The dumbest question of the month,

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

I have never been accused of being the smartest kid on the block so that makes me the perfect candidate to have enough nerve to ask this question.

Has anyone in the SGF ever used finger tip insert cups (like a sewing thimble) to use along with their bars when playing their steel? I sort of tried this a couple of days ago as an experiment to try and make it to a few chords that my bar slants couldn’t quite reach. At first I used one of my wife’s sewing thimbles and to my amazement, it worked to a certain extent. In my excitement, I ran down to the basement, grabbed the thimble that I use when I repair our saddles or saddle bags. It is a very heavy thimble with a flat surface tip and it actually worked to an acceptable degree. I placed it on my second finger. I tried it on my thumb but it kept falling off. (duct tape worked however) -- (Canadians have a fetish for duct tape).

I had seen this done on acoustic guitars before but it never dawned on me to try it on my steel guitar until a few days ago.

Is anyone brave enough to come forward in public to comment on this one?

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

[This message was edited by Les Anderson on 12 March 2005 at 02:53 PM.]

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Well, if that's the "dumbest question of the month" then I'm the "idiot of the month", cause I am waiting for a set of metal rings from this guy - http://www.peacelandmusic.com/mringorder.htm

Naturally, I am especially curious about the thumb ring since I can see the potential for using as an extension of the steel bar. Perhaps it works, perhaps not, but I figured it was worth a shot.

A couple of years ago I saw a Norwegian guitarist playing with glass 'cups' on each fingertip. It sounded great - probably hard to master, but the music he created with this technique was beautiful..

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 12 March 2005 at 01:30 PM.]

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I've thought about these things too, but it became apparent after listening to some Hawaiian players and Jerry Byrd that there isn't much you can't get with a good slanting technique. Besides, all the energy to work on something like that could be better spent working on technique. But these were MY conclusions. There are limitations to the steel; however, there are things you can do which can't be done as well on other instruments, such as vibrato and legato.

Also, after studying jazz for a lot of years and playing in groups, I know that I don't need to hit all the tones in a chord. It's more fun to imply harmony, I think.

Jeppe Grangaard · From: Denmark

Les and Steinar
You’re just wonderful (....and ahead of the crowd)
I’ll be watching this thread,..!

Steinar, you play fantastic, so if that goes for Les, keep on going Les!

Travis Bernhardt · From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

I think it's a great idea. It's one that's come up a few times here in the past, but I don't think anybody has really pursued it very hard. I'm sure there's some great stuff you could do with a thumb slide. I've tried playing with two bars, and it's cool to be able to do hammer-ons from closed positions, or to play melodies while the other hand plays a chord. I'm sure that the thimble idea could produce some cool sounds.

-Travis

Randy Reeves · From: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA

I just watched a DVD with an East Indian slide guitarist.
he had what looked to be thimbles on his fret fingers.
Perhaps this idea has been around for some time.

would it feel like ice skating with one's finger tips?

Bill Blacklock · From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

I've tried this in the past with beer bottle caps, I doubt it would work sober.

c c johnson · From: killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.

In the 30s and into the fortys finger picks were called thimbles in a lot of caralogs. They completely covered the finger with about a 1/8" slit on each side. I still have a few but have never used them. They were not any competition for the nationals of that era. CC

Chris Scruggs · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Bill,

It would not work sober, as the caps would still be on the bottles.

CS

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

I'll second what Mike had to say. Personally, I view the steel as a melodic instrument so I don't think it's necessary to play big fat harmonies under your lines. Two note implied ones are enough... triads or more, maybe for effects. The rhythm section in your band covers the harmonies. Most guys I hear who like chords under their lines play really choppy because they're always disrupting the melodic flow in order to find a place on the fretboard where the chords lie--they let the chords lead their playing rather than the melody.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

The way I see it, a thumb ring wouldn't be used so much for chords and harmonies, but rather fast hammer-ons when playing melody lines.
I can definitely see some advantages there, but how practical it is remains to be seen....

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Ian McLatchie · From: Sechelt, British Columbia

There seems to be a recent outbreak in the No Peddlers section of people insisting their own questions are dumb, stupid, the dumbest, etc. To all those people: Relax, already! None of the questions in question has been the least bit obtuse. More importantly, the whole point of this forum is for people of varying interests and expertise to share ideas on a variety of subjects. We all started from the same level of (mis)understanding, and everyone is happy to share what they can.

Mind you, we live in an age when marketers and advertisers encourage people to think themselves out of their depth on every conceivable subject, don't we? (witness the countless "Idiot's Guide to..." and "...For Dummies" books). I'll always regret not buying a book I saw in a yard sale a couple of years ago. Funniest title of all time: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Enhancing Self-Esteem."

[This message was edited by Ian McLatchie on 13 March 2005 at 06:44 PM.]

Andy Greatrix · From: Edmonton Alberta

I would say try it.
If it doesn't fly, then what have you lost?
There is never a shortage of people ready to cut you off at the knees if you have a new idea. I have yet to figure out what they get out of trying to discourage others.
Go for it and have fun!

Bill Blacklock · From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Thanks Chris,
Never thought of that. Maybe someone should come up with a bar that has an outrigger on it, that would look kind of Hawaiian and you could use the outrigger for picking up minors and such. Bottle caps sounds like more fun. Bill

c c johnson · From: killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.

after rereading my post above I should have said; they covered the finger tip like picks we are familiar with, not the entire finger.

Alan Kirk · From: Scotia, CA, USA

Steinar,

Did you ever receive these rings and try them out? Do you have a review?

Due to elbow problems, I'm looking for something lighter than a bar and something I don't have to grip.

[This message was edited by Alan Kirk on 13 May 2005 at 06:13 PM.]

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Don't feel dumb. We discussed this weeks ago here. In fact the guy who makes these slides informed me that he had made some small slide rings that will work as thumb slides. I need to order some and test them.

Anybody here tried them out yet?

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

As Alan pointed out, I am waiting for a set.
I think it's the thumb ring that will make most sense for steel playing (nice for hammer ons and movements on the bass strings?), but for regular guitar playing I think they can be more useful. I'll post something whenever I get them and have tried them out.

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

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