The Steel Guitar Forum

I've been playing steel for about a decade now, and I've always used a thumb pick and two fingerpicks. Well, tonight I started learning "All of Me" and just for laughs I tried out a third pick on my ring finger. It was definitely awkward, but I'm already getting used to it. Those maj7 and m6 chords sound so nice with all the tones in there. I know it wouldn't sound great with a bass or piano in the mix, but I was just surprised by how it wasn't too difficult to add the other pick in. I fingerpick a little on standard guitar, so maybe that helps.

Who else uses three picks? I can't imagine it's too common since four-note chords are rarely needed from the steel in a band, unless you're taking over rhythm while the other guitar takes a ride.

There's been threads about this, esp. on back neck, I do it sometimes with really wide grips, or I use pinky fingernail but that sounds really funny

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=361122

There's at least a few others about Joe Wright, Gary Morse, others who do thi

I tried it for a while and liked it for broader chord voicings but it slowed me down with licks, just more to get in the way.

I can't do it but I believe Joe Wright and Rick Schmidt use 3 fingerpicks. Bobbe Seymour did as well

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Yeah, I already responded on that thread Gene linked in the no-pedals section - but definitely, I do and explained the whys and wherefores there. And Bobbe Seymour definitely had something to do with it.

Also - the subject of 3&4 note chords recently came up here - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=361328

Thanks! I'll check out that thread. Four picks, Bill?! Wow! I can't imagine getting my pinky into the mix. As it is, I desperately need him for blocking.

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I started with 3 fingerpicks on banjo way back when so both ways are comfortable. I also practice a lot speedpicking, just thumb and index.

I made a shorter steel very pointy National NP2 fingerpick for my pinky, for extra volume. When i use that it takes me about 10-15 minutes to get used to it.

Andrew, when I started on C6 I discovered, like you, the enhanced sonority of four-note grips.

The traditional technique is to pick with two fingers and rake the other two with the thumb, but I figured that that would take too long to master and I was keen to get going. Also I imagine it would have its limitations if you want a gap above the bottom string.

Also I find grips like 356, 467, 358 and 469 are more comfortable played with the thumb and the 1st & 3rd fingers.

Hey everybody,

Three fingerpicks were used by many before I was born in 54...My Hawaiian teacher Wanda Bruening played and taught me using 3 fingerpicks. She dissected pieces of songs with full voiced chords that only 3 fingertips could accomplish...

However, I switched to the the typical 3 pick configuration within the year. Largely because of the Nashville based players I saw play...

It was the western state players (when pedals came along) that chose to stay with the 4 pick right hand configuration so they could play big fat Swing and Jazz chords..

I am sure the history of 3 fingerpicks goes back farther than these two players...But when pedals came along it was Maurice Anderson and Tommy Morrell pursuing swing styles at such a high level that cemented the concept. Their Jazz chords and playing ability inspired many to revisit the older 3 fingerpick concept.

The Mel Bay books I started learning from in 1962 showed photos of the right hand using 3 fingerpicks as the normal way to pick steel guitars.

For a while in the early 60's Tommy Morrell used four fingerpicks and thumbpick. It was absolutely amazing what types of voicings Morrell played using the full hand as guitarists do..Also Chalker played guitar and would often grab a steel chord using the ring finger...So did Julian.

Paul

Ah, gotcha Bill!

Thank you for the history and context, Paul! Playing with a thumb and two fingers is one of those things I've done as a matter of course and never thought about too deeply. I wish I had started years ago!

Andy

I love history, especially when it tells me that what I'm doing has ancestry and I'm not just being odd

Three picks and a thumb pick here.

John Bidasio in LA got me started that way, and it made sense because after all, classical guitar players use that third finger.

It's a strong finger; you can have it play the melody on the highest note and still have a 3-note chord below it; and it is very useful for the "outside" strings of F# and D#.

Chris

I was a three pick + thumb picker.

I'm in my third month after tendon hand surgery. My middle finger and ring finger now share the same tendon and my index finger and little finger share the same tendon...so...I'm relearning how to pick and it's not going to be anything of the traditional nature.

I'm in physical therapy now and have explained to the therapist what I want to accomplish...we'll see what becomes of it all...! Hopefully I can work out a thumb + two finger something or other

I don't play with picks, but I use thumb and 3 fingers regularly as I play arrangements with 3 note chords and a vocal melody moving around on top of that

That's quite a puzzle you have there, Tom, if I've read it right. But as you say, thumb and two fingers look possible in due course. I wish you luck, as I'm sure everyone does.

Ian Rae wrote:I wish you luck, as I'm sure everyone does.

Indeed.

Back in '91 I developed ulnar neuropathy and had elbow surgery. I wasn't playing pedal steel yet, but electric 6 string, bass, keyboards & drums. Took me about 6 months to relearn things and figure out new ways of doing things I could no longer do. Us guitarists are a resourceful breed Tom, so I'm sure you'll figure out how to get back playing soon...best of luck for a speedy recovery

Thanks for the "best wishes" guys...as the Doc. told me, "it's all up to you"!

I tried using a flat pick the other day.

I'd love to see some of that early steel guitar instruction with the thumb and three picks.

Interesting that the MSA (Morrell/Seymour/Anderson) founders all had a thumb & three fingers approach. I guess it really was a regional thing. I'd like to learn more about that.


I've always used the ring finger but this year when the lockdown hit I really decided to get my right hand organized by learning how to properly palm block. I'd somehow been able to ignore this for years. I'm sure others can relate. I felt like I wasn't really playing pedal steel somehow and I just had to get that classic percussive staccato thing more developed and into my tool wheel.
For a short time I was convinced it could only be done by losing the ring pick.
For about four months I abandoned the ring pick and focused on the Right Hand Aloha style and getting those classic sounds happening with Thumb & 2 picks.
And listening closely to 60s era Lloyd Green solos and instrumentals and that approach that had always kind of eluded me.
I think letting go of the ring finger was necessary for a while to really get inside that traditional palm blocking hand posture.
But I've since returned to using the ring finger and it feels right. Like a lot of players, my instinctive hand posture is closer to a pick blocking approach but the staccato palm blocking hand positioning and sounds are becoming more and more familiar and accessible the more I work at it, even with three picks.

I've used 3 picks and a thumb pick since the early 70s. Before I played steel I played a lot of jazz and classical guitar and always used my ring finger when I wasn't playing with a flat pick. Without knowing what the standard was at the time, I immediately put on 3 finger picks. My Jaco-ish thumb is pretty double jointed so I could never do the Jeff Newman right hand thing anyway..so the 3rd pick never got in my way.

That also made it easy for me to be a natural pick blocker... and now that my funky thumb is getting arthritic in my old age, the 3rd pick is sort of taking up the slack in my single note playing. Also, playing Bill Evans type chord melodies 0n a 6th tuning like my friends Reece and Sez Adamson, requires non rake-able grips. When I'm learning a song with more than the usual country changes, I kind of like playing pianistic "block chords" at first, ala Errol Garner with 4 notes on adjacent stings. It would be hard for me to figure out what notes to leave out or strum? The root? The 3rd or 5th? Or the color notes 7,9,11,13s or sharps and flats in alt 7 chords?

There are some considerations a player has to make if you go that route though....not playing big chords in some types of music if it's inappropriate is very important! Also playing chimes with the ring finger is pretty much out, so you'd have to find another way etc.

Earlier today my good friend Jim Palenscar, wanted me to help him figure out an arrangement of the Jobim tune "Meditation" for one of his students on basic E9 using 2 pick and thumb voicings. It was a great exercise for me who tends to play with bigger chords unconsciously. I think I like what we came up with better than my big grip C6 stuff. Who knew?

Rick, I caught your short video talking about the D12 extended E9 and found it inspiring. I have some similar changes on my particular s10 E9.

Meditation is a beautiful tune. I love the version on the Jobim & Sinatra record. I think its in C too, which is always nice! 😀

Been doing a fair amount of Travis-picking on six-string all along,so when I tried 3 fingerpicks( after seeing Denver steeler Bob Case do it)everything seemed to fall into place.Even more fun on a SD12!