Hello everyone. New guy here with a few basic questions!

Travis Lyon · From: From NJ, USA lives in Dublin, IE

If my username was in any way misleading, my name is Travis Lyon, and I'm a 21 year old guitarist from Asbury Park, NJ who recently started to take up the steel. I bought an early 80s MSA/Micro Inc. Classic and am almost done converting it to a standard Emmons setup (got the left knee levers doing what they should). Now, I've already got a good handful of chord positions down because for some reason or another the actual music theory of pedal steel is easy enough for me to understand. However, I've been able to play way more fluidly without finger picks and I know that tradition for tone and technique requires them, but the disparity between me playing with and without them is literally so wide that I could gig without fingerpicks and couldn't gig with them. As far as influences go, I was raised on a lot of different music but as far as steel goes it's Sneaky Pete, Buddy Emmons, Paul Franklin, and Lloyd Maines who I especially dig. Any tips for the new guy? Oh and let me add Buddy Cage to that list of influences.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Welcome to the forum Travis and the world of steel guitar. Good to see young people attracted to the steel.

I won't offer any specific tips. Just take it easy and learn as you go. Practice fervently and keep your ears and mind open.
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Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Hey Travis - Welcome to the fun! If your interested in hooking up, send me a PM, and I'll reply with my #. Did you get hit with the storms last night? We got hit hard over here in the pork-roll capital of the world, Trenton.
Bud
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Bent Romnes · From: London,Ontario, Canada

Welcome, Travis! It is exciting to get younger people playing the steel!
You are so open for any style of picking, with or without picks so you learn both. Just give both an equal fair chance.
The main thing for you is to acquire good playing habits from the start so you don't have to unlearn bad ones later.
One more thing...practice diligently.
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Joerg Hennig · From: Bavaria, Germany

Hi Travis, good luck on your journey and don't get discouraged in the beginning. If you like Buddy Cage (like I do) make sure to check out Buddy Charleton who was his biggest influence (search for Texas Troubadours); you may notice some similarity in the styles and furthermore, even though some may consider it old fashioned nowadays, for me Charleton's recordings from the 1960s just define how a pedal steel guitar should sound like. Regards, JH

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Travis,
I have seen pics of guys who have their picks sticking way beyond their fingertips. I play 6-string. most often with out picks. If I'm going to play something fast, like Gatton, or Hellecasters, I put on my picks. On steel, I always use picks. But I fit them so they barely stick past my fingertips. They then feel very similar to not using picks. I have a very strong right hand, and have been complimented many times on my right hand technique and sound. Experiment with fitting your picks.

Mark Aaron · From: Tennessee, USA

Take anything I say with a grain of salt, as i'm only few weeks into it. I've played six for years without picks and have had the same issue with psg. I've had a lesson, and there were a few immediate items for me to work on: (1) use the finger picks 2 metal ones on fingers and get them bent right, plastic on thumb; (2) learn how to palm block; you can't rely on pick blocking.

What I realized the challenge with picks is is not hitting the right strings, but it's the palm blocking.

When not using picks I totally agree with you on how much more natural the muting can be.

If you look at the beginner questions thread I posted a few weeks ago, you can hear some specifics on the reasoning for using the picks. There are also some mentions of non pick players. I was convinced by that thread and some practice why picks should be learned. You can always go back to bare handed later

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

better to know how to play with fingerpicks than without them
rather than knowing how to play without them & than with them
use both but do keep 'em on !
Welcome & Good Luck on yer Journey Travis
Lyon is in France is'nt it ? Winking

Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

Fingers may get pretty sore without picks after enough playing. Or...you'll develop very calloused tips! I opted for picks for the sound they make, but they do also provide protection from repeated abuse. Steel strings vs. steel picks is an even match.

Clete

Howard Smith · From: Callison, South Carolina, USA

Good to see you on here Travis...this is a one stop place for information on literally anything to do with the Pedal Steel Guitar. I've received more advice and help here than I ever imagined. There's a great E9 chord chart & tip sheet over in the Steel Guitar Section you should download and use. Also take some time, and use some needle nose pliers to really get those picks to fit as good as you can. You will have to experiment some to get them right. Then make yourself practice some right hand exercises, as much, or as often as you can. Very slowly at first, but consistently, after a week or two you will start to feel differently about them. Once you give yourself a chance to get used to the picks, you'd never consider playing without them again. Also Jeff Newman lessons are money well spent. Consider taking the lessons: Pedal Steel Techniques, and Right Hand Alpha Lesson, then go onto Up From the Top. All these are available at his website...One word of caution: Once you start getting some tone, and learning to play some satisfying licks and tunes, you'll be addicted. If your a pretty good guitar player, then you'll probably be a pretty good PSG Player too.

Here's a link to the Jeff Newman Site http://www.jeffran.com/index.php

Good Luck
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