Speed Pickin' - Lesson ONE from Zane King

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 20 Jan 2015 9:00 pm

Speed picking' on a pedal steel takes not only a lot of time practicing but technique and exercise. I relate it a lot to golf. In order to have a great game, you must spend time and a lot of it, practicing. However, it is important to practice the right things. What this video covers is a couple of exercises that will give you some starting points on my technique. Check it out. Also, there is a 2nd lesson coming as well on this so look for that too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YomQAt6xQvU

John Alexander · Post by **John Alexander** » 20 Jan 2015 10:03 pm

Good lesson - thank you!

Geoff Noble · Post by **Geoff Noble** » 21 Jan 2015 1:59 am

Great - Thanks for that

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 21 Jan 2015 2:13 am

Thanks Zane!!

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 21 Jan 2015 9:48 am

Zane you are a MONSTER picker. Cant Waite for the next Video. Thanks

Gary Cooper · Post by **Gary Cooper** » 21 Jan 2015 9:59 am

Zane, THANK YOU. VERY HELPFUL TRAINING AID.

Josh Rossow · Post by **Josh Rossow** » 21 Jan 2015 5:39 pm

Thanks for that video Zane, I'm going to work on those licks.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 21 Jan 2015 6:51 pm

Hot dangit Zane, I dont think the devil would beat you in a speed pickin duel!!!

Justin Emmert · Post by **Justin Emmert** » 22 Jan 2015 6:59 am

Thanks Zane. Great stuff!

Ted Lowe Jr · Post by **Ted Lowe Jr** » 24 Jan 2015 10:14 pm

Thanks for these great videos! Can you do one on the Famous Magic Lick?

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 25 Jan 2015 8:39 am

Ted,,are you talking about the 1 pedal, 2 finger, 3 string speed pattern?

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 25 Jan 2015 8:49 am

Terrific exercises, extremely useful - thanks, Zane!

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 25 Jan 2015 9:32 am

A dumb question: Isn't it the "I Can Help" chord you're playing at the beginning, Zane?

Brian Brgant · Post by **Brian Brgant** » 25 Jan 2015 5:31 pm

Newbie here...
Bear with me?
So my ears can't tell when you are at speed, but when you slow it way down, you are blocking after the last string in the set of three is struck, correct? When you play at speed it looks like your hand is blocking after each note? It is so damn fast I can't tell! I have been working on this. I am really slow. I practice it both ways. (Blocking each note, and blocking each set.) I am trying it with pick blocking as well. Hopefully one day my fingers and palm will just decide on there own which is best for the passage etc. I will never be fast. Hopefully one day I will be able to sound good! Great lessons for beginner and expert alike. Thanks for your efforts!

Ted Lowe Jr · Post by **Ted Lowe Jr** » 25 Jan 2015 8:04 pm

Yes that's the 3 string, 2 finger, 1 pedal lick, It's in the song Hotfoot by Weldon Myrick. I would love to see it on video and a discussion on how to use it or parts of it in songs.

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 26 Jan 2015 2:02 pm

Can someone post some audio or video of this so called magic lick?

Ted Lowe Jr · Post by **Ted Lowe Jr** » 26 Jan 2015 3:08 pm

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Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 27 Jan 2015 9:02 am

Here is a "G",,I guess a type of scale "pattern", that that lick,,,and hundreds of other Emmons, Lloyd Green, Myrick, Rugg type speed licks are based on,,,,a common one that comes to mind is Bruce Boutons break on Highway 40 Blues. I think most,,or a lot of the time the licks run up and down the neck on EITHER strings 5 and 6 OR 6 and 7,,,,occasionally using the "off" string,,,and of course the 8th string root. A ton of mileage here for sure. I think I got this from Jeff's class in the early 80s.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 27 Jan 2015 9:15 am

BTW,,,once you get these sounds in your mind, you hear them also in a lot of Buddy's C6 single note runs,,,,also Doug Beaumier posted some tab of non-pedal "speed" stuff that sounds VERY similar. It really isn't THAT difficult to similate the B pedal movement on a non-pedal guitar. Of course it would be very difficult (for me anyway) to get any where close to that on stuff like Hwy 40 Blues,,,,LOL.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 28 Jan 2015 5:44 am

Didn't mean to hi jack this thread,,,,,these instructional threads of Zanes are some GREAT,,,long awaited insight into some of the most talented and innovative steel playing around!!!!!!

Keep'em comin' Zane!!!!!!

Nigel Mullen · Post by **Nigel Mullen** » 29 Jan 2015 4:37 pm

Thank you so much Zane. Really helps me. Sincerely NM

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 30 Jan 2015 5:58 am

Excellent Zane....
Just what I was looking for.
Don

Zane King · Post by **Zane King** » 6 Feb 2015 4:42 am

Sonny - I appreciate all of the dialogue here on the thread. You didn't hi-jack it at all. Keep on pickin' friends!

Don Griffiths · Post by **Don Griffiths** » 12 Feb 2015 11:14 pm

Thank you Zane, this has really helped my palm and pick blocking technique!

Don Mogle · Post by **Don Mogle** » 14 Feb 2015 11:09 am

Thanks Zane! You're the best!

Thanks to other that shared their pearls of wisdom too!

Don

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Speed Pickin' - Lesson ONE from Zane King

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