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Topic: Fingers Vs. Picks |
Terry VunCannon
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2003 10:16 am |
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| This topic is also being talked about in the steel section. I play guitar, bass & lap steel. I play the lap with fingers only. I use a pick or fingers only on guitar, and fingers only on bass. I have played onstage with 2 guitarist/bass & drums, with myself on lap steel through a Mesa Boogie DC-3 (35 watts) and had no trouble hearing myself. How many lap steelers out there use fingers only? |
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Christer Fredriksen
From:
Kristiansand, Norway
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Posted 3 Dec 2003 10:49 am
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Hi!
I play with both pick an fingers, holding the pick between my thumb and index, and using next fingers for chords etc. I picked this up watching a Danny Gatton video and have adapted this to use with the lap-steel as well. I think this technique works out very well. Some of the pro`s might differ, but for me, it`s easier, because then I can relate to right hand blocking/muting on guitar..
Christer |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Dec 2003 11:01 am
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Norwegian western swing maniac Carsten Boe of the band "5:56" plays like that too, swithching between lap steel and regular guitar all the time.
I started out playing electric lap steel with my bare fingers, but when I got my first weissenborn copy I felt I needed the fingerpicks to cut through. It took me half a year or so to get used to them and now I couldn't imagine playing without them.
Steinar
------------------
www.gregertsen.com
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Travis Bernhardt
From:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 3 Dec 2003 3:15 pm
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I couldn't see playing dobro without fingerpicks--it's just part of the sound. Lap steel is different though, as I don't think you usually need the same kind of speed and you don't usually play rolls and such. On the other hand, harmonics can be a large part of lap steel playing, and picks definitely help for that.
I think it depends largely on the type of music and where I'm playing. If I was playing something fairly simple and melodic on acoustic steel--in a quiet environment--I might consider playing without picks, but in a bluegrass jam there's no way I'd go without. Pedal steel I haven't decided yet--sometimes I want the big five finger chords and smooth blocking of no fingerpicks, sometimes I want the speed and ability to do fast rolls and such that picks provide me. Also, different strumming techniques are available with and without fingerpicks.
As I said in the other thread, I'm learning to do both--why not?
-Travis |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 3 Dec 2003 3:49 pm
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| I switch off between guitar and steel when playing Rockabilly and early style Honky Tonk and I have to use a plectrum pick for fast country bop lines on guitar and pick and fingers on steel so I can switch back and forth fast between the 2 instruments. The steel sounds best to me with finger picks, especialy on the harmonics, but they really get in the way for me on guitar. What trips me out about this is that Cliff Gallup, (Gene Vincent's hot lead guitarist) used finger picks on guitar, Jeff Beck has a set of Cliff's finger picks back at his house in England. I can do the Johnny Winter thumb pick/finger approach, but I've been using a guitar pick for too long to feel comfortable using a thumb pick on fast lead guitar lines I guess. Other than the Harmonics issue, fingers on steel can work out o.k., once your fingers tuffin up, but it's not as good as fingerpicks for playing the steel all by itself. [This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 06 December 2003 at 06:03 AM.] |
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Dave Boothroyd
From:
Staffordshire Moorlands
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Posted 4 Dec 2003 1:44 am
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Has anybody seen the X men movies?
Something on the lines of Wolverine's operation would be a perfect solution.
It's either that, or teach the cat to play steel!
Cheers
Dave [This message was edited by Dave Boothroyd on 04 December 2003 at 01:44 AM.] |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 4 Dec 2003 6:26 am
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| This topic comes up from time to time - there's lots of old threads on the issue. Personally, I like playing without picks - especially for latin and certain Hawaiian styles. Other styles, like western swing seem to demand the clarity and bite you get with picks. Getting clean, clear harmonics seems to require picks. I played standard guitar for 17 years before I touched a steel and I can still get a level of speed and clarity on single notes with a flatpick I can't approach with fingerpicks. Can't get those beautiful wide steel voicings with a Jim Dunlop Jazz III though, so I struggle on with fingerpicks. [This message was edited by Andy Volk on 04 December 2003 at 06:27 AM.] |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 6 Dec 2003 6:07 am
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| I was just reading my last post and had to edit "Finger pick for guitar" to "plectrum pick on guitar" It didn't make much sense what I said before and nobody noticed it, including myself. |
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Chuck Fisher
From:
Santa Cruz, California, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Dec 2003 2:11 pm
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| I use both finger (fingernail and not) and picks. I find they are all useful different tone. I just got my reso guitar and I like bare fingers on it also, which surprised me. It sounds more like a standard accoustic guitar without picks, hit it with the pick and the reso-metal-tone just grabs you! |
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