The Steel Guitar Forum

on palm blocking do i block after i pick anote or strum a chord eg.like pick block strum block etc etc.

Wesley, in general, you block a split second before your next string attack. You usually don't want to cut off the sound prematurely, but have the strings resonate/sound to the last second before time to pick/strum/whatever again.
Others will give their advice as well on this, and will show the varying ways and whys.

Hi Wesley, you block when you go down to pick - a nano second before you pick.
This Video demonstrates and explains the various blocking techniques - beginning with palm blocking.

R/H blocking is a very difficult technique especially if you came up through the "old school" of playing like I did. It was never mentioned in any of the Hawaiian Guitar Methods of the day, (circa 1930-1950). They always stressed lifting the steel bar. Over the years, although I have never really mastered right-hand blocking, I have learned do it however the bad habit still remains. I have managed 'left-hand' blocking rather well, (or at least I feel I have). Anyway, my advice to new steel players, (coming from an olde phart of 81), learn, practice and keep practicing r/h blocking. In Hawai'i, probably the BEST example of a steel guitarist right hand blocking technique has to be Alan Akaka...if you get to Hawai'i sometime, be sure to see and hear his remarkable steel work.

Even though I'm only 58, I began on an acoustic guitar. And I learned to block like George does. Now that I have made the decision to buy a pedal guitar, that kind of blocking is NOT going to fly. So now I will have to unlearn what I have been doing for some years. I realize that right now you aren't thinking about a pedal guitar. But you just never can tell where you might end up. I never suspected I might do it either. Learning right hand blocking from the start (both palm and pick) is an excellent idea.

Keoki, the teacher that I had in the late 30s Oahu Pub Co emphasized rh blocking. Us kids accused her of being a moonlighting catholic nun school teacher as she would smack our right hand with a ruler when we neglected to block. cc

Amen to that George! I am privileged to have Alan as my teacher, and I am very fortunate to sit "knee to knee" with him every other week for my lessons.Even in my limited experience, (only been playing five months or so)it amazes me how fluid and seamless his playing is. Even in the non-performance environment of a lesson. By the way, if you anyone here gets the chance to study with him , do it. Besides being an amazing player, he is a great communicator and teacher. The two don't always go hand in hand.

Alan is indeed a fine musician. He started his musical life out as a youth on the clarinet. However, (if my information is correct), it was Jerry who eventually convinced him he would never 'travel' to distant places playing a clarinet...so he switched to the steel. I think a lot of his jazzy stuff is a reflection of his former clarinet days, exercises, scales, etc., so necessary on a clarinet...I could be wrong, but it sure seems that way. His notes are ALWAYS accurate and so clean, his phrasing is to envy !

Well, funny you should mention his background. At my last lesson, we were talking about that, and he actually was playing steel before studying with Jerry Byrd. But your recollection is correct, he is a clarinet player. And a bass player and a pretty good rhythm guitar player too.