get me that "steel" sound. (You know,steel strings, steel bar,and steel picks, plastic thumb pick) I've tried it both ways and the best sound is with metal finger picks.In my opinion. I made myself use the picks continuosly, sometimes with great discomfort, until they became quite natural to wear. The discomfort was overcome by making them fit better. (A minor inconvenience) It really didn't take that long to feel comfortable with them. As a matter of fact, I think you actually play faster with picks on, because without them, your fingers have to dig deeper to pluck the strings. String separation varies on different makes of steels, so, by using picks you won't get hung up between the strings or miss the notes all together.
Believe me when I say I was a tough sell on using finger picks, but, I'm glad I did it. It just takes time and practise, you'll get it. The sound of your steel playing will definitely be better.

Doug Rolfe · From: Indianapolis, IN

We sell a padded pick for the fingers that makes them a lot more comfortable and easier to stay on. I used to have to quit after about an hour of practicing because I had to put them on so tight that they hurt. I don't have to do that any more as I wear the padded picks now. You still get the full steel sound with them.

Keith Cordell · From: San Diego

I have been using the National picks, and I get kind of a therapeutic vibe from sitting and shaping the picks to my fingers with some pliers. I lose picks constantly so I keep a pile of them around. I shape them to my fingertips as suggested in an earlier post, and it feels a lot more like my guitar playing style that way. I got that from my teacher, Mark Van Allen.

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Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

It's a situation of shaping the picks so they don't make your fingers sore, then practice. (I lick my finger tips, the saliva acts like a glue) Do lots of reps to develope "muscle memory". Lots of reps. When you get over that hurdle, your picks and your picking will begin to feel comfortable, then your off to the races!

Randy Reeves · From: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA

I feel your pain. same story as my experience goes. forty years flatpicker then new to pedal steel.
I like the control and sense of closeness using bare fingers.
the thumbpick hurts and is awkward. the steel finger picks after adjustment are comfortable to wear, but the harsh clanging against the strings bothers me.
would plastic finger picks soften things up; both the wearing and pcking.
and if so, hwere would I find some.

Alan Rudd · From: Ardmore, Oklahoma

I bought heavier picks. I found a set of Dunlops that are tapered and much more comfortable. I saw a post from Mike Holland a while back about using eyeglass pads inside the pick to make it more comfortable.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Dunlops, Kysers, National NP2's, ProPicks, Newmans.... besides all that, I find it useful to have two complete sets of whichever picks you choose, bent up and ready to go. You can play music with the most comfortable set, and bend away on the other set, refining them, when you're watching TV or something until they're more comfortable than the first set - then switch them out. The idea is to not spend your entire practice time sitting in front of your steel dicking around with picks instead of playing music.

I buy picks from Janet Davis and Elderly Instruments: http://www.janetdavismusic.com/picks.html http://www.elderly.com/accessories/PK.html
I usually use National NP2 fingerpicks and Kelly delrin regular or "slick pick" thumbpicks until my fingers hurt, then switch to Dunlop or Kyser finger picks and Herco blue thumbicks.

I've been trying lately to use a thumbpick and fingerpicks on six-string too, and it seems useful to bend a special set for that with the blades slanted differently. Some people switch between steel and guitar quickly by using a flatpick and two fingerpicks, and the angles are all different there too - you want the blade to hit the string flat, not scraping on the edge.

[This message was edited by David Mason on 10 June 2005 at 02:53 AM.]

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Visitors to this Forum routinely hear/read comments about "Grabbing" or "Clawing" and/or whatever...........

Doesn't ANYONE "ROLL" the strings you pluck?
It makes a tremendous difference in TONE.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Charles, I've always played guitar with a thumb and fingerpicks and I couldn't imagine doing it any other way. When I started getting serious on steel it was a big help. As far as grips, I keep the fingernails a little longer on my ring and little fingers and use them along with the fingerpicks. When the "meaty fingernail" type sound came about for chicken pickin' instead of not using the picks I just started using my ring finger a lot. A lot of guitar riffs I do now is with the thumbpick and bare ring finger. It's all about what works for you. My way is unorthodox but I love it! I put my finger picks all the way on and bent around the tips of the fingers where they touch and it's a lot faster I think. I've seen so many different ways of doing the same thing (which all work) so do what's comfortable for you......JH in Va.

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 10 June 2005 at 12:08 PM.]

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