Whole Lotta Plucking Going On

[Ray Langley]

I'm new to C6th Lap Steel. When two strings are played at the same fret, are the strings plucked with the fingers or strummed with the thumb?

My goal is to develop a chord melody system that works for me in this chosen tuning. It seems to provide the best balance between lush chords and major scales that can be played across only two frets.

Does anyone who plays a similar "system" sometimes brush up on two or more strings, rather than plucking or strumming?

[Jerome Hawkes]

i'd say both are used - there isn't one used any more than the other. most of the "classic" players drag their thumb for chords accenting the highest note with a finger. even on a simple 3 note major chord in C6...(i picked this up from Jerry Byrd) - i don't strike the chord with T-M-I like most would do - i drag the thumb for the first 2 strings and accent the highest with my index. it sounds better than the typical "stab" chord. this is a very nice sound as you learn to control the volume pedal.
if its just 2-note harmony - i will use T-M. i try to use the thumb as much as possible, even single lines, because i feel the tone is better.

[Ray Langley]

Thanks Jerome. I'll try that. I'm trying to start out playing without any picks.