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Topic: Pick noise while pick blocking |
Tim Tweedale
From:
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Posted 23 Jan 2006 11:57 am |
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Hi. I've played the lap steel, dobro and weissenborn for a decade and pedal steel for a couple of years.
My first instinct was pick blocking (already having good dexterity in all fingers). I changed to palm blocking for several reasons; firstly I loved the sound that I heard players like Lloyd Green getting, I wanted to have access to both techniques, and I found that there was an inescapable noise in my pick blocking when the pick returns to the string to damp the sound.
My question is this: How do good pick blockers avoid this buzzing noise when they bring their picks down for the block?
Thank you.
-Tim |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2006 12:02 pm
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| I don't think you can avoid making a noise when you block with a metal pick. But you can make it sound like part of the attack of the next note. |
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Pat Burns
From:
Branchville, N.J. USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2006 2:14 pm
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| ...turning the volume way up works for me.. |
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David Wren
From:
Placerville, California, USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2006 4:04 pm
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Plastic picks here, and what Earnest said. But the thought of learning all techniques is a real good one, cause you'll find a use for everything you learn.
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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com
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Patrick Munson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jim Bob Sedgwick
From:
Clinton, Missouri USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2006 5:47 pm
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| Combine the techniques. Place the palm down at the same time as the picks. Problem solved. |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2006 10:20 pm
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I believe the closer the pick blade is to the tip of your finger, the more solid your finger and pick are as a unit, and when you contact the string, there's less of a "clinky" sound. I use both palm and pick blocking, mostly palm, but do note shoving the picks higher up on my fingers gives much stronger, better tone with less metallic noise when pick blocking.
Pictures I've seen of Paul Franklin show his picks on as close to his fingers as he can get them, so that seems to support my observations.
Anyone else know better?
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E9 lessons
Mullen D-12/Carter SD-10/Webb amp/Profex II/Lexicon MPX-110
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 3:46 am
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| As an adjunct to the Bovine/McClung theory, pick harder. As the percentage of your sound that's a musical tone increases, the percentage that's a "click" naturally decreases. EQ must have something to do with it too, I roll off my high-end treble because I'm trying for a more Les Paul-ish rock sound and my picks don't click through the speakers, even with some compression and overdrive. |
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Ernie Pollock
From:
Mt Savage, Md USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 5:04 am
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Gee, Herby Wallace told me to put the picks far out on the finger, I think Jeff Newman did too. Herby came down off the stage at a seminar in Washington Pa and put my pick on my fingers where he thought they should be to get a great tone, he was right, my tone improved 125% from that minute on. Of course I do more palm blocking than pick blocking. I just wonder what that would do to the overall tone, pushing them way up on the fingers. Herby, you can jump in hear on this one!!
Ernie Pollock  http://www.hereintown.net/~shobud75/stock.htm
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 5:29 am
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Paul Franklin mentioned one time that he does not bend his finger picks - leaves them straight.
I went to a pick blocking seminar that Jeff Newman and Paul Franklin held in Kansas City back in the 80's. Apparently that seminar helped as I've played around with the pick blocking and have never noticed any "pick noise". |
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John Ummel
From:
Arlington, WA.
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 7:24 am
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| Quote: |
| Combine the techniques. Place the palm down at the same time as the picks. Problem solved. |
Exactly right. |
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Per Berner
From:
Skovde, Sweden
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 8:01 am
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...or don't wear picks. Playing with your fingernails eliminates the problem, and you don't really need palm blocking.
Blocking with your fingers is faster, more precise and noiseless compared to pick blocking.
Of course this is ALL WRONG, but that's what happens when you learn without a teacher and find palm blocking hard to learn and picks too hard to live with. Anyway, it works for me. I sacrifice a little bit of tone for vastly improved control.
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ยด75 Emmons p/p D10 8+4, '96 Emmons Legrande II D10 8+5, ca '72 AWH Custom D10 8+3, Peavey Nashville 1000
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Marlin Smoot
From:
Kansas
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 8:55 am
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I remember when I first started playing steel that the picks seemed to just get in the way but thanks to my steel player friend, he told me to keep the picks on which I did there after but I understand how someone can get sidetracked with the finger picks issue.
I just purchased the Eagles live DVD from their 1994 tour and Glenn Frye(sp?) was playing a Sho-Bud and the camera close up showed him not using picks either when he played "The Girl From Yesterday". I found that interesting.
Frye is a great guitar player, B-Bender player and does a great job on steel too. I wounder if Toy Caldwell from The Marshall Tucker Band used finger picks when he played steel. Toy only used his thumb when playing regular guitar. |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 9:06 am
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| Quote: |
| ...or don't wear picks. Of course this is ALL WRONG.... |
It may be heresy to promote that, but I consider it more natural myself.
When introduced to pick blocking, I discovered that's what I'd been doing all along on bass and guitar.
But pick blocking and palm blocking produce different effects; thus both are valid.
[This message was edited by Charlie McDonald on 24 January 2006 at 09:07 AM.] |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 24 Jan 2006 9:09 am
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I block with metal picks and don't have problems with pick noise anymore. Its just one of those things you need to practice a bunch to get it right. If you can spend some time one on one with a teacher like Charleton you will get it together faster.
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Bob
My Website
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 26 Jan 2006 4:37 am
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| As David's alluded, pick-blocking must be done firmly and quickly. It's not a technique that works well using a gentle touch, or on slow passages. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 26 Jan 2006 8:37 pm
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Marlin, If the Eagles video is the same one I have seen, that is Don Felder playing steel. That would be from the "Hell Freezes Over" video. It was good though and I think he should have played steel more.
If you place your palm down at the same time you place your finger pick down on the string, what is the purpose of the pick block. You have already accomplished that block with your palm.
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Carter D10 9p/9k, NV400, Korg Triton Le88 Synth, Korg CX-3 organ, Yamaha Motif Rack Module, Regal Dobro, Tele, Gretsch Acoustic.
[This message was edited by Richard Sinkler on 26 January 2006 at 08:42 PM.] |
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Junior King
From:
Osceola, Iowa, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2006 10:18 pm
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Bobbe Seymour doesn't use finker picks.
Junior |
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Per Berner
From:
Skovde, Sweden
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Posted 26 Jan 2006 11:19 pm
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...has he been spying on me?  |
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