The Steel Guitar Forum

Perhaps my question will help newbies, undecided or unsure steelers about which is the "best" way of havin' fingerpicks on their fingers
i've tried havin' my picks fit close up against my fingers & i've tried the way Jeff Newman recommends : havin' them protrude from the fingers
Finally, i have opted for close up against the fingers cause i find it's up close to the action

Now jes' how do you guys & gals wear 'em ?
& why ?

Great post & poll Crowbear.....I like to wear my fingerpicks up close & form fitted to my finger tips, of course I am still using my "Perfect Touch" finger picks........Terry V.

I'm still struggling with this, trying different brands, styles etc. but I'd say close up, as near as possible to bareback "feel".

Oddly, I suppose, I'm getting used to a thumbpick that looks like a flatpick with a loop on it...Made by Herco.

"Ah hates fingerpicks"!

Dennis

proudly !

Seems like the poll approach can't really address this subject. Most of the close-up pictures I've ever seen of the top pros' picks show them somewhere in between the two extremes posited. That's what I do myself, and I think pretty much every steel player I've seen up close was in the "grey area" as well. The specific curvature of the pick differs from player to player.

Good post; I think this is another of those "what works best for you" type things. I tried the up close method early on, then changed to protruding out from the finger end a little; don't know of really why, other than Herby Wallace & some others suggested it. Herby recommended to wear the picks on "finger-tip" with rear edge of the band no further back than the back edge of the fingernail. I have small fingers, so with a nice curve bend in the pick, it still sticks out a little way past the end of the finger. (not that it helped my playin any)

I used to wear them severly bent around more or less following the contour of my fingertip but away from my fingertip because it worked for Buddy Charleton so I thought it would for me. These days I have moved to bending them very little from how they come because I think it promotes a much more relaxed position for my hand ie: open and rounded instead of a tight and flat clenched fist sort of position--that might work for Jernigan but not for me!

Never could find a finger pick I really liked ,tried a LOT of them,Played banjo years ago before playing steel,so was used to wearing them,About a year ago just on a whim,tried plastic picks,wish I had done that years ago,they are easy to shape to your finger just by running hot tap water over them,you can also shape the points any way you want in a minute with sandpaper,they don't pince or hurt your finger,also like the tone they have,just like any thing new it takes awhile to get used to them,I know this will not work for every body,but they do for me,as far as the angle goes I have mind sticking out a bit pass my finger tip.Also perfer the dunlop large thumb pick.

Sorry, y'all caught me at feedin' time ...

[ Hmmm! That didn't work![

I wrap my picks pretty tight and over my nail and then they protrude out pretty far. I also twist them slightly to make them straighter to the strings. I tried curving aroud my fingertip, but I had trouble catching my finger nail on the next string up. Sometimes it takes a while find what works for you.

Crowbear, I remember there was a thread on the old forum where BE shared his thoughts about finger picks and how he wears them. I considered it gospel and was happy to discover that my trials and errors finding what worked for me, was the same as what worked for him.
(Probably the only thing similar between my pickin and the Bosses)
That said, What works for me and my hand may not work as well for someone with shorter stubby fangers.

On Bruce Bouton's video, he mentions a custom pick that he wears on his second finger. It almost looks like it goes 90 degrees off the end of the finger, compared to the one on his index finger, which looks more like a 45 degree angle. I think he said Jeff Newman made it for him years ago. Anyone know about this?

I wear them just about the way they come when they're new. I curve the blade very little. I also wear them out on the tips of my fingers, to the point where they sometimes fall off. I'm constantly pushing them back up every chance I get. This is just what feels right to me. I played banjo before I played steel. I used to use to wear those plastic finger picks that were molded at about the angle that I bend the steel picks now. That may be where my ideas on wearing picks came from.
I played a steel show once and the on the first note of the first song, clang! pick fell off my index finger on to the strings.

Have you ever noticed that just about every time you drop a finger pick, it rolls up in under the pedal board? I always keep spares in between the necks so I can grab one in a hurry.


Ken

Does anyone have a link to the article Bo was refering to. I would like to read it.

For what it is worth I wear my picks way down on the finger and wrapped around the tip of my finger. I twist them a little to the right when looking at the back of my right hand. Looking from the back the center of the band is just a bit to the right of the center of the finger. I also double on telecaster and use the middle pick with a flat pick when on the tele. Makes switching a little quicker by one pick and the thumb!!!

CrowBear,
I wear mine about half way in between, then twisted slightly trying to get a little more pick string contact. I've tried them everyway I can think of and this works best for me, but then "my best" aint all that hot!

Larry

Anybody use the Pearse Highriders?
I like how they wrap around back past the fingernails. Regular picks make my cuticles(sp?) sore after long playing time.

Sometimes, when I panic at a gig, I pull off the finger picks and just use bare fingers and thumbpick. This seems to happen when playing at higher volumes. I am trying to work thru this and stick with picks all the time. Anyone have any tips or exercises?

Also, anyone ever notice Joe Wright uses three finger picks?
Is this common among 12 string players?

I'm not surprized there are so many different ways to wear finger picks. Everybodys hands and fingers are different from one another in length ,the way they bend, some bony, others fat or muscular. I'm always amazed at some of the players with really large hands, one might expect to find on a heavy construction worker, still able to have a soft and fast touch. I've often wondered how much different hand structures effect tone and ability. It doesn't seem to.

Thanx for your postings & comments guys
i realize it's a bit too simple a poll but i jes wanted to get the subject off the ground

edited: Post'em Pics

I'm new at this and, by no measure, an expert. But, I have done quiet a bit of experimenting and I think what determines how you wear your picks is your hand posture.

You can position your hand in a lot of different ways, depending on how and whether or not you palm block. Each different position seems to work better with different pick positions.

For example, if you position your right hand in more of a "balled fist", having the picks curve around the tips of your fingers would work best, I think.

A more relaxed position might favor the standard "factory" pick position.

That's my 2 cents worth anyway. Food for thought.

Could we get those who chose " other " & why ?

Mercy Bookoo

I wear mine just like Ken Willaims picture shows.I tried wrapping them around the tips of my fingers like some players do but that didn't work for me at all.

Rick Aiello wrote:

Sorry, y'all caught me at feedin' time ...

that is a cute kid........reminds me of my grandson... ..looks mischevious to me...

I wear them very carefully when Mrs. Wood is around.

Terry