Blocking

Robert Burdick · From: New York, USA

Hi All
I'm trying to learn the best way to Block,
can anyone help me to find the easy way if
there is one.

Thank You Robert

Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

Robert, find a teacher, take a few lessons and PRACTICE!

Good luck.

[This message was edited by Bill Moore on 04 May 2006 at 03:54 PM.]

A. J. Schobert · From: Cincinnati, Ohio,

Robert I agree totally with bill, there are video's that do help (as I'm sure you have found surfing the web) But they just don't do justice when comparing to a profesional teacher/player, if my memory serves me right isn't there like 5 different types of blocking? and one is bound to work for you. the one thing that I don't like about the PSG is the long commute for lesson's there isn't that many guys in my area. The best way to block I found is to play slow songs! CARTER D10 GOOD LUCK!!

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Jeff Newman's Righ Hand Alpha video is a great way to learn palm blocking. I really enjoyed the instruction on this video; it helped me quite a bit.

Joe Wright has good instructional material for pick blocking. I took a seminar from him last fall, and it opened my eyes to how valuable pick blocking can be for speed and tone. I still primarily palm block, but I'm pick blocking chords lately and really liking the sound.

There are past threads on this subject. Do a history search in "Pedal Steel" and you'll find threads with lots of info.

You should also post a "Wanted to Buy" ad, stating that you are looking for instructional material on blocking. One of the crew will have something for you. This is the only way to learn if you haven't got a teacher nearby to show you hands-on.

Damien Odell · From: Springwood, New South Wales, Australia

Keep practicing and trying to play as clean as you can....you will start to develop your style. I think most people use a bit of pick-blocking and a bit of palm, it takes work and seems to evolve into something that sounds half decent with time.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

The most efficient way is PRACTICE!!!!
Technique can not be purchased. And since this is a pet peeve of mine, do not over block. Listen to the masters. They seamlessly interweave phrases together with VERY LITTLE blocking. A few days ago, a thread was started concerning only covering the strings that you are playing. If your second finger on your bar hand extends slightly beyond the end of the bar, as you go to a lower string, this finger will block the string you don't want to hear. No other effort is required. BTW, this technique will not come in one hour, or one year. PRACTICE, PRACTICE PRACTICE AND SUDDENLY you don't have to think about it. I don't want to seem as if I am lecturing you as I have been there. If you train yourself to overblock, you will never get the smoothness you will desire. Overblocking will become a habit and it is a Royal B**ch to Break. IMO, blocking is an important 5% of the overall picture. Okay, I hope this helps some of the newbies. Thanks for listening ( Reading, that is.)

[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 05 May 2006 at 06:02 AM.]

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

"Technique cannot be purchased".

Jim Bob, I certainly wasn't insinuating that. I think being left to your own devices is not necessarily the right thing to do when it comes to blocking. Bad habits can form if no instruction is used in the beginning, and you can end up with just plain bad technique. Why would you want their own individual technique if it sounds like crap? It's no sense practicing your butt off for a year if you're not employing some kind of technique.

I don't see what's wrong with getting help from some great players who have provided us with videos to help us learn. Yes, everyone should develop their own style. But in my experience, blocking was something I wasn't even aware of until I saw JN's right hand video. Up until then, my strings were ringing out everywhere, and my tone was pretty much all over the map. Now I am aware of the different types of blocking, and can use them in different situations for certain types of tone or attack.

I don't see how suggesting blocking instruction is worse advice for a newbie than "practice, practice, practice."

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

I agree that it comes with doing it correctly -- OVER AND OVER -- until it becomes automatic.

If you think about blocking YOU'RE NOT THERE YET.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1984 Sho-Bud S/D-12 7x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

A. J. Schobert · From: Cincinnati, Ohio,

Robert I'm sure there are teachers in your area, post a thread to see if there are any in your area, all of the advice above is really good and Jeff Newmans video's are high quality, but not until you see a professional actually do it right in front of you, it's really is hard to understand, I think this is one reason why so many give up playing, you invested money into it, now just go a little further and don't give up!

Travis Bernhardt · From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

If you can find a good teacher, that will do more to help than anything else, provided you're willing to listen and work. Otherwise, I suggest that you don't "block." Just play and listen to what you're playing. If you like how it sounds, you're doing good, if not, try to figure out why you don't like it and change what you're doing to reflect that. Every technique is legal--there's no right way.

If there's a particular passage you'd like to play, or something you hear in your head but can't achieve technically, then slowly drill the passage you're trying to play, and work out your own way of making it sound right.

You can be your own teacher. One thing you might try is recording your playing. If you find things you want to change you can work on them, just like a teacher would have you do (albeit without the benefit of a teacher's experience).

The instruction offered in taped lessons is only suggestions and descriptions of techniques that work for the authors.

-Travis

[This message was edited by Travis Bernhardt on 05 May 2006 at 05:57 PM.]

Wally Taylor · From: Hardin, Kentucky, USA

Hey Guys,
Pardon my ignorance, but could someone please define "blocking" for me?

Thanks,
Wally

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Blocking means stopping, muting, silencing a vibrating string.

Wally Taylor · From: Hardin, Kentucky, USA

Thanks Earnest,
I thought it might mean muting or something like that. I use the muting on the six string all the time. Thanks for educating me to PSG lingo.

Wally

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Chris, I certainly agree that it helps to have someone to help you with the technique. Sometimes the written word appears much harsher than was the intent. I hope you weren't offended. I did not mean my response in that vein.

I just meant that one should not obsess about blocking.

Rick Garrett · From: Tyler, Texas

Practice is working for me. I use all types of blocking with little or no thought put into it as I play. Bobbe Seymore said it best when he posted something along the lines of "Don't think about it just practice and it'll come." Or something like that. I use my palm, finger tips, picks, and the fingers of my left hand behind the bar at times. As you play you'll come to notice strings that are ringing when they shouldn't be and you kind of just start blocking or muting them as you progress in your playing. It'll come without a lot of thought at some point. Good luck from one newbie to another!

Rick

[This message was edited by Rick Garrett on 08 May 2006 at 04:32 AM.]

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

If you check the video clip of Barbara Mandrell on this page, you will see excellent pick blocking technique clearly illustrated.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Jim Bob,

No sweat. Hope I didn't come across that way. Part of what makes this forum so great is the opportunity to challenge each other's opinions. Seeing that I have less experience than many on the forum, I'm bound to get called out constantly.

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