The Steel Guitar Forum

I am a 70 year old steel newbie, who has had an artificial leg for almost 50 years. I am attempting to learn to play steel for my own pleasure. I have just started lessons with John McClung who has an excellent, very well organized lesson plan.

I have read many forum articles about adapting to finger picks. What I have not achieved, and what I am extremely frustrated with is that when I have fingerpicks on, my brain hasn’t adapted to knowing where in space my fingers are.

What does that have to do with artificial legs. With todays modern, computer controlled, artificial legs your brain starts to know where your leg is at all times. You develop and incredible connection with a mechanical/computer interface. Without thinking I can react in real time to walking over obstacles. My brain knows where my foot is.

With finger picks on, I can not “feel” where the end of fingers are. My brain hasn’t adapted these little extensions of my fingers into my world space map.

I watch my friend Harley James play and it seems that the right hand has total knowledge of where the strings are at all times. The right hand might move up in the air and come back down without a glance.

Color me frustrated newbie

Steven,
Three things you have to remember: practice, practice & practice.
Erv

Wear them around the house all day. You’ll get used to them. It’s worth it.

I’d like to suggest that in time, you will get used to them. You won’t have to look to see where you are placing them etc. Maybe experiment with different brand of picks & thumb pick.
Erv is right.
Sometimes you just need a break from it to re focus,make it fun, not work.
Maybe discuss the “ fit” of your picks with John, I’m sure he can help you.

When I started playing I was only 62 but I knew that to get That Sound that drew me to the instrument in the first place, I needed to get use to the right kind of picks and I did. I'm 70 now but I believe I could still do it if I had to.

I had never used any kind of finger picks before - the only stringed instrument I'd played was bass guitar and I rarely use even a flatpick. I know exactly what you mean about your brain knowing where the ends of your fingers are, but not the ends of the picks! But you can recalibrate if you persevere.

As Dana says, fit is crucial too. Plan to spend many happy hours with round-nosed pliers.

What Erv said.
And, try to remember how you adapted to the artificial leg. Correct repetitions. Making music is more fun when you learn how to use your tools. Fingers and picks are tools, your brain is the interface. Listen carefully to Mr. McClung, watch his demonstrations very closely, and ask lots of questions. Everyone here has been a frustrated newbie.

At first I had quite a time getting used to them, but now they seem like second nature. Took a while, but now they are the only way I play.

The difference is an antique artificial leg is fairly easy to operate. LOL

I have to concur about the right fit, but, practice and repetition will lead to muscle memory, which, will lead to correct hand and finger placement. After a while it will all become second nature to you. I, too, started with just a thumb pick and bare fingers. However, I wanted to get a more crisper sound, so, I chose to use the finger picks. It didn't take that long to get used to them. Keep trying! Although, if you can't get used to them, don't fret it. There were several really good pickers who didn't wear them. Bobby Seymore comes to mind on that.

Watch Mike Bourque on YouTube. He switches from Telecaster too steel with a-
flat guitar pick an bare fingers an never misses a beat. An Mike has very good tone.
On steel and telecaster!!

I can play either way because I play fingerstyle guitar without picks, steel guitar with picks. The 87 Buddy Emmons show posted has Buddy without picks. He could play either way. I prefer picks on with steel for tone and clarity. You can get used to them as suggested. Good fit, practice and time. You will adapt quickly.

If you are playing for your enjoyment, maybe try playing without finger picks and just a thumb pick and see if if you can grab three note major chord grips,1-3-5, 3-5-1 & 5-1-3, in whatever tuning you're using.

Chris Templeton wrote:If you are playing for your enjoyment, maybe try playing without finger picks and just a thumb pick and see if if you can grab three note major chord grips,1-3-5, 3-5-1 & 5-1-3, in whatever tuning you're using.

I play non-pedal with a thumbpick and nails I keep shaped for chicken picking. Doing things the traditional way has it's merits. Finding your own way has it's merits too. Whatever let's a person make the music they want to make.

When I first started I used to curl the tips of the brass picks around the end of the fingers so the displacement was much less.

John Hyland wrote:When I first started I used to curl the tips of the brass picks around the end of the fingers so the displacement was much less.

I did that as well when I started, and still do... If you stop to think about it, your right-hand fingers are doing the equivalent of upstrokes AND are at least a little bit curled up. Fingerpicks bent to conform to the tip of your finger will therefore be vertical to the strings, which is what you want (I do,anyway).

BTW, I'm intrigued with the idea of brass fingerpicks. I'd always thought that the traditional (steel?) fingerpicks were a little "clang-y", and went with Ron Landis' sterling silver picks, which I like a lot for their softer feel. Maybe brass would work well too.

Stephen, two tips:

Practice slowly and deliberately.

Clip off some of the wraparound portion of the pick if it is catching on the adjacent string.

I have been using brass fingerpicks for years (Dunlop 0.025"). For me they are easier to adjust, bend, and fit. And they have a darker tone that suits my ears.

What brand of picks? Maybe try another brand, bend the bands so they're more of a cone than a cylinder shape, rotate the blade slightly towards the thumb, and try very curved and slightly cuved blades.

Nobody better than John McCLung to get you started over all the speed bumps that pedal steel will throw down in front of you. Did you show im how you've fitted the picks and did he show you the needlenose pliers he uses to shape picks, kind of like




Mine are for jewelers and model bilders, wrapped in vinyl tubing, from Hobby Lobby

Steve, we'll tackle this first in your lesson this week, I have many tips on getting fingerpicks more comfortable. That photo in Gene Tani's post is one method I use to do pick reshaping. More tips to come! See ya Wednesday, Sept. 22!

I think this is the issue that comes up most often with beginning steel players...the finger picks. But remember that probably 95% of us have addressed, and eventually conquered the same obstacle. Steel players who play without fingerpicks are very rare indeed. As has been stated many times, practice is what makes them feel right in time. It's just an annoying part of the learning curve.