I Can't Stop Laughing Long Enough to Learn PickBlocking

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 15 Jun 2012 9:08 am

I thought I'd give you a few exerps from this new book Stuart is putting together for me.
From the notes: "I guess I'm from the older than dirt school where I pretty much understood you blocked with anything you were capable of reaching the strings with including your private parts".

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 15 Jun 2012 11:22 am

Figure 1: This is the way Bo bends his picks for PickBlocking

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 15 Jun 2012 11:25 am

This is the way Bo blocks with his fingernails

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 15 Jun 2012 11:43 am

This is the way Bo blocks with his bar hand thumb or the way Paul Franklin makes his PSG sound like a Marimba

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 15 Jun 2012 12:29 pm

admin · Post by **b0b** » 15 Jun 2012 12:56 pm

What are you trying to do, put us marimba players out of work?

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 15 Jun 2012 1:01 pm

Somebody just had to say that my pickblocking and Paul's are nowhere alike except the Marimba part.
Unlike Paul I don't believe I could ever get my 3rd and 4th fingers to find an unblocked string while I'm picking with my thumb and other two fingers.
I can't even get my 3rd and 4th fingers to join in while I'm trying to scratch my rear.

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 15 Jun 2012 1:04 pm

Just think b0b you never have to drag your Marimba along to a gig anymore if you learn pickblocking Bo's way.

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 15 Jun 2012 1:19 pm

Stuart now that you have given away most of my secrets the common masses will have the where with all to play at a level approaching Paul Franklin and myself.

Nic du Toit · Post by **Nic du Toit** » 15 Jun 2012 2:10 pm

I Love this post..... really brightened my day!

David Scheidler · Post by **David Scheidler** » 14 Jan 2014 6:54 am

The Steel Guitar Academy website offers a third technique called "knuckle blocking". Yeah, that's going to be real easy to do. I tried it out. Less movement than palm blocking but not very intuitive. Anyone out there using their knuckles to dampen strings?

http://steelguitaramerica.com/instructi ... king.shtml

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 14 Jan 2014 9:18 am

Don't forget "butt blocking", although this technique usually involves audience participation..

(happened to me once in Roswell,NM)

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 14 Jan 2014 11:22 am

Along with the pick, knuckle and butt blocking, if your feet and knees are lazy, you can just pull the strings behind the bar and for get the pedals and knees...

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 14 Jan 2014 11:38 am

whichever of you clowns is the artist, you're getting very good at drawing fingers. especially the first finger.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 14 Jan 2014 12:43 pm

Yes to knuckle blocking. I never learned to keep my little finger straight so blocking is done with the heel of the hand, the curled under tops of the ring and little fingers, picks and knuckles -- I don't think about it but just use what is available. The weakness is that between the heel of the hand and tip of the curled little finger I sometimes get a little archway that misses its blocking assignment.

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 14 Jan 2014 10:31 pm

Storm love your Butt Blocking that would go perfectly with my Butt Braille Tab that lets you concentrate on your Steel playing while you sit on the tab!

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 15 Jan 2014 8:40 am

...

Michael Hummel · Post by **Michael Hummel** » 15 Jan 2014 9:02 am

I'm almost exactly like Chris L. I have my ring finger tucked under and use it and its knuckle to block. I find it easier to have my little finger stretched out. I also have the little "arch" where strings sometimes fit and don't get blocked.

For some bizarre reason, starting out as a 6-string player (where right hand palm blocking, at least of chords, is de rigueur) I found palm blocking on pedal steel to be completely unnatural and did everything with pick blocking. I've been working on it really hard and now I find I use some weird kind of hybrid. Like most folks, I guess.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 15 Jan 2014 10:13 am

Stuart Legg wrote:Storm love your Butt Blocking that would go perfectly with my Butt Braille Tab that lets you concentrate on your Steel playing while you sit on the tab!

Would that be similar to Nut Blocking? $:\$

Storm Rosson · Post by **Storm Rosson** » 15 Jan 2014 11:16 am

Prolly depends on your anatomy

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 15 Jan 2014 5:40 pm

To get back on subject I am working on getting my 3rd and 4th finger to move with the 2nd finger like they are webbed together.
It is hard to break old habits that you've used for years.
I wonder if I could seu the guy that put out that course I learned pick blocking from?

David Scheidler · Post by **David Scheidler** » 15 Jan 2014 6:10 pm

Bo:

Sorry if I hijacked your original post. I made the mistake of replying to your link to this thread. Look at the trouble I've caused!

I guess enough practice can undo any "bad" habit, although it is challenging to undo muscle memory. The best case scenario is probably to learn a combination of blocking techniques and use the one(s) that works best for the song or lick you're playing.

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 18 Aug 2015 1:01 pm

Am I the guy with lots of lessons and no complete songs?...LMAO....Its not that I will lose any sleep tonight, my girlfriend just wants to know.... $:\$ $:\$

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 18 Aug 2015 1:24 pm

Chris Lucker wrote:I sometimes get a little archway that misses its blocking assignment.

Just picking up on the one serious point (I'm boring like that) - I am working on blocking the Jeff Newman way. The hand is well forward with the fingers coming back on themselves, so that that gap is less likely to coincide with a struck string. Also keeping the elbow in and relaxed seems to help. Not sure why - maybe it just deadens the weight of the hand a little.

If you want to know what problems the other creases in your palm are likely to cause, you should consult your local palmist.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 18 Aug 2015 1:36 pm

I could never play with my picks bent like that. Mine are basically straight, and only stick out an 1/8 or so beyond the flesh. I pick very firmly.

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I Can't Stop Laughing Long Enough to Learn PickBlocking

I Can't Stop Laughing Long Enough to Learn PickBlocking

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