Fingers & 4 note runs

Ed Mooney · Post by **Ed Mooney** » 27 May 2005 9:21 am

I was wondering what fingering experienced players used on fast four note reverse rolls or runs. Say you’re at the 10th fret AB pedals down. You play strings 3, 4, 5, 6 then go to 8th fret play strings 3, 4, 5, 6 then the 5th fret AB pedals down, strings 3, 4, 5, 6 finish at 3rd fret, Block all notes . Pardon my use of a not a very musical example but hopefully you get the idea. My inclination is to play it fingers 2, 1, T, T but 2 , 2 , 1 , T seems like it would be more efficient. While I’m asking, if these were forward runs which fingers would you use? I apologize in advance if this is a dumb newbie question.

Ed Mooney
Oops, please move to Pedal Steel[This message was edited by Ed Mooney on 27 May 2005 at 10:24 AM.]

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 27 May 2005 3:52 pm

T 1 2 T

Crossing over and blocking.

Kind of tricky, but it's the only way I've found to play one of Gary Morse's favorite licks.

If I thought I could play that run as well as he can by shaving my head, out would come the razor.

EJL

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 28 May 2005 3:58 am

w/3 fingerpicks a la Joe Wright: 321T

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[This message was edited by John McGann on 28 May 2005 at 04:59 AM.]

Ed Mooney · Post by **Ed Mooney** » 28 May 2005 9:46 am

Eric, that is tricky. Are you palm or finger blocking?

John, I use 3 fingerpx….3 2 1 T seems obvious now. Thanks

Ed

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 28 May 2005 9:57 am

I just played it using 2,T,1,T three times in a row.

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Jeff's Jazz

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 28 May 2005 10:02 am

Finger;Thumb;Finger;Thumb>crossover(1;T;1;T)
And going up would be the same thing>(T;1;T;1)
Or if you use the (2)second finger better.
Ricky

Bill Baseman · Post by **Bill Baseman** » 28 May 2005 10:17 am

This is a very helpful post since I am trying to understand how this thing works. Do you block after each note picked or after each series of notes picked (apologies if this is obvious to some)?

Bill

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 28 May 2005 11:09 am

Mr M. Sorry. I misread your string numbers. I'd so 1 t 1 t or as Jeff. Sometimes blocking is dodgy, usually crossing over guarantees blocking. Usually when incorporating a forward playing of 1 and 2, it's probably not blocked.

Don't get real hung up on "pick blocking" as it's one of those things that happens automatically, or not at all. After a few years, your palm/ring or little finger resting on the strings you don't play becomes your baseline, if you don't spend a lot of time agonizing over it.

Sorry for the reading mistake. Long week.

EJL

Dean Parks · Post by **Dean Parks** » 28 May 2005 11:26 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>T 1 2 T

Crossing over and blocking.

Kind of tricky, but it's the only way I've found to play one of Gary Morse's favorite licks.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Eric: I know it's not relevant to this thread's example, since you corrected a misread ... BUT... I noticed on the Leno Dierks Bentley song last week that Gary uses 3 finger picks.

-dean-

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 28 May 2005 2:45 pm

Yes he does.

When he played here, his '69 Green Professional, I noticed when "jamming" on a couple Waylon Jennings songs he played some up and down 4 note licks with his thumb and three fingers, in triplets. Gary plays a VERY definite and strong technique. I tried to do the 'up and down' licks on four strings with T,1,2, and found that the best I could do was T 1 2 T 2 1 T, and I usually missed on the last thumb.

I suppose like my experience, taking it SLOW, at first and working up speed over a month or two, would probably get a three pick player there, but I don't seem to have the time inbetween working all week and gigging every weekend.

I'm just getting old...

EJL