RH fingering on consecutive descending strings?

Jim Fogarty · From: Phila, Pa, USA

Still trying to get a handle on a disciplined way to pick. I fingerpick a lot on armpit guitar, but it's fairly catch-as-catch can.

Ok......so, on a simple lick like this one, assuming it's pretty fast, what RH picking would you use?

I assume T - M - T - I for the first 4 picked notes.....but what about those last 6 (4 picked) descending notes? My tendency is to just go M-T-T-T, which I know is stupid.

Maybe M - T - I - T??

Any good resources for organizing your picking hand?

Thanks!

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Forget the index finger. Pick T, M, T, M etc. for the entire single note passage. Move your hand back and forth across the strings as required.

Jim Fogarty · From: Phila, Pa, USA

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Re examining your tab, I've edited my response. I'd start with T and go T, M, T, M...T, M, T, M. Alternate between M&T. If the T strikes a string, the M is next....and so on.

As taught by Jeff Newman's RH Alpha picking course which also of course, requires a specific hand shape and technique. The idea is to avoid confusion about which finger comes next. Narrowed down to two digits, the other one has to be next.

If you don't subscribe to that method, then it may not work well for you.

Jarek Anderson · From: Ontario, Canada

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

[quote="Jarek Anderson"I wish I had trusted my 6 string instincts more, earlier on.![/quote]

My 6-string instincts tell me to alternate pick T-I-T-M. But that doesn't work with so much of pedal steel playing that I have pretty much abandoned it.

Pick blocking this scale run instead of Newman alpha-ing it would probably result in a different pattern. I would like to know how a pick-blocking expert would approach it..Also, with all the legato in the lick, how does that affect the Newman approach?

Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

here's how I would do it:

5b-5 = T
the next 3 notes = M - T - M
5a-5 = T
5b-5 = T
5 = M
5 = T

When there is a pedal move, it's easy to move the same finger to the next position. And it seems faster to me.

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Bill Moore-
Pretty much how I would do it, palm blocking. Pick blocking, index would do string 7.

Jim Fogarty · From: Phila, Pa, USA

Heh.

I also asked this on the FB PSG page, and got 9 responses with 9 different answers!

I guess it's safe to say there's no "standard" single way to do it???

Thanks......and any other suggestions welcome!

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Maybe there is no standard way, but there are effective ways and others not so much.

Josh Braun posted an effective approach for pick blocking and Ernie Reno posted an effective Newman approach, similar to Jerry Overstreet's response here in the thread. A couple of the others mentioned on the face plant page will leave you wondering if those guys actually try to play it that way.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Well, there are right and wrong ways. There are proven methods that narrow down the choices so you don't have to really even think about it....that help to eliminate confusion for picking single string runs, especially fast ones.

I guess you'll just have to find the one that suits you the best and works for your style of picking. Best of luck playing and enjoying the steel guitar. Smile

Jim Fogarty · From: Phila, Pa, USA

BTW.....please don't think I'm minimizing or looking askance at anyone's suggestions. I really appreciate them all!

I'm just laughing at myself for thinking that there would be one, agreed-upon "THIS is the way to do it!" answer.

I should know better!

Thanks, all!

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

find the way you are comfortable with, and practice practice practice ... first time I saw finger blocking was watching Bruce Bouton using his T and M fingers... flying all over the necks up and down... for some reason I use T and I fingers, but pretty much the same thing I guess...
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Richard Alderson · From: Illinois, USA

Until I got a couple of lessons I would play all three, thumb, index, middle, and alternate any of them. I could do T -I - T - I, or T-M - T - M, or T - I - T - M, whatever you wanted. I play a lot of six string, I'm a good finger picker, etc, it was easy. But a highly respected teacher that I visited asked me to do thumb and middle for 2 string practice scales and runs. It really cleaned up my playing to do thumb and middle. I can't really say why, but looking at one's hand there is more space obviously between the thumb and middle finger than there is between thumb and index; but there is also a wider picking range, more inches, more range of motion. Stretch out thumb and index the distance between the two might be 6 inches, but the distance between thumb and middle is more like 8 inches, you literally have more reach. (This is for 2 string playing of course, like the run you have provided above, not for some 3 finger, or even 4 finger chord grips).In my case by using the middle finger instead of the index finger, I find greater greater leverage and a more relaxed hand position. So its not all the same, there is a difference. But as usual, and especially for steel guitar "do what works best for you".
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Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

T M T M T T M T for me with palm blocking. For that passage
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