The Steel Guitar Forum

I'd like to get better at blocking. I'm curious what techniques others like to use. Do lap steelers pick block at all? How many picks do you wear? How about blocking with the left hand? Is there any good instructional material on blocking techniques? A lot of what I've seen seems to target pedal steel players: are there differences in the techniques used? Do Hawaiian players block differently than, say, Western Swing or jazz players? A lot of questions, I know, but I'd love to hear what you all have to say about this. Thanks.

There are a number of different ways to block. The two most common are:

Pick blocking and palm bocking. And a bunch of little subtle ways. One that is almost as common as the first two is using one of the fingers to the left of the bar to block a note as you pull back the bar after picking one of the higher strings.

Probably the most classic example of this type of blocking is Hal Rugg's classic opening kickoff lick to Loretta Lynn's "One's On The Way". Without this type of blocking the lick just would not work.

Another one is what Buddy Emmons does with his left thumb to the right of the bar to block uwanted strings when he strums with his right fingers. Especially on the C6 neck. He is incredible at this.

Of course the king of pick blocking is Paul Franklin. He is probably the greatest alive at it. I, unfortunately, and others I understand just cannot do it. I have tried, but my brain just will not permit my fingers to do it. Yet he does it sooo effortlessly. Joe Wright is also a master at pick blocking.

One very subtle one and difficult also, is using the flesh just behind the forward part of the thumb pick to block unwanted strings when chicken picken. This one is really a killer to get down.

Then one that is easy for anyone to do at the ending of a sustained chord where one wants to mute one of the strings is to simply take the tip of the right ring finger and touch the sustaining string. I use this to deaden a suspended chord at the end of "The Waltz You Saved For Me" using an old Buddy Charlton lick I stole from his recording behind Jack Greens's "Last Letter". In this last sustaining chord the 9th string (D open note) tends to clash if it sustains too long. So I simply use this technique to kill it at the proper time.

I do not believe there is a blocking style that is used for lap style that is different when it comes to PSG.

And many of the Hawaiians were the world's greatest on single string playing using palm blocking on lap steels.

Of course the world's greatest palm blocker is Jerry Byrd. He is so good and so clever and so subtle as to almost defy logic. I feel like sometimes what he did is just flat impossible. Yet, he also does it so effortlessly. Buddy Emmons is one of the all time masters also.

The secret to blocking I suppose is really practice. Practice. Practice. Someone showing you how rarely is enough. You simply must practice it until it becomes second nature to you.

God bless you with what ever blocking you choose. Any or all of them.

carl

In the pre-historic days, when dinosaurs were still running around in my back yard, blocking was never mentioned in any books or folios. I feel the advent of the pedal guitar in the early forties made it absolutely mandatory for r/h blocking while in the meantime, the Hawaiians began to realize the advantages of r/h blocking also. (Although it was not something new to them). Unfortunately, I was too busy chasing those d***d dinosaurs and never really became accomplished at blocking no matter how much I practiced. IMHO, the best 'blocker' I have ever seen or heard is Alan Akaka in Hawai'i...he's a true master of the art of r/h blocking. Studied under Jerry...you might say he's a, (are you ready for this?) "chip off the old block!"

Joe Wright's "Secrets of the Wright hand" is great for pick blocking and general dexterity. I'm not sure what's out there for palm blocking; it helps me just to watch the good players.

Jeff Newman's video, Right Hand Alpha, gives a good basic palm blocking intro. It's geared to pedal steel E9th tuning, but I see no reason why it couldn't be easily used (principle-wise) for lap steel.

Some good previous posts, covering a lot of stuff.

I don't know if it's considered blocking, but I see a lot of lifting up the bar. Or is that used as an addition to pick or palm blocking?

------------------
Steelin' Greetings
Marco Schouten
Sho-Bud Pro III Custom

Marco...lifting the bar is not considered to be blocking. By doing so, unless you have your tone control in a bass setting, you will hear constant 'clicking' as the bar leaves the strings and returns. Annoying as hell.