Getting used to Finger Picks?

Cory Jensen · From: Milwaukee, WI

I just recently started playing Pedal Steel after being a guitar player for 15 years. I studied classical guitar for a few years in college, so I'm used to using my fingers to play. However, I'm having a really hard time adjusting to using the metal finger picks. They feel so clunky on my hands and it's hard to be accurate with them.

Does everyone go through some version of this? Are there 'low profile' or thin versions of the metal picks available for people like me? Or am I just going to have to suck it up and get used to them?

Thanks!

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I think everyone goes through the "clumsy" or "getting use to wearing them" stage. I believe that Dunlop still makes guaged finger picks. Some are pretty thin.

By the way, a few steel players on here play with their fingers with no picks. I'm sure they will chime in. I don't know how big of an impact that has on tone though. It seems that it would produce a very mellow tone as opposed to the brighter tone with more attack that you hear on recordings and live with most players. Having never seen or heard a player with no picks, I could be wrong.

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Carter D10 9p/10k, NV400

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Good to see another Chicagoan on the forum.

Fingerpicks are a little weird at first. Lots of new players' first posts seem to be concerning whether or not fingerpicks are necessary. I'd suggest you try to get used to them...give it some time. I think they are beneficial in the long run.

Bare fingers do offer a mellower tone and a different attack. Sometimes this may be something you'd desire. Why not strive to be comfortable both bare-fingered and w/ fingerpicks? Then you have the options available.

If you plan on diving into dobro, fingerpicks are necessary, IMO. Others may disagree.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I've always played lead guitar with fingerpicks before I even played steel. From time to time over the years I'd do the bare fingered thing but it always seemed I couldn't play as fast that way as there was more drag on the finger. What I do now is use two fingerpicks and also my ring finger with the nail for some things. I don't think that playing without picks is a detriment to any steel player or guitar player. As far as tone, if it's too mellow just crank the treble up. All the best twangy chicken pickers on guitar use the finger and nail thing and not fingerpicks (except for James Burton). There's a guy in England who's a great player who's name I can't remember now. He appears on Gerry Hogan's steel thing every year. I've heard recordings of him and he sounds as good as anyone with picks. So all that said, I prefer picks for myself but If you feel better without them, go for it and don't let anyone else tell you you're doing wrong. Each player should do what "feels" right for them......Have a good 'un, JH

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

Les Pierce · From: Shreveport, LA

I never thought so either, but you will get used to them. Keep going until you are comfortable with them, and then if you decide to give them up, you'll have clear reasons why.

I was like you, used to playing electric with a pick and fingers, and classical with thumb and fingers. First off, the picking style you used with the classical is barely related to the what you will use on the steel. Your hand is in a different position, and your finger(pick) attack should be parallel with the string. This is important that the finger pick be flat against the string, and not at an angle,and even though the picks will be flat to the string, your fingers will be curved more than what you are used to, also.

I know it's hard not to, but don't aproach playing the steel by adapting your guitar experience to it. Yes, scales, chords, melodies, etc, but not position or technique. It's a completely different instrument. Listen to the sounds you are making, and think "steel", not "guitar". It'll be a lot more fun and rewarding.

Les

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Strat,Tele
Dekley S-10

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Once you get the permanent dents in your finger tip surrounding the nail it's all downhill from there

Robert Porri · From: Windsor, Connecticut, USA

Cory,

I'm in the same boat. Playing guitar a long time. Played classical at college. Now I'm working on the finger picks for PSG. I have to say, that after 4 or 5 months now, they are starting to feel pretty good and I couldn't see playing steel (for me anyways) on a regular basis with just my nails. The sound is different and I just think it would be a lot of wear and tear on the nails although obviously some other players do well that way. I had tried banjo at one time and could not get used to them. This time I just commited myself to it because, well, for one thing, I paid a lot more for my steel than I did for my banjo!

It's just more important to me really.

Good luck. Email hello sometime if you like.

Bob P.

[This message was edited by Robert Porri on 14 May 2004 at 09:08 PM.]

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

i mostly play without FPs (meat no nails)but i do play w:'em too
my friend Lionel Wendling told me that it's better to know how to play w: them than not.
even if i prefer no FPs, i know that i can always put'em on and use them rather than never have tried playin'w:'em and not know how to do it

like anything that one has never done before, it's take time and patience to get used to it.
the capacity of adaptation makes the human body an extraordinary machine.
now get them FPs on and stick w:it !

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Cory.. I have a SURE FIRE method for getting used to fingerpicks. I did it years ago and it worked like a charm. Put them on,and DON"T take them off.Wear them around the house,while sleeping,driving,everywhere!Believe me it works... after a few days of wearing them as much as possible,they will feel much more natural when playing. It sounds wierd but I PROMISE you it will work. Your fingers will adjust to them and they will feel like they belong there in a very short time.. Try it out and see! bob

Robert Porri · From: Windsor, Connecticut, USA

What Bob C. just menioned I did to some extent and it did help.

Bob P.

William Steward · From: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Cory I am a piano player so have fingers even less adapted to the feeling of steel picks than yours. I have struggled with different styles of picks - Dunlops are comfy but guage too light and the flare on top sometimes gets in the way. National/Jeff Newman style ones are great but very heavy guage and hard to get comfortable after spending time bending with needle nose pliers. I acquired some Propiks at the Dallas show and find they are a perfect compromise for me (there is another post about Propiks below). The small perforations and variey of styles seem to make them easy to fit....best to find a selection to try out on your pinkys. I also tried leaving them on while watching TV as another poster suggests...

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

My surefire cure: get two sets of the same kind. Practice with one set, and work on the fit of the others while you're watching TV, listening to music, making love etc. When the second set feels better than the first set, switch off and use them for playing and work on the fit of the other set for a while. If you're trying to practice AND adjust your finger picks at the same time, you'll do a half-baked job at both.

Cory Jensen · From: Milwaukee, WI

Thanks for all the tips guys. I spent a lot of time this past weekend practicing and wearing the picks around the house. I'm already starting to get more used to them.

Currently, all I have are the National picks which are fairly bulky. I think I'm still going to try out a bunch of different varieties to see which I like best, but I can tell now that I will be able to get used to them, in time.

Andrew Kilinski · From: Atlanta, GA

Same situation for me, and just when i started getting used to the fingerpicks, I took them off and realized that i'm much more comfortable using my fingers. I can "pick block" with much greater ease than I can with the finger picks on (at this point). Oh well, maybe i'm forming bad habits.
Too much fingerstyle guitar I guess.

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · From: Southaven, MS, USA

Cory: I also studied classical guitar at the university----and have never used finger picks since. HJ

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Go get you some Alaska picks. They are plastic and fit OVER the tip of the finger and feel like your fingernail. They have to be individually trimmed to fit and they don't last as long as metal, but for a guitarist used to the nail they are the best way to go. Also they don't do that high pitched dingy click that you hear with metal picks when you attack the string.

You can also play the standard guitar with them and go back and forth between the steel if you need to. They are a buck+ each.

Ed Mooney · From: Evanston,IL

Cory...I've tried to play with fingerpicks for the past four years but periodically they would hurt my cuticles so bad I couldn't play for more than 10 minutes at a time. Three months ago I took them off...let my fingernails grow out and I've never been happier. I still use a thumb pick and three fingers (i) (m) (a) .
peace, Ed
PS . Nice to see another Chicago steeler on the forum.

Jim Ives · From: Los Angeles, California, USA

Are you sure you have them on right?
-Jim

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Mullen D-10
Sho-Bud Pro II D-10
Boss RV3
Fulltone Full-Drive II
Evans FET 500
Peavey Nashville 1000
Vox wah-wah pedal

Cory Jensen · From: Milwaukee, WI

LOL! That's funny, Jim.

Actually, when I first got them and was trying them out they felt extra strange and they were impossibly clumsy. Then I put in the Jeff Newman video and realized I had them on backwards. D'oh!

So, I'm wearing them correctly now. They're still clunky and hard to get used to but at least I know I've got them on right.

Burton Lee · From: Denton, Texas, USA

Have you had your picks adjusted by a more experienced player or teacher? That was a big turning point for me. I couldn't get the right hand position down because I was wearing dunlop picks in factory shape. My teacher switched me to a pair of Kyser picks and bent the tips a good 45 degrees. Huge difference, and I wouldn't have found the proper hand position without having my equipment encourage me in the right direction.

Robbie Daniels · From: Casper, Wyoming, USA

A few years ago I switched to using copper finger picks and found that I would never use anything else. Copper is pliable to where the metal can be easily formed to fit your finger and the softeness of copper doesn't give me as harsh a sound as the National hard metal type. But, of course, it is all releveant to the individuals needs, wants and ears.

Terry Sneed · From: Arkansas,

Cory, dunlop offers finger picks in several gauges. I think the 015 are the thinnist. they might feel better on your fingers than the thicker picks. I used to use 018 which also are thin, but when I started back playin after a couple yrs layoff, I tried the 025 guage. these are heavier, thicker, but I like the tone they give better than the thin gauge. but the thin would be good to start with and after you get used to them then you can go to a thicker gauge, or whichever you like best. also the silver colored picks give a somewhat brighter sound than do the gold colored, as will the thinner picks.
Hmmm, I sure didn't know there were steel players that just used their fingers or nails. learned somethin new today.
Terry

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84 SKH Emmons Legrand D10
session 400'rd Steelin for my Lord.

[This message was edited by Terry Sneed on 28 May 2004 at 11:20 AM.]

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I recently found a set of picks that I was using regularly 20 years ago. I put them on, and discovered that I couldn't play with them! I bend my picks to a much sharper angle now, and play with my knuckles curled.

No wonder I couldn't get a decent tone back then. And I thought it was my amp!!

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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