Palm vs. Pick blocking - Audio Samples

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I played the following two clips with both palm dampering (blocking) and pick blocking. First time through on both clips is palm blocking, any additional times is pick blocking, identical notes in both cases. Lately I find myself using pick blocking more frequently for those licks that can be done either way. Pick blocking seems to let each individual note ring a little longer. Of course the two techniques can produce vastly different sounds and speeds but here I am just comparing the sounds obtained for identical licks. There has been a lot of questions about blocking methods and maybe this will provide something different than a verbal explanation.

Lick1

Lick2

Greg

[This message was edited by Greg Cutshaw on 29 October 2006 at 08:25 PM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I'd say you're getting the hang of it!

However, the 3rd riff (the fast one) in your "Lick 2" example shows almost no blocking; the notes are pretty much slurred together. Don't get discouraged though, it's really hard to do precise blocking in riffs that fast, but the pros can do it, and you will too, with enough practice.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Thanks Donny! I keep picking the strings harder and harder and I've spent just part of this morning on the above so I'll give it a few more weeks. The intent here was to show audibly that some licks can be played either way and they do sound a little different. I used 3 fingers on the 2nd lick and 2 with crossover on the 3rd riff so I wasn't able to block it the same way. I'd love to know the best approach to get the 3rd riff version started. Perhaps just keep playing slower with 3 fingers and gradually speed it up.

Whoops, I left one note out of riff 3. Want to hear something cool, play it at half speed in WM Player and you can hear a big difference in the duration of the notes between the 2 styles of blocking. Play it back at 2x speed and it really sounds cool!

Greg

[This message was edited by Greg Cutshaw on 29 October 2006 at 06:54 PM.]

[This message was edited by Greg Cutshaw on 29 October 2006 at 08:41 PM.]

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Hmmmm...different perceptions. To me, the "slurred" one has more "feel" to it and sounds more "guitar-like", which appeals to me. I guess most "normal" steelers would see it Donny's way though.

I MUCH prefer the ringing of the pick blocking in these examples. I've never really heard good "contrast" examples before - in Joe Wright's video all the blocking styles sound pretty much the same to me. But in these examples, if THAT'S what the difference is supposed to sound like...I need to work on pick blocking! I really liked the "flow" much better.

;-)

Ted Solesky · From: Mineral Wells, Texas, USA

When I lived in Vegas and the Gatlin Bros were a pickin. Ol Mike Smith was with them at that time. We went to lunch one day and were talking about different techniques and he recommended that to do both types of blocking is ideal. For some slow type licks and awkward grabs of strings, like using the 2nd, 5th and 8th strings, the palm block is good. And of course, on the faster things, pick block is more natural.

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