The Steel Guitar Forum

Just wondering if anyone else uses their thumb index middle and ring fingers.

I do.

a buddy of mine asked me if i use four about three months ago. i told him no. but then i got to thinking....why am i NOT using four?. mostly because i started finger picking on the banjo and had never really given it much thought. that very day i started to try it out. now i've gotten it worked into my playing. it's finding it's way into filling the holes that three finger picking leaves out. playing four finger chords is just starting to happen. the possibilities are just bigger. but mostly my ring finger seems to strike all the top two string combo's or finds it's way to the second string alot. what has kinda happened to some degree is that it has just taken over the job of my middle finger in alot of the runs and stuff but slowly it's finding it's way back into the "lineup" so to speak. how about you?

I played regular six string for decades using my thumb and index fingers to hold the pick and my middle and ring finger for additional strings. So...when I started playing steel, my thumb and index finger were free to work independently. So its now natural to use all four.

I mainly use it for fills and turnarounds mostly though chords sometimes when playing single strings.

I have no problem using my thumb and three fingers on regular guitar, but when I try it on steel it just doesn't work out. Of course, if I would actually apply myself and practice....but that's too much work.

On 6 string I used a flat pick for years. Somehow I got interested in a thumb pick. Now I use all my fingers + thumb. How great it is to have all those fingers available if needed.

Joe Wright picks with 4 fingers

i used four picks for the first 5 years or more...was used to that from guitar. but i found, intentionally trimming down to 3 picks really helped me clean up my act as to which specific strings to play. i think once you've got a true handle on three, four can be great for expanded picking/chord technique.

When I had a C6th I used 4. David Wright plays with 4 picks but he's got 12 strings.

JW

I used four for folk guitar, flamenco and blues. So when I took up steel I kept on using four. I don't use the ring finger for speed picking or anything intricate. It's the most awkward finger on your hand. But I sometimes use it for big chords (I play a uni).

Broke both of my ring fingers playing baseball in high school (catcher). They're both crooked. And they're even more awkward and useless than most. I just can't do it. But I'd like to.

Yes - same explanation as Tom Campbell. Even on guitar, I use fingerpicks for my middle and ring fingers when I'm using a flatpick.

I do.

1) I can grab 4-note chords

2) I use the ring finger for the "outside" strings: #1 and #2.

Only caveat is that I had to train my little finger to curl under.

Chris

I've used 4 picks since I started playing steel, I didn't have a teacher to tell me it was wrong. It just seemed natural to use the ring finger for strings #1 & #2. I stick my little finger out and kind of gauge my hand position with it against the edge of the pickup. I also do some 4 note grips.

Johnny Cox also uses 4 picks.

Norm Hamlet has used four pick for probably 50 years. And he sure gets some great full chord groups.

Same story as Tom Campbell here - flat picked with 6 string and used the middle and ring for double-stops and other notes. When I started psg, I thought 3fp and the tp would make four note chords easier. For now, at my stage of development, I just put the pick on the ring finger just to get used to it, and I occasionally will grab a string with it. At this point, it's use is still haphazard, so I don't waste a lot of time thinking about it - yet!

I do. Havn't really found any good reason not to, except maybe for that cool harmonic technique that some guys use their ring finger for. When I'm playing in a certain E9 bag, I just play less notes to fit the music, and play harmonics with the back of my palm or pinky.

In general, for my own enjoyment, I like piano-like (non-raking) BIG CHORDS!

Yes, four picks. I like the option of four note chord voicings on C6. On E9, I rarely use all four, but it makes it a lot easier to get wide grips where strings are spread far apart. I don't always put on the fourth pick for lap steel or Dobro.

I use 4 when I don't wear picks. Then I play just like I would on classical guitar, with the thumb mainly used on the wound strings and for blocking. In this technique, you move the fingers around as a "block" of 3, with each finger given to a string. I do this instinctively by this point. I only think about my rh fingers when I have something really tricky to perform.

With picks, I only use 3, with the ring finger used only very occasionally. I have nails, so the tonal difference between my nails and the picks is fairly slight.

Yep.
Always have. But it is not a requirement. It is just something I do.

For big chords it is sometimes necessary to pick 4 strings at the same time, rather than strum more than is needed. Example: pick strings 3,5,6 and 10 without hitting strings 7,8,9.

Most of the time, I fold my ring finger tip against the palm of my hand. But, when I need it I have it.

just my 2c

Back around 1968 , I went to Dallas to pick up my new MSA D12. Reeece Influenced me to use 4 picks. Been doing it ever since. It is fine for those wide open C6 chords, especially jazz.
But I like to use only 3 picks on E9.....al.:)

I thought Reece used four picks.

Jake My Index Finger Is Stiff I Cant Bend It. I Use Middle 2 Fingers And a Thumb Pick. Works Pretty Good. Randy.

I use three fingers, thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Brett