The Steel Guitar Forum

Does any one play steel with a flat pick?

Seems to me Dick Meis did.Kept a six-string on his lap and would switch during songs. I've tried it, but it didn't work for me.

The late and great Sid Hudson (who left us about 3 years ago) played using a flatpick with fingerpicks on his middle and third fingers. He could play pedal steel or straight guitar with equal aplomb...meaning he could hang in there with the best of them on either instrument.

Here he is playing an Emmons tune from the "Steel Guitar Jazz" album...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVy7sqHvhX4

Boogie Sherard also played both guitar and steel with a flatpick with amazing results.

Mike Bourque

When I cut the end of my index finger, I lost feeling in it. I can't feel a finger pick on it but can still use a flat pick, I use a finger pick on my middle finger, so I play my steel and tele like this.

I good friend of mine played with a flat pick and could play faster and more accurately than most players. He was a bit of an oddity and had the steel players abuzz in Toronto when he first arrived there.

I think (could be wrong) that Bobbe Seymour played with a flat pick.

In the late 1960’s or early 1970’s there was a player on one of the old syndicated shows out of Nashville (think Porter Wagoner or Wilburn Brothers kind of show but it wasn’t either of those) where the steel player used a straight pick and they always lots of close ups of him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQvh_EWd2zw

Mike Bourque's quick change hybrid picking lesson