Pick blocking and fingering approach

Alex Jonsson · Post by **Alex Jonsson** » 25 Oct 2019 10:11 am

Hi,
Happy to join the forum. Iâ€™m new at the steel and am struggling with pick blocking and how to approach it. Could anyone advise me on an appropriate fingering for this exercise - both in terms of right hand picking and what to use for blocking the notes. Would be very much appreciated.

F# - - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - -
D# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G# - 3 - - - - -3 - - - - - - (repeat)
E - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - 3 -
B - - - - 3 - - - - - - - - - -

Also, which fingering would you use, if say, you'd play once on each string, from string 10 to 1? So cross-string picking or what you'd call it, would you alternate between T and M all the way? And if so, how would you block it. Guess this relates to my first question.

Gordon Hartin · Post by **Gordon Hartin** » 25 Oct 2019 10:51 am

I would prob do

2 T 1 2 2 T

I mainly pick block and would have my T12 sitting on the strings for the first 4 notes.

after hitting the 4th note on the G# string I would lift my hand move to the position with my Thumb on E, First Finger on the either G# to stop the ringing of the 4th note you played and 2nd finger pluck the F# string, and then have my thumb play the last note.

Gordon

basic blocking video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGzrg1kFbC4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psBnbykVJz4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1egZkC-X3E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXyc-0tnYzY

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 25 Oct 2019 11:04 am

Gordon, don't you mean
2T122T ?

Gordon Hartin · Post by **Gordon Hartin** » 25 Oct 2019 11:11 am

hehehe i did...will correct

John Spaulding · Post by **John Spaulding** » 25 Oct 2019 11:17 am

Paul Franklin You Tube:

Do's and Don'ts of Pick Blocking

Paul's Picking and Blocking Technique Examples

Blog:

Tackling Blocking

Larry Ball · Post by **Larry Ball** » 25 Oct 2019 1:38 pm

John is right, check out Paul Franklin's Video on Pick Blocking and Palm Blocking, also Mickey Adams and other teachers. The point is, too not get into bad habits starting out. I did a lot of researching on the subject to help me identify the approach I wanted to take.

Starting out playing PSG can be overwhelming to some and a great experience to others. The PSG is in a category all by itself and a truly rewarding instrument.

So research the archives on the forum as there are many, many great players that will help you with issues as they arise and believe me they will.

Dale Rivard · Post by **Dale Rivard** » 25 Oct 2019 4:14 pm

Hi Alex, To pick block this, I would use this fingering: M T I M M I. You could use the thumb for the last string but I would use the index. Since you're repeating the pattern, it sets you up perfectly for the next go round. Economy of motion can be a good thing.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 25 Oct 2019 8:29 pm

M-T-I-T-M-T
You could use this picking pattern and transfer to each successive set of 5 strings right across the neck without ever having to â€œdouble-pickâ€, which is a no-no for single note speed picking in my book. (Okay, I donâ€™t really have a book...)

Blocking - there are a number of options. You could pick block the first note, Palm the next three, and pick block the final thumb stroke, since that is where the thumb would strike in the next sequence anyway. You could also lift the back of the bar and go across the strings using the nose while your bar hand blocks. Or you could sign up for the Franklin course and disregard all this lesser human insight.

Alex Jonsson · Post by **Alex Jonsson** » 26 Oct 2019 5:20 am

Thanks a lot for all your feedback, I'll check out the links and suggestions. Seems there's no 'one way' to do approach this - doesn't surprise me, although it would have been easier

Gordon Hartin · Post by **Gordon Hartin** » 26 Oct 2019 7:42 am

I think the hard part about doing it the way below

MTIMMI
or
2T1221

is the block after the first 4 notes...

in order to stop the g# string from ringing you have to block with the fingernail side of your 1/I finger, which is a more advanced technique, if using pick/fingertip blocking

but they all work...i guess the next question would be, besides playing this for an exercise, i don't see many occasions where i would need to play this pattern over and over...

Gordon

Steve Knight · Post by **Steve Knight** » 26 Oct 2019 8:51 am

I would pick this one MTMTMT, using either my ring finger or side of my thumb to block the strings. But, I'm a palm blocker that is new to pick blocking. I decided to give pick blocking another shot after watching the Paul Franklin clip that was posted above. I watched that last weekend and decided to take the plunge....again.

Alex Jonsson · Post by **Alex Jonsson** » 26 Oct 2019 11:24 am

Gordon, I agree with you that I probably won't play that pattern in a musical setting very often. But as a newbee on the steel I want to start out right, so I'm trying to learn a few licks, patterns etc with 'correct' fingering to have a basis to start from.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 26 Oct 2019 2:02 pm

If you really explore the instrument and the musical possibilities there are almost an infinite number of picking patterns and sequences. That is an excellent little exercise.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 27 Oct 2019 12:08 am

I'm still very much a novice with only six years under my belt, but I have learned that if you practise both pick- and palm-blocking then real life becomes a mixture of the two. Some things can be done only one way, while when there is a choice, the effect is subtly different.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 3 Nov 2019 4:22 pm

Personally I would go:

2 T T 1 2 T

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 4 Nov 2019 7:47 pm

Joe Wright has a couple really good videos also. Different ways to pick block or palm block. Worth the money.

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 5 Nov 2019 4:43 am

In his pdf book Joe Wright shows how he uses pick hand thumb with a really short thumbpick to block notes, which I tried and it puts my thumb out of position to pick the next note but probably i'm not doing it right (ha)

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 5 Nov 2019 7:36 am

What Paddy said
For the 3,5,4,3,1,4 pattern MTTIMT works best for me
Easier to pick block the two thumb strokes than the two middles on top for me
Your mileage may vary

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 5 Nov 2019 8:44 am

Paddyâ€™s sequence would be my second choice. Forward â€œdouble-thumbingâ€ on adjacent strings is a valid technique, similar to â€œsweep pickingâ€ on guitar. I just prefer thumb with fingers, either alternating or rolls, because they work backward and forward and are not dependent on the strings being adjacent.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 5 Nov 2019 10:01 am

Here's a little exercise. The idea is to pick block each string as you hit the other one, and get it so smooth that you can't hear any difference between the pedal action and the bar movement on string 5.