picks or fingers?

Chris Latta · Post by **Chris Latta** » 26 Mar 2006 9:20 am

I'm a beginner and I'm curious to see how many (if any) players use their bare fingers and not finger picks.

I play six string and have always used a combination of a flat pick and my 2nd and 3rd fingers for picking. Now don't worry. I'm not gonna use a flat pick on the steel!I been at the steel since December and the finger picks are getting more comfortable and less awkward. Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to throw them away!

Any opinions on the matter would be appreciated. Should one stick with picks or is fingers a viable opption? Tone? Technique? Whatever.

Thanks. Have a nice Sunday.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 26 Mar 2006 9:52 am

Using picks is the industry standard, but I'm sure all players like to "rip some skin!" from time to time.

Bill Miller · Post by **Bill Miller** » 26 Mar 2006 9:52 am

I'd suggest staying with the fingerpicks. There are a few steel players who prefer using either their fingernails or the fleshy part of their fingertips but the overwhelming majority use fingerpicks. Fingernails are undependable, especially if you do anything else with your hands besides play guitar. I used to let my nails grow out some on my picking hand for playing six string but they were constantly getting chipped or broken...or worse yet, rolled back. ( blood...pain...gives me the willies even to think about it) You can play with your fingertips but the tone is markedly different from using metal picks. Some like it better but most do not judging from previous discussions on the topic.[This message was edited by Bill Miller on 26 March 2006 at 09:52 AM.][This message was edited by Bill Miller on 26 March 2006 at 09:53 AM.]

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 26 Mar 2006 4:06 pm

I use finger picks, on CMT crossroads I saw Dolly Parton use here fingernails on her 6 string,to me there really is no compare to finger picks on a steel thanks

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 26 Mar 2006 4:46 pm

Fingers, except on dobro. If it's good enough for Bobbe Seymour, it's good enough.

Darrell Owens · Post by **Darrell Owens** » 26 Mar 2006 4:47 pm

Acrylic nails - hard as a rock and sound great.

Chris Latta · Post by **Chris Latta** » 26 Mar 2006 5:25 pm

Interesting. At least we got one finger player to chime in. I'm trying to stick with the picks but I just leave em off sometimes. I find Joe Wright's 'pick blocking' technique and(W)right hand position easier without picks on.Go figure.

I know a guy, 6 stringer and steeler, who uses the acrylic nails on his 2nd and 3rd fingers. Aside from looking funky he says he has trouble with fungus...oh sorry...let's not go there...

Thanks folks.

Any more care to chime in?

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 26 Mar 2006 5:55 pm

FWIW, I've watched/heard Joe Wright play without picks quite a bit in the ol' Sierra room at Conventions.

Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 26 Mar 2006 10:26 pm

But if it's good enough for Bobbe Seymour, maybe a player should wait until he's really advance, no?

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"Drinking up the future, and living down the past"--unknown singer in Phoenix

Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 26 Mar 2006 10:28 pm

Pardon my ignorance, but what are acrylic nails?

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 26 Mar 2006 10:53 pm

I always use fingerpicks. Brett, Emmons S-10, Morrell lapsteel, GFI Ultra D-10

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 27 Mar 2006 1:30 am

Ol' Chinese picker once told me
Better to know how to pick w: picks & not w; fingers
than to know how to pick w: fingers & not picks

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 27 Mar 2006 3:20 am

In my humble opinion the tone of using fingernails is slightly thinner than with fingerpicks on steel guitar. I've tried it and while I prefer to play using my fingers and nails on my Tele, the extra tension on my pedal steel makes it feel alien. There is also the problem of what happens if you get the dreaded broken fingernail.I can understand how the lack of picks can increase speed however. It's horses for courses - I prefer the attack of picks but having heard Bobbe S and Paul F (occasionaly) play without picks and sound great no-one can say what's the right or wrong way.[This message was edited by Ken Byng on 27 March 2006 at 03:22 AM.]

Lana Rosselli · Post by **Lana Rosselli** » 27 Mar 2006 3:47 am

Thought I'd share this with you all.

Also, Darryl - acrylic nails are fake nails that are basically cemented to your natural nail. They are very hard and when they break - goodbye nail! It's pain like you wouldn't believe. Not to mention they tend to suffocate your natural nail making it very thin. As a female - I won't use acrylic nails for these reasons alone.

Miss Lana

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 27 Mar 2006 3:48 am

I don't know bobbe seymour personally to say if he plays with or without finger picks but in mel bays anthology of PSG page 154 that looks like a picture of him with finger picks but since then he may have changed, I can't say.

Ron Brennan · Post by **Ron Brennan** » 27 Mar 2006 10:30 am

IMHO:
To me it's a matter of personal choice. Other than the thumb pick, I've never used finger picks for 30 years.

FYI: I spoke to Bobbe Seymour awhile back. He uses the Thumbpick only. No picks on the other 3 fingers he uses on his grip.

Still, I'm sure Bobbe would be the first one to tell you to use fingerpicks, if that works for you (as is in most cases). I suppose you should try both techniques. Choose what works for you....Seems to me, there is no hard & fast rule...TX
rgds,
Ron

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JCFSGC member since 2005 "Be of Good Cheer"
"55" Stringmaster D8,"59" Stringmaster D6
"67" Telecaster,
"60"Fender Concert Amp 4-10's

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 27 Mar 2006 10:41 am

I get a much better tone with fingerpicks (speaking relatively)

One problem that I have noticed on my recordings, and have not been able to surmount, is the pick noise when it touches the string, just before I pick the string.

Maybe it's one of the hallmarks of a hack player.......

Neil Harms · Post by **Neil Harms** » 27 Mar 2006 10:50 am

I'm sure I'm the odd man out here but I use a flat pick and bare finger/nails. I tried the thumb and finger pick route and just couldn't make it happen. Plus switching back and forth from guitar to steel is a snap. Only complaint (complaint is probably a strong word here) I've ever gotten was from a couple of steelers who wanted to sit in but didn't have their picks in their pocket and couldn't play without them. My two bits.... N.

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76 Sho-Bud LDG, 52 Fender Custom Triple, Fender Vibrasonic "Custom", (plus all that other stuff....)

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 27 Mar 2006 11:10 am

Here's what the annoying pick noise sounds like:
http://www.freefilehosting.net/file/?id=pNr0mq7f

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 27 Mar 2006 11:16 am

Hey Neil, I'm an odd man out too but in the other direction! I've always played lead guitar with a thumbpick and 2 fingerpicks which was the result of playing banjo first. I played guitar a good while before I took up steel so already being used to the picks made it a lot easier for me. As the styles progressed and chicken pickin' came more into vogue you started to hear more of the "meaty" snap of fingertips and nails. I tried using just the fingers for a while but it just didn't do the trick so for many years now I've been using the bare ring finger and pinky in addition to the fingerpicks. I got this idea from watching Albert Lee who does a lot of stuff with his middle, ring, and little fingers and it works great! For me it's the best of both worlds. I also use the bare ring finger in addition to the picks for chord grips on steel......JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 27 Mar 2006 11:27 am

This Bigsby clip I just posted is with a Fender Twin, with treble, you don't hear any picks, because there aren't any.
What I'm saying is: Doesn't matter which way you go as long as you control whatever you are doing. Picks are fine, but then, if you can play without them, save yourself three dollars! (or a quid Richard)
Picks or fingers? Great steel guitar can be played either way, both require practice. Even if it is the easiest instrument in the world to play.

Chris Latta · Post by **Chris Latta** » 27 Mar 2006 12:17 pm

Some great responses. Thank you all.

To Richard Burton, I listened to your clip. Nice playing. I did hear the picks. I like the comment Jeff Newman makes in his "PSG Tech." DVD refering to pick blocking. He demonstrates the noise of picks meeting vibrating strings and says "Now, you don't want that, That's Chinese music right there,"

To Bobbe Seymour, I listened to your clip too. No pick noise to speak of.

Beautiful! Thank you for your response and for thoroughly validating the no picks approach.

I would not rely on nails at all but just use fingertip with a bit of nail as I do on 6 string. I will not yet throw the picks away.
Yet.

Thanks y'all. Any more?

Chris

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 27 Mar 2006 1:44 pm

I must be exactly in the middle of the road on this one....
acrylic (plastic) finger picks... I love 'em.

"different people have different opinions...
some like onions, some like enions" (think it's Ogden Nash)

I echo thoughts shared above.... learn to control finger picks, and then experiment....

I've seen too many beginning steelers use the bare fingers "preference" as an argument, when they really just don't want to get over the inital awkard feeling when first using finger picks (and yes, learn to use the volume pedal too!).

There are very few shortcuts to learning to be proficient at playing pedal steel guitar.

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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com

Chris Latta · Post by **Chris Latta** » 27 Mar 2006 1:57 pm

"I've seen too many beginning steelers use the bare fingers "preference" as an argument, when they really just don't want to get over the inital awkard feeling when first using finger picks (and yes, learn to use the volume pedal too!)."

Thanks David. That quote is likely more true than I would like to admit. Fingerpicks are surely awkward but it's gettin better. Fingers on the 6 string is a unique tone so I figured it should translate to the steel. But I do recognize the value of learning to use picks first as CrowBear alluded to above. And I will learn to use the volume pedal. Right now it kinda wonky! I think I gotta stay off it more.

Cheers!

Chris

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 27 Mar 2006 1:58 pm

do what feels most natural and easiest to play. why make a difficult thing harder by trying to do what most guys do if that isn't what feels best to you? either way is acceptable...