picking improvement patience

[John Orr]

Hi all,
I am just approaching year number 2 of my pedal steel (double neck Mullin RP) odyssey. Having taken on both necks and the quest for the right hand palm blocking mastery in speed picking. I have studied Newman on palm blocking and Jernigan on speed picking but I am not perceiving progress commensurate with my picking practice time.

Therefore my patience might be overtaking my persistence.

I feel like if I take a day off of practice, I lose two days off of where my proficiency was prior to my break.

Suggestions? Pathetic pity party bromides?
Thanks in advance.
Yours in the struggle,
Johnnyo

[Ken Pippus]

Clearly a defective guitar.

[Jim Cohen]

Clearly a defective guitar.

[John Orr]

How are in things in the Lake?

[Dave Meis]

It's your volume pedal! I had the same problem, and found that the lower my heel was on the volume pedal, the better I sounded..especially if I was playing along with a steel track. Hope this helps...

[Ian Rae]

Take no notice of them, John! You are describing exactly where I was at after two years.

My simple advice is: give it another two. After four years I don't have to think about blocking hardly at all - it's just part of producing the sound.

And unless your hand is exactly the same shape and size as the players you're studying, you will in due course absorb the principle of what they're doing rather than looking exactly like them.

And don't be afraid to take a break - the brain needs it

[Christopher Woitach]

I understand completely, and am struggling with the same feelings. I will say that I listened to some things I recorded a couple years ago, and I am much much better, it just doesn't feel that way, to me.

It might be a good time for Skype lesson with Doug Jernigan or Travis Toy, maybe get some feedback

For what it's worth, you are always welcome to come visit me for another take

Good luck, brother - don't lose patience, I know you're doing much better than you think you are!

[Dave Meis]

Good luck, brother - don't lose patience, I know you're doing much better than you think you are!

I think Christopher hit the nail.. it's always 2 steps forward, 1 step back, and if you could hear yourself 2 years ago, you'd be mightily impressed with your playing. I've given up on palm blocking several times, but always come back to it. I never feel like I'm any better the next time around, but the fact is, my lines are a little cleaner..not great, but better. I can't seem to play with my fingers extended on my right hand..I played non-pedal for 30 years before I started on pedal, and I developed a LOT of bad habits that I struggle with correcting now. His advice to get some Skype time is a good one! I'm thinking the same for me..

[Kevin Fix]

It takes a lot of practice and play with a live band. Playing with a live band really helps. I have posted before, "If You Practice For 4 Hours A Day For 4 Years, You Will Still Think You Suck". Back away for a couple days and then go right back at it. I would be more concerned with the E9th neck right now. The C6 neck will be easier for you once you master some of the E9th. Been playing PSG for 35 years now. It don't come over night. Lots and Lots of practice.

[Tony Prior]

Good News...not to worry, after doing this for a few decades we all reflect back on the early days of the adventure , such as picking and other issues we had. The bad news is we are all still trying to improve on many of those same issues !

[Charlie McDonald]

Having taken on both necks and the quest for the right hand palm blocking mastery in speed picking. I have studied Newman on palm blocking and Jernigan on speed picking but I am not perceiving progress commensurate with my picking practice time.

Is there any more you can do?

Therefore my patience might be overtaking my persistence.

I think persistence is overtaking patience.

Suggestions? Pathetic pity party bromides?

Try hitting your right hand with a hammer. It feels so good when you stop.

[Christopher Woitach]

I've been thinking a lot about this stuff lately, the feeling of never getting any better, trying various books, etc, different picks, different approaches....

I juxtapose that against the ease I have playing underarm guitar, which I've done for over 40 years, most of that professionally, most of that with a focus on jazz (although I play a bunch of styles, and can very easily figure out new ones). Not bragging, just truth

What makes my struggles with pedal steel so much harder than the struggles I had years ago with standard guitar is how deeply it wounds my pride - I'm use to thinking of myself as a pro, a creative player, a guy who has no fear of playing in front of people or in a studio or whatever. One of the guys who gets the calls.

Along comes this instrument of extraordinary beauty and extreme complexity and yes, from the first note my goal has been to play jazz, started with a S12 E9/B6, quickly moved to Bb6 at Reece Anderson's suggestion, a suggestion wiser than I even knew at the time, as this tuning fits me perfectly... I have worked and worked and I am both a hard practicing fool (many hours per day) and an effective practicer (I've taught guitar for almost the whole time I've played), I play gigs with the best musicians in Portland, and yet - I suck. This wounds my pride more than I can express, yet I keep trying. And yes, I'm getting a little better. A little

I apologize for this long diatribe, but I want you to know I REALLY feel you here

[Fred Treece]

Baby steps come before Giant Steps.

I'm on a very similar path as you, Christopher. Eight months in, playing the melody to All Of Me with just some very straight basic harmony is very satisfying. On standard guitar, I would never settle for that.

[Landon Johnson]

I've tried pedal steel three times now. I've compared my progress to that of my telecaster and that is apples and oranges. You finger a chord and for the most part it doesn't matter which strings you play. Play a lead and even if you hit a wrong note, it often fits. Not so with pedal steel.

It's like the difference between flying a helicopter and an airplane - one is intuitive; the other is not.

You've likely reached a plateau. Just don't think about it - spend some time playing just for fun and then get to work again.

I also agree with whoever piped up about playing in a band. You already know basic song structure and 'how to jam' - what I did was just get some chords in order and sit there and play at low volume. You'll be amazed at how much you contribute to the over all sound just playing inversions and staying in your safe zone. It's just practice for that muscle memory, and truly the only person who will know you failed to palm block a note is you!

Don't stop! You'll just end up starting over in 10 yrs like I did --- twice!

[John Orr]

It has gotten better. Jim Loessberg courses take some credit. I am mixing noodling with coursework and songs in smart proportions with patience and repetition....

[Ian Rae]

Hi John - glad the fog is clearing

[Lane Gray]

At one point in a similar discussion, Paul Franklin chimed in with a (to me) profound observation;
Your fingers are not the limiting factor.
The thing that slows you down is thinking about how to play what you're trying to play. (in italics instead of quotes because it's a paraphrase instead of the exact words)
Work on every else but the speed: if you have all the other elements, the speed will come.

Or, as I describe what happens in my playing, "it plays itself. I think the notes and they come out of the speakers. It's taken me three decades to train the guitar to do it, though."

[Joseph Napolitano]

With practice(a lot) we get better. I'm sure you're getting better( if you practice a lot). But it never gets easy. The pedal steel guitar exposes all of our flaws. There's no place to hide. There aren't any worthwhile shortcuts.

[Fred Treece]

I have worked and worked and I am both a hard practicing fool (many hours per day) and an effective practicer (I've taught guitar for almost the whole time I've played)

As Christopher implies, quality practice time will improve playing, and year after year of unfocused and unprincipled practice will not.

[Jeffrey McFadden]

As you may know, when cellist Pablo Casals was asked, in his 80s or 90s, why he continued to practice every day, he said, "I think I am making progress."

Works for me.