The Steel Guitar Forum

When I went from flat top (flat pick) to Bass, I started playing bass with flat pick. The wife said (and I quote), if your gonna play that thing, play it right. So away went the pick. Then wen I started on Pedal Steel, I started playing with NO picks. Again the quote, if your gonna play that thing, play it rights. So, I went to the picks. I've heard that quote for years. And, this is all TRUE, no joke.

Picks are essential for strong tone in my opinion. I struggle sometimes to hit strings with enough force and verve to get a righteous pedal steel tone, let alone without picks

But I DO take them off sometimes, if I'm playing in a duo with an acoustic guitar for example where the tactile experience can add to the dynamics of a song or softer the delivery

I don't think its good for a leaner to play without picks. One needs to know how to play hard and attack the stings like you bloody mean it

Some musicians, especially guitarists, get obsessed with their nails, with glue, fake nails and the like.
I don't mind catching a little nail if I play without fingerpicks, but I don't go for the maintenance factor or depending on nails for playing.
Kinda like those great bowled, no-name finger picks I found in a lap steel case from the 30's or 40's which I grew attached to.
I stepped on one and one of the shafts broke on the other.
Good not to depend on things few and far between.
What I like about the bowled picks is, my fingers can pick a wound string without hearing the pick scraping string windings.
With new fingerpicks I bend the blade a little, using needle nose pliers. Bending the pick blade hugging the finger makes me think Paul Franklin and pick blocking, and away from the finger for most other steelers.

I played a dobro gig the other night without finger picks by accident. I was late for the gig and had forgotten them. I had left them at home with my PSG and didn't feel I had the time to turn around and get them. (old man moment)
I was miserable.
Now regular electric guitar - I never play with finger or flat picks. I can get much more varied attack and tone. I think has to do with hand angle.

Just thinking about playing dobro without fingerpicks makes my hand hurt. What a frustrating experience that must have been, Jim!

I wouldn't bet I can say anything that hasn't been said already, in all the threads about this.

But what I do find interesting is the historical aspect of the picks.
Style evolves out of necessity...
In my understanding, it was primarily about volume in the pre-electric ( and pre- resonator ) era. Hawaiian big bands and combos that featured steel guitar that needed to cut through and be more audible. A unique sound ultimately came along with the picks, and the nuances of that sound have become a hallmark of the steel guitar's character, so the general practice of using picks became a pretty established tradition.
In a nutshell, the picks were originally used out of necessity, but if the steel guitar was developed in more recent decades with volume issues solved by amplification, would the picks be so significant? Probably not...

Andrew,that is an interesting thought.

Andrew Frost wrote:I wouldn't bet I can say anything that hasn't been said already, in all the threads about this.

But what I do find interesting is the historical aspect of the picks.
Style evolves out of necessity...
In my understanding, it was primarily about volume in the pre-electric ( and pre- resonator ) era. Hawaiian big bands and combos that featured steel guitar that needed to cut through and be more audible. A unique sound ultimately came along with the picks, and the nuances of that sound have become a hallmark of the steel guitar's character, so the general practice of using picks became a pretty established tradition.
In a nutshell, the picks were originally used out of necessity, but if the steel guitar was developed in more recent decades with volume issues solved by amplification, would the picks be so significant? Probably not...

Right! It's not like I'm suggesting we do a "prepared steel guitar" for a 21st reinvisioning of a John Cage piece...just using the flesh instead of the
picks!

Literally Every student I have ever had says the same same thing before they get used to them. So did I.

I’d say power though. So many advantages

So many advantages

If nothing else, this discussion has settled one issue - there are “so many advantages” to both wearing and not wearing fingerpicks. It’s the disadvantages that seem to be making the choice clear for one side or the other. Either way, players have decided there are noticeably distinct differences in tone, attack, comfort, and volume balance.

I personally cannot play without a thumb pick. But I do aspire to lose the finger picks eventually. Anybody ever measure their volume levels between a thumb-picked string and a bare fingertip playing the same one? I did. And I have work to do if I'm going to play thumb-pick and bare finger style. But that’s another point, isn’t it? It could probably be done with diligent practice.

Wear picks, get used to it.