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Topic: Newbie HI & picking question... |
Chris Drew
From:
Bristol, UK
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Posted 7 May 2007 11:56 pm |
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Hello everyone!!
I thought I'd post just to say hi to everyone, I've been "lurking" for a while & have to say this forum looks very useful, lots of very knowledgeable and experienced steel players! Just what I need being quite new to the lap-steel.
I'm in the UK, you don't hear of many lap-steel players around here, though I've seen a few guys with dobros ( there's a small bluegrass scene over here in Bristol )
I have been playing lap-steel since last september, having played electric guitar ( with a plectrum ) and bass ( with a thumbpick ) for a fair while. My right-hand technique is seriously "lacking" due to bad habits from playing bass the way I did ( using a plastic thumbpick & just my index finger ) I'm still kinda trying to get my middle finger to do more, I just slip back into the habit of playing with just thumb & index finger...
My question is can you recommend me some right-hand exercises to try & break this habit or maybe I'm just too deeply entrenched in this & it's best to just carry on down my own path? Would my way of playing be a serious handicap that needs sorting or perhaps contribute to "my own style/sound" in some way?
I'm in a kinda blues & traditional vein stlyewise, & play openD (  what a surprise for a ex-guitarist!! ) and use metal thumb & fingerpicks which I'm now quite comfortable with, though my middle finger's pick is getting a lot less use than it should  )
Any help or info you can pass on will be much appreciated... |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 8 May 2007 12:10 am
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| Hi Chris and welcome to the Forum. This is the best place to be just startin out but then again your guitar playin is certainly gonna be a plus with your new endeavor. What tuning are you using on your lap steel and what kind of music are you interested in learnin? |
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Chris Drew
From:
Bristol, UK
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Posted 8 May 2007 12:31 am
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I tune to openD tuning (DADF#AD) and I'm mostly playing bluesy & "traditional-sounding" stuff, a mix of what I'm finding easy to do & stuff that just sounds nice to me that I kinda make up as I go along etc.
At the moment I'm trying to get to grips with the Weissenborn tunes off Rob Anderlik's excellent website, I'm in the process of transcribing his "Feelin Bad Blues" using powertab, and learning Christiaan Oyens' "Baby Set a Date" blues off YouTube. Plus I'm really liking the sound of John Fahey's "Poor Boy/Steel Guitar Rag" which I also found on YouTube... that's the tune that's making me think I really need to break this fingerpicking thing. |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 8 May 2007 1:05 am
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Brad's Page Of Steel has a few tabs in open D and E that might give you a little help in learning to use your index and middle fingers with the thumb.
http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/tab.html |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 8 May 2007 3:36 am
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thumbpick and finger. do not sweat it. the great Merle Travis used a thumbpick and finger pick. just two fingers; incredible player.
Jeff Beck has a similar style. with no problems.
I would say keep what is familiar and challenge yourself to the things you want to play.
you will have a sound all your own. and that is a good thing.
to a degree we all have our own style. I hybrid pick using a pick and middle finger. |
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Chris Drew
From:
Bristol, UK
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Posted 8 May 2007 12:32 pm
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| Thanks Randy, that's what I was kinda hoping someone would say. |
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John Bushouse
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Posted 8 May 2007 2:15 pm
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| I saw Joe Diamond's grandson (Joe played bass with Gabby Pahinui) playing with Cyril Pahinui a couple of years ago. He played with a flatpick and his middle and ring fingers. |
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