chicken pickin

Cory Dolinsky · Post by **Cory Dolinsky** » 17 Apr 2003 2:26 pm

just wonderin if anyone could explain or give any tips to this technique??

Jim West · Post by **Jim West** » 17 Apr 2003 3:30 pm

I can't describe it but I know it when I hear it.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Apr 2003 3:40 pm

Easy, it's a mixture (in proper proportion, of course) of picking muted strings and alternating that technique with picking unmuted strings with a rising, or falling glissando of the bar. For instance, pick the 5th string (while muting it with either your left or right hand) 3 times (quarter note speed). On the upbeat of the third beat, pick a higher string normally, and then slide it up 2 frets. That gives you the "chicken" sound...kinda like puck--puck--puck-ahhh.

Oh well, I guess it's easier to do it than it is to explain it, but that's the general idea!

Keep in mind the muted "notes" are not notes at all, but more like a sound effect...picking a muted string really produces no (or very little) tonal qualities. It's closer to a "percussion" thing.

Of course, there are several variations, with varied muting. The falling, or downward gliss, is probably done more often that the rising one (as in my example).[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 17 April 2003 at 05:00 PM.]

Chas Friedman · Post by **Chas Friedman** » 17 Apr 2003 4:04 pm

Donny's explanation makes sense; I'll just add that in the book "Pedal Steel Guitar
a Manual of Style" edited by Winnie Winston,
it says that "The basis of the style in (is?)
the alternation between the thumb and finger on a single string" (with movement of the bar, of course in many cases.) I always wondered about it myself...
chas

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 17 Apr 2003 5:20 pm

Ask Jimmy Crawford/Russ Hicks,they did an album a while back called Chicken Pickin,some super fast double note picking,and they twinned(sp) a lot of it!!

Donny,I like your explaination,I unerstood exzakly what you said/ment..BF

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Bill Ford

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 17 Apr 2003 5:59 pm

Donny,

You just taught me something. I always thought "chicken-Pickin" was when one walks up and down the strings, while engaging and releasing pedals A and B in a series of fast notes that are then blocked quickly.

Like:

1. pick string 8 twice, then block it.

2. pick string 7, then block it.

3. pick string 6 and then engage pedal B, then block it.

4. pick string 5 and then engage the A pedal and then block it.

5. pick string 4.

And reverses this sequence.

I always thought it was doing this also using various combinations of pick, block engage pedal(s) using strings 1, 2 and 3 and the above strings along with the "walking" manuever.

Ya learn something every day.

thanks,

carl

Buck Dilly · Post by **Buck Dilly** » 18 Apr 2003 8:57 am

Re: "kinda like puck--puck--puck-ahhh".

I really like that!

Carl West · Post by **Carl West** » 18 Apr 2003 8:59 am

JayDee is GREAT at this plus a lot of other things. His speed pick'in is hard to beat. He's a great Steel player.

Carl West

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 18 Apr 2003 12:20 pm

To "air" is human, but to really "fowl" things up, you need a pedal steel guitar.

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Peter den Hartogh-Fender Artist S10-Remington U12-Hilton Volume Pedal-Gibson BR4 lapsteel-Guya "Stringmaster" Copy-MusicMan112RP-Peavy Rage158- - My Animation College in South Africa

Cory Dolinsky · Post by **Cory Dolinsky** » 18 Apr 2003 5:21 pm

thank you everyone for your replies . those ideas definitely sound like chickens,

thats not quite the sound that im trying to describe i dont know the termonolgy but if anyone has seen the lloyd green and tommy white video "an evening of e9th" lloyd does it on the 4th song roley poley.

also theres a kind of similar sound on a alan jackson song im not sure of the title (something about being married to a waitress but i dont know your name.) but the steel solo is great and he does this kind of wierd plucking sound, thats what im trying to figure out.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 18 Apr 2003 5:30 pm

Carl, you seem pretty knowledgeable, so I probably couldn't show you much!

I'm far from an "expert", despite being a "veteran" of 40 years. Actually, I guess there's several techniques and variations, but most of them I've heard have the muted (or partially muted) notes alternating with unmuted ones. There's usually a gliss stuck in there somewhere, too.

If I ever learn how to record clips on this contraption, I'll post a few in my own inimitable "Harland Sanders" style!

Jim West · Post by **Jim West** » 18 Apr 2003 6:53 pm

Maybe someone should ask James Burton or Don Rich.

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 20 Apr 2003 3:51 pm

Lynn/Liz(not sure which)Anderson recorded Ride,Ride,Ride not even sure thats the name of the song but,is the style that Lloyd Green used on that record considered "chicken Pickin",and was he not the first to use it as a signature lick?

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Bill Ford

Mike Delaney · Post by **Mike Delaney** » 22 Apr 2003 10:14 am

Is there a different name for the alternating thumb and middle finger technique taught in The Incredible Speed Picking Course, or is this chicken pickin' as well?

Chance Wilson · Post by **Chance Wilson** » 23 Apr 2003 9:02 pm

Liz wrote "Ride,Ride,Ride" & Lynn recorded the more popular version. It has signature Lloyd licks all over it-similar to Little Darlin' stuff, but I would'nt call it chicken picken.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 24 Apr 2003 3:13 am

we used to wait outside the barn with a pitch fork and as each chicken came out we would pick one at a time i think the sound went something like braaaaaa kaaaaaaaaaa but its been so long ago.

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 24 Apr 2003 3:56 am

I used to get what I thought was "chicken pickin" sounds by over driving a stompbox compressor. The gate in the compressor opening and closing because of the clipping gave it a popping sort of sound. From the above posts, I guess I wasn't really chicken pickin, but it was a neat sound for some things, especially Mooney licks.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 24 Apr 2003 7:08 am

Lloyd Green's solo on Lynn Anderson's or Charlie McCoy's cuts of Rocky Top is what I think of when Chicken Pickin' is mentioned.

Yes, music from my chidhood........

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"Gimme a steel guitar, 2 or 3 fiddles and a Texas rhythm section that can swing"..W. Nelson

Cory Dolinsky · Post by **Cory Dolinsky** » 25 Apr 2003 12:00 pm

i guess i have to check out this lynn anderson tune. i wish i could post a sound clip. its hard to put certain sounds to name.

but i know if im lookin for new licks im goin to the ZOO.

Terry Wendt · Post by **Terry Wendt** » 25 Apr 2003 12:58 pm

Hi Cory,

Perhaps I could ask one of "The Masters" of this technique, Russ Hicks to do an article about this in an upcoming issue of PedalSteel.us Magazine? How do you guys feel about that one?

Terry Wendt

subs@PedalSteel.us

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PedalSteel.us Magazine

TheEarlyDays.com

and appearing regularly...aLotOfSpace.com
Jimmy Crawford/Russ Hicks... and Buddy Emmons on Bass!

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 28 Apr 2003 5:37 pm

Terry,
After listening/watching Russ this weekend at Saluda,I think that would be a good choice,also Jimmy Crawford and Russ Hicks have a CD Chicken Pickin Plus. Get it and be impressed,I was,also some super good slow tunes.

BF

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Bill Ford