The Steel Guitar Forum

I had a student that was struggling with palm blocking. His hand was flat like Jay Dee does, but the hand went up at an angle from the wrist toward the front of the guitar with no feasible way to block the strings. Therefore he thought he could never palm block and only tried pick blocking. I started showing him the "Newman" method of resting the side of the hand on the strings, curling the fingers like you were holding a small ball, and roll it over to the left into "picking" position. He said "impossible". I said "no it's not". He finally persisted in practicing this method and he now has no problem. Don't tell yourself you can't do it until you give ample time to get your hand trained. Some may have physical issues, but don't give up. And also, the use of the crease in your palm to line up with the middle finger is great advice and very important (actually, Jeff Newman told us in seminars I attended, that this line should be on the highest string you intend to pick and your hand will move across the neck as you go from high strings to low strings, but the effect is the same). And, as was mentioned, don't forget to learn the other ways to block like pick blocking and left hand blocking. No one method works in all situations. And, palm blocking isn't "pick and drop your palm on the strings". It's "rest your palm on the strings and raise it the time you pick the strings" and only a fraction of an inch, enough to let the strings ring. Too far of a lift will slow you down considerably.

I agree with Richard. Too many people give up way too soon when trying out new techniques.

By way of example: I learned to palm block many decades ago. Then in the late 70s pick blocking came across my radar. I briefly tried it, but it seemed so strange and foreign that I never made any progress and gave up. I bought into the notion that some people are born to palm block and some are born to pick block.

Then about three years ago, while in my late 50s I might add, I decided that I was going to make a concerted and diligent effort to learn to pick block. Basically it was something I put on my bucket list.

At first I was extremely uncomfortable when trying to pick block. I could only play for about 5-10 minutes before my hand would start to cramp. But I devoted about 45 minutes each day to various pick blocking drills. Basically, I set the metronome and a drone pitch CD and force myself to play for 6 minute segments at a time using nothing but pick blocking. At first it felt so odd, holding the heel of my hand up off the strings, while keeping my picks on the strings. The clams really fly when I'm doing my pick blocking drills, but it's just practice, and after about 3 years of this routine, pick blocking is coming together for me.

I am still far from being a good pick blocker, but I'm getting there. My hand no longer cramps or gets tired prematurely. It no longer feels awkward and foreign to pick block.

The pick blocking motion has become natural enough that occasionally I will transition from palm blocking to pick blocking, or vice versa, without even thinking about it. That was always my goal; to be able to effectively transition back and forth between palm blocking and pick blocking, using the technique that works the best for the music.

Learning new techniques often means trying to do things in ways that at first feel awkward. You're never too old. DON'T GIVE UP!!!

When I first started learning almost 42 years ago, I really didn't know about palm blocking. Hardly any learning materials, no videos, no internet. I pick blocked. Until, I started seeing articles in Guitar Player magazine and attended my first Newman seminar. All I would hear back then was that pick blocking was bad technique. So I un-learned how to pick block and concentrated on palm blocking. Then later, maybe when Paul Franklin really came into the limelight or possibly before, pick blocking became a popular method of blocking. So, I had to re-learn to pick block. Learn it all early on in your playing career. It's all good, and used together gives you total control over your right hand.

I've been playing steel guitar since age 7, having acquired my first electric Hawaiian Steel Guitar at about age 10.

It wasn't until a few years ago while here on the Forum that I first heard about cabinet drop, finger/pick and palm blocking techniques and the need for them.

As a newer player, like yourself, if I were you, I'd simply concentrate on playing nice simple little melodies on your g'tar and forget all about the other techy talk. On these simple tunes you're going to be able to hear the melody and any unwanted noises. Cancel those noises with the right outside heal of your hand. Just touch the strings, kill the offensive sounds then roll your hand back to a normal playing position. SUCCESS!

During the process, if you hear unwanted string ringing or slurring while moving from fret to fret, simply tilt your right hand to instantly deaden that unwanted offensive sound.

It shouldn't be uncomfortable. One shouldn't have to practice it for hours. It should be used to correct 'unwanted string noise' and after awhile it will come naturally.

Amen Ray!

I look to classical players for insights about practicing sometimes. A classical guitar teacher showed me how my pick blocking relates to what he called a "rest stroke". In my case I learn things more thoroughly when I focus on all the little parts of a technique and build it into a whole. My most important steel guitar teachers, Buddy Charleton and Joe Wright taught me the same way. Break down a problem to the smallest parts and slowly work you way through them.