Sid Hudson's picking technique

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 1 Mar 2018 1:39 pm

One awesome thing about Sid was his picking technique, using a standard plectrum pick between his thumb and index finger, and a metal fingerpick on his middle finger. He could play a blistering solo like that, I guess because he was such an accomplished guitarist, he was amazingly skilled with a flat pick.

Here he's jamming on "Gonna Build A Mountain," he pays homage to Buddy in the opening choruses and then goes full bore on his own chromatic modulations. Some amazingly good C6 playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVy7sqHvhX4

AFAIK, Junior Brown is the only other player who uses that technique. Are there any other players anyone knows about who do this... I mean guys who can actually play.

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 1 Mar 2018 2:08 pm

Herb Steiner wrote: AFAIK, Junior Brown is the only other player who uses that technique. Are there any other players anyone knows about who do this... I mean guys who can actually play.

I have a feeling Junior noticed Denver's Dick Meis playing that way back in the day, but besides just using a flat pick and one finger pick, he also added a pick on his ring finger. My first and only lesson on steel was with Dick back then too,and since I was already a guitar player, I also started playing with a flat pick and 2 finger picks. For me, it didn't take long to ditch the flat pick on steel and add a thumb pick and one more finger pick. I think Forumite Jan Jonsson from Sweden also plays that way.

R.I.P. Sid

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 1 Mar 2018 2:39 pm

Chris Scruggs was doing that when I saw him with Marty Stuart. He also is awesome.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 1 Mar 2018 3:34 pm

Clarence White and/or Roger McGuinn, perhaps?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 1 Mar 2018 3:51 pm

Sid's using two finger picks on that video (middle and ring fingers) and played the same way, really smokin' stuff, the few times he was at the "Steelin' For Hearts" show near here. He didn't use the ring finger a whole lot, but it never affected his playing! He could burn on a Tele, too! Very few players reach that level of proficiency on both instruments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ct5RkJOEKA

Kevin Fix · Post by **Kevin Fix** » 1 Mar 2018 4:05 pm

Wildest thing I have ever seen!!!!! I never knew that way of picking was possible!!! Awesome player!!!

Charlie Hansen · Post by **Charlie Hansen** » 1 Mar 2018 6:02 pm

A friend of mine who was never famous and doesn't play anymore played with a flat pick only and could play as fast and as well as anyone I've ever seen. Unfortunately he gave up playing steel several years ago because there was no work for steel players in our area. He is a spectacular guitar player.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 1 Mar 2018 6:45 pm

Maybe Steve Cunningham.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 2 Mar 2018 1:36 am

pretty dang good stuff...

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 2 Mar 2018 4:35 am

In the late 1960's, early '70, when I was a kid, one of the syndicated country shows would show close ups of the hands of a steel player who played with a straight pick. No idea who he was but he played an Emmons

I once told Sid he made it look like all the rest of us were doing it wrong.

He laughed really good at that one.

RIP Sid.

Dale Rivard · Post by **Dale Rivard** » 2 Mar 2018 9:10 am

Herb, I believe Mike Bourque plays in a similar way. It's hard to see his right hand through the drink holder(lol) but check out this video. Incredible guitarist and now playing great steel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1BAa3MabAM

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 2 Mar 2018 7:56 pm

Looks like I gave up trying to play fast just in the nick of time.

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 3 Mar 2018 1:41 am

I think that Jan Jonsson, a Swedish steel player that I saw play in the Jazz room at the ISGC, plays with a flat pick and two finger picks. He's a very cool player. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oei-3AawM7o

Marty Muse · Post by **Marty Muse** » 8 Mar 2018 6:00 pm

Hey Herb, when I saw Danny Gatton playing with Larry Hosford out in California in the late 70s he was playing pedal steel with him. He employed the same flat pick and one metal fingerpick technique. Although, now that I think about it a little more, he might have been using his bare finger. I'm not sure. But definitely a flat pick. As far as I know James Burton is the leading exponent of that style. He employs a flat pick and a metal finger pick on his middle finger. Just goes to show there's more than one way to do anything.

John Bresler · Post by **John Bresler** » 9 Mar 2018 5:19 am

Dick Meis in Denver splays with a flat pick also. Dick plays both steel and guitar and switches between steel and guitar without missing a beat. You can see him on youtube.

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Sid Hudson's picking technique

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