The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello, new to lap steel, but regular guitarist for 35 yrs, including undisciplined 'jazz' fingerstyle.

My first inclination is to just use my thumb and fingers; I've got thumb/fingerpicks but they feel awkward. I get the sound and technique I want without them.

Am I missing something by not working with the picks now as a begineer? thanks!

Welcome to the forum, Gerard!
You'll find lots of nice folks here and lots of info. As far as your question, you basically said that you're getting what you need from your technique...can't ask for much more that that! I play bareback myself, the biggest drawback for me is the possibility of a blister if I play a long bar night. I personnally love the interaction you get with being that close to your instrument, let the amp take care of the volume thing and let your fingers take care of the nuance.
Well, I better turn my heat shield around now and prepare for rebuttal!

Well, I use picks, myself. But I started on acoustic and have just stayed with what I'm used to. I've heard of people using just a thumb pick, just finger picks or like you, no picks at all. I'm tempted, actually, to put my picks away for awhile to see how I do without them. But....cluck....cluck...cluck...perkack!!!

Well, no rebuttal but an opinion....

I started pickin' on a 5 string banjo many years (actually decades) ago and am fairly proficient with one. But know what? I NEVER got used to finger picks, always got "tangled up" with the damn things, and so never practiced with them. Ever! I HATED finger picks, and actually I guess I still do somewhat....

Now that I'm trying to learn pedal steel I wish I'd taken the time to get used to them years ago. PSG "bareback" is NOT where it's at!

You never know when being proficient with finger picks might come in handy.....

FWIW

Dennis

(who now wears the dern things while watching TV in an effort to get used to them....)

I play without fingerpicks and about half the time with a thumbpick. I use them like an effect, the thumbpick is great for those Don Rich sounds, or a Luther Perkins thing on the bass lines. I worked on and off with fingerpicks but found that I had no desire to play fast, and that was the only practical use for them that I could find. Beilieve me when I tell you, I can get plenty of action from the strings from bare fingers; No less than my hero Bobbe Seymour plays non-pedal the same way.

I could not get used to fingerpicks and did not like them. I tried all types. But then a forum member showed me how to bend the nationals just right. I also use a National plastic thumb pick, the new large ones. Anyway I just made myself use nothing but the fingerpicks until I got 'over the hump'. It was tough and frustrating but in the end rewarding.

Now I can not imagine playing without them. The crisp attacks and volume you get is great. I use them on all my guitars as well. I was tough but now I am stoked on them.

I suppose if you took a poll of non pedal and pedal players there would be a very small percentage that do not use fingerpicks.

Gerard, here's 2 more cents: fingerpicks will add definition to your notes. But I feel they also get in the way.

I used fingerpicks for many years. Now I just use bare fingers.

I have always played my Martins (D28 and DM) without picks so adjusting to picks for steel was not easy for me. But like Gary says, I am glad I persevered because the sound improvement, in my opinion, is worth the learning effort.

I'm forcing myself to get used to fingerpicks. I've always played guitar with flatpick, and using middle/ring fingers, and that's how I started steel. Eventually, I forced myself to use a thumbpick, and try to use my index/middle fingers more. I would like to try the fingerpicks that are angled to the right a bit, to get a more perpendicular attack on the strings, however.

I think that, especially for country styles, getting the sharp definition is vital, and picks really help that. For the Hawaiianb stuff we do, my naked fingers work OK, because I like a bit darker tone in that genre.

TJW

I hate picks. They make my fingers sore. I used to use them many years ago, but I play banjo, guitar, steel, all without picks.

Yes, they give better definition, but they get in the way.

Gary Lynch wrote:I could not get used to fingerpicks and did not like them. I tried all types. But then a forum member showed me how to bend the nationals just right.

Hmmmm

Care to elaborate? I have a notion that my main dislike of fingerpicks is that I have mine "too" tight. What is "tight enough"? Are the tips of your fingers "supposed" to feel cold and numb after awhile? How far should they "protrude" or does it matter?

Inquiring rookies would like to know!

Dennis

Check out the Perfect Touch Fingerpicks - I've had a love/hate relationship with fingerpicks ever since I started playing, but these picks actually works - after playing for a little you don't notice they're there. They feel a little weird at first, and takes some time to get used to because they're so huge, but they're well worth the investment.

I play 50/50 with/without picks on electric lap steel, but on weissenborn and reso I feel they're necessary to get a good projection.

Steinar

Picks should not hurt, slow circulation to your finger tips, or get in the way. I do not even know they are there any longer.

For me using needle nose pliers and bending the nationals up to something like the curvature of my finer tip shape helped a lot. They only need to be tight enough to hold on your finger. The shape you bend them to fit around your finger is vital as well. They should match your finger circumference. I use the needle nose for that too.

I believe all picks need to be adjusted when you get them. The older a player is usually the more unwilling they are to try to start all over and change. It is really like starting all over and that frustrates many players. But after I put in a few hundred hours of playing I no longer had any issues with them.

You need to mark each one so you know what finger it goes on. I keep spare sets especially needed when I travel.

One more note; string spacing is important for me. I like the older Ric's and steels that have no less than 3/8" spacing for 8 string and 7/16" for 6 string. I measure this center to center of the strings.

There is a lot of info on the internet about this subject.

Fingerpicks definately need to be shaped for/by the individual. I actually bend the tips according to what instrument I'll use them on - slightly straighter tip for wider spacing of a dobro or six-string lapsteel, or more curved for more strings (narrower string spacing). Their comfort level can also vary by the shape of the wraparound - the Propiks and Dunlops have a taper and flare that helps relieve the pressure. I hate fingerpicks for standard guitar, but can't play steel without them.

Lining picks with nosepads (the ones they make for eyeglasses) can make picks a lot more comfortable, and it prevents slipping.

I played fingerstyle guitar before steel, and i've just never used picks. Steinar is right that picks help projection a lot in acoustic situations, and i know from experience that if you show up to a bluegrass jam with a dobro and no finger picks, the old timers will give you a hard time But i like the tone i get without picks, and i've never bothered speding the time to get used to them.

I'm a long-time banjo player who foolishly thought lap steel whould be "easy" (after all, I'm used to open G and fingerpicks, right? HA!). Anyway, picks feel natural to me, although I don't like them for acoustic guitar, but for banjo and steel, they give me the note definition I want.

I like the Dunlop fingerpicks (.020 gauge). The shape of the band makes them much more comfortable. Also, when I used National fingerpicks, the metal alloy would cause a burning feeling in my cuticles. I solved that with a little adhesive tape (like you use for bandages) around my cuticles, but the switch to Dunlops made all the difference.

Some people like to curl the tips all the way up around their fingertips. I leave mine the way the come from the factory.

Peter

I was against fingerpicks in the beginning just because i was not used to them. I thought I got the tone without them, but now can't play without!

I find its easier now, easier to play faster, more defined and get the tone I'm hearing in my head.

I started playing merle travis style on acoustic about 15 years ago and cant do it without a thumbpick. I still play regular guitar with a flat pick, but with steel I always have thumbpick and fingerpicks. Spend some time with them, and get used to it.

To each his/her own.

good luck!

Theres no way I can play without em. I use 2 old nationals and a propic on my thumb. I cant get any attack with out em.I play a lot of fast single string runs and four string chords.

Marty

Welcome Gerard,I had been a sixstring and banjo player for years before taking up steel about fifteen years ago,was used to wearing fingerpicks,but never found the right ones[tried them all] about a year ago just on a whim tried plastic finger picks,[I'm sure a lot will disagree with me]But I'll never use a metal pick again,they are much more confortable,EASY to mould to fit your finger,Very easy to shape,thickness or the point with fine sandpaper.It did not take long for me to get used to them,may not work for most,but does for me.