Speed/Blocking

Brinton Payne · Post by **Brinton Payne** » 6 Oct 2003 7:05 am

Does anyone have any suggestions on picking up the pace while playing and the type of blocking that can really help you fly? I hear some of these players and am amazed at the speed they have.
Thanks

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Dekley D-10
Matchbox 7A
Profex II
NV 1000

Ricky Littleton · Post by **Ricky Littleton** » 6 Oct 2003 7:08 am

I used Paul Franklin's old talk tapes for "pick blocking" and that opened up a whole new world for me.

Ricky

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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah

Brinton Payne · Post by **Brinton Payne** » 6 Oct 2003 7:26 am

Was it a video tape? Is one able to purchase it off of his site?

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 6 Oct 2003 2:13 pm

There is both pick blocking and palm blocking. But either of them requires accuracy of notes (which strings played, and bar placement).
You gain speed by strating slowly and building up to it. If you can't get the notes right, all the speed will do it make it harder.
I learned a lot from tab by Doug Jernigan for Orange Blossom Special.
As a friend said, "get the right hand dance right" i.e., get the fingers finding all the strings in the right order... then speed up gradually.

JW

Ed Mooney · Post by **Ed Mooney** » 7 Oct 2003 7:17 am

Brinton, Winnie Winston's book Pedal Steel Guitar is a great source also. What Winnie said, what you can't play slow you can't play fast. I've been working on some of the things in the book for 3 years now and am just getting up to speed. Patience & Practice makes Perfect.
Ed

Sierra U12

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 7 Oct 2003 7:26 am

Joe Wright's video's are a help to me. #1 is "Secrets of the Wright Hand" and #4 is "Pick Blocking". The theory is simple, but I doubt that there's any substitution for mindless repetition at slowly increasing speeds.

Brinton Payne · Post by **Brinton Payne** » 7 Oct 2003 7:35 am

Thank you guys for all of the help. I have Dewitt Scott's Anthology of Pedal Steel w/ the CD and there are a few songs on there that are really helpful. I've also just figured out the palm block which is really more of an up-and-down motion rather that a rolling from fingers to palm. I'll check those books/videos out. I guess it just takes a ton of practice and hard work.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 7 Oct 2003 8:36 am

IMO,

Paul Franklin is the world's greatest "pick blocker". With Joe Wright being a very close 2nd.

Jerry Byrd is the world's greatest "palm blocker". With Buddy Emmons being a very close second.

As you may know, pick blocking is the act of muting a given string with picks instead of with the fleshly part of one's hands.

Palm blocking is the art of muting the strings with the palm of the hand.

Neither comes easy at first. Generally speaking, we tend to fall into one or the other group. Although there are a few who can do both at will. A very few can do both really well.

PF is so good at pick blocking it almost defies logic.

JB is so good at palm blocking it does defy logic!!

As much as I dearly love Joe Wright, I disagree with his premise that anyone can do it. Talking about pick blocking I mean.

There is NO way on this earth I could ever do it. Yet palm blocking came as natural to me as breathing. I have watched my dear precious friend Mike Bagwell pick block. I got my eyes within 6 inches of his fingers as he tried to show me how. NO way could I ever do it. Yet he can do it in his sleep. And he dazzles me when he does it soooo effortlessly.

While I have never discussed blocking with PF or JB, I would say without any reservation that they have spent countless hours on it. Where they have practiced non stop to the point of ridiculousness (to others); with the dedication of a youngster wanting to be the world's greatest skateboarder.

I said all the above to say the following. You can be shown, you can be told, you can be taught. But unless you practice, practice, practice it aint gonna come, UNLESS of course you are indeed a JB or a PF.

May Jesus continue to nurture their incredible talents. And bless all of you in your quests for all that is good,

carl

Scott Appleton · Post by **Scott Appleton** » 7 Oct 2003 8:42 am

Jeff newman speed pick'in DVD or VHS definately.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 7 Oct 2003 9:05 am

I don't know if this is true for others but I used to wear my picks out on the fingers and my thumbpick near the end also. I thought I could play faster that way but I couldn't pick block at all. I started experimenting about 20 years ago with the picks all the way on and touching the tips of my fingers. I also put the thumbpick all the way up to my thumb knuckle and it feels like I have so much more control this way. I've went back to the old way a couple of times over the years but it doesn't seem to be as clean for me. The only bad thing is that it eliminates some of the techniques for finger harmonics but I think the plus side is far greater. As far as Joe Wright, he doesn't wear his picks all the way up like Paul Franklin & Doug Jernigan do but he's a wonderful pick blocker. I remember seeing him in the Sierra room at Scotty's a couple of years ago when someone asked him to demonstrate pick blocking. He actually raised the heel of his right hand and tilted it where it was higher than the index finger side where he couldn't touch the heel of his hand if he wanted to. He proceeded to rip off some lightning fast scales, chord grips, and all kinds of things with his hand in that position which were so clean I couldn't believe it. I didn't hear any pick chinks or noise whatsoever. This guy really has it down........Have a good 'un..JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 7 Oct 2003 9:38 am

The most important thing to know about blocking is when NOT to do it. Beginners tend to try to block everything and destroy the flow of the music. Buddy Emmons and Paul Franklin are excellent examples of how NOT to block unless it's necessary. Notes intermingling harmonically is a signature sound of steel guitar.

It's also important to recognize that not all blocking is done with the right hand. The LH fingers extending beyond the bar can be used effectively to block descending string patterns, as can the LH thumb on ascending patterns. For blocking, taking as much of the heat off of the right hand as possible leads to a smoother style.

A third point is never to cover more strings with the bar than is necessary. Less notes to block.

It's important to think carefully about which notes to block and to practice whatever philosophy you choose until it becomes automatic.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Buck Dilly · Post by **Buck Dilly** » 7 Oct 2003 2:24 pm

Don't try to play fast. Try to play accurately and evenly. Use a metronome and if you make mistakes slow down. Any moron can play slop. Playing in time is vastly more important. Joe Wright's method is based on the principal that if I can play one note cleanly, then I can play two, then three and so on.

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 7 Oct 2003 2:36 pm

There is NO way on this earth I could ever do it. Yet palm blocking came as natural to me as breathing.

I know what you mean, Carl, it´s the very same way for me!
The concept of pick blocking made sense when I tried it slowly but there was no way I could ever speed it up, it just wouldn´t work for me. So instead I decided to work more on the palm blocking to do it as good as possible. Incidentally, all of my favorite players are palm blockers so I don´t really miss anything.

Regards, Joe H.

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 7 Oct 2003 3:35 pm

I'm no speed picker,by any stretch of the imagination, but I can relate to many things being said here, especially Larry. One thing that I've come to realize,at least in my case, is that you don't have to block every single note as it's being played on an up tempo phrase. Notes need to be blocked but not necessarily as you play them, at least in my opinion. It depends on the lick and what you are trying to accomplish. For instance, if I were playing a single note phrase that involved playing strings 8,7,6,5,4. I may play string 8, then 7, then palm block 7 and 8 just before hitting the 6th string. Then play 5, then 4, and block both 6 and 5 just before hitting the 4th string. This is only an example. Just sitting here at the computer, I really couldn't say for sure when each string is blocked, but I know that I don't block all notes as they are picked on up tempo stuff. Seems to me, the faster the phrase, the more you can "fudge" on blocking. As someone mentioned before, sometimes it adds a little color when notes blend with one another slightly.

Ken

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 7 Oct 2003 6:54 pm

Right, Ken
Forward rolls or forward patterns are particularly difficult to play fast. If you're only playing one string at a time (8,7,6,5,4 as you mention), you can tuck the blunt end of the bar into your palm and play with just the rounded end covering ONE string at a time. It's easier to block that with your left hand fingers behind the angled bar. Try it (if you haven't already). Either just rake your thumb or play a crossover forward roll and don't block with your right hand it all.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 7 Oct 2003 10:04 pm

Larry, I just listened to a few clips off your homepage. Wow! Great playing. I've never tried what you suggested before. I'll give it a try. I block sometimes going the other direction(4,5,6,7,8) using the left hand fingers that are extended beyond the rounded end of the bar.

Thanks for the tip.
Ken
http://home.ipa.net/~kenwill [This message was edited by Ken Williams on 07 October 2003 at 11:06 PM.]

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 8 Oct 2003 2:23 am

Carl:
I cannot belive that you cannot do it. I didn't think *I* could do it until I realized that I WAS doing it all along.
The easiest way to start is to take two strings and alternate them-- like thumb on the 6th and index finger on the 5th (or middle finger). If you can tap them alternately on a table top, you can do it on the strings.
The thumb hits the 6th, and as the index hits the fifth, the thumb comes to rest on the 6th. Then as the thumb hits the 6th, the index has come to rest on the 5th.
That's all there is to it.

JW

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 8 Oct 2003 4:17 am

To practice pick blocking on two strings, I suggest using strings 4 and 2 (E and D#).

They form an horrible sounding minor second interval when sounded together.

You want to avoid that sound by blocking each string before sounding the other.

Start slow as it takes to play clean and even.

Jerry Brightman · Post by **Jerry Brightman** » 8 Oct 2003 6:31 am

"Start slow as it takes to play clean and even."

Joey, thats great advice and speaks a lot in one sentence!

Jerry
http://www.slidestation.com

Mike Delaney · Post by **Mike Delaney** » 8 Oct 2003 6:48 am

I'm no speed demon, but I was helped immensely by Joe Wright's "Technique Bundle", and "The Incredible Speed Picking Course" by Hal Rugg and Weldon Myrick. Don Curtis also has a pretty good course. Good luck.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 8 Oct 2003 7:15 am

A few random observations from one who doesn't play very fast...

Obs. #1: Joe Wright is amazing. He showed up in Dallas one year with his right wrist in a cast that went from the middle of his forearm to the 2nd knuckle of his fingers. He proceeded to play something ridiculously fast, like "Orange Blossom," perfectly pick-blocked with his cast-covered wrist at a 45 degree angle to the strings.

Obs. #2: I think there's some genetic component that makes certain guys have dexterity in their fingers and other guys not. A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, gave up playing for years and years, and then comes back with blazing chops. I believe his body is programmed to be able to play that way.

Obs. #3: Palm Blocking... I can see calling the technique that but it really seems to be a "Palm Release" technique. The way I position my hands on the guitar, the strings are blocked by default. The notes only ring when my palm is lifted immediately after striking the strings, releasing the note. Also, I find myself blocking notes I hit with my middle finger (my lead finger) with the tips of my ring or pinky, since I curl those fingers under. Just an observation, really...

Obs. #4: It's easier to pick block for me when I'm not wearing finger picks, only a thumbpick. That's why I'm a "palm-releaser."

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 8 Oct 2003 9:07 am

That's absolutely true, Herb. I think that the rest position for most palm blockers is 'blocked' and the way Joe teaches pickblocking, the rest position is with the picks on the strings. So I guess what he's doing is actually 'pick releasing'.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 8 Oct 2003 10:35 am

Al Brisco taught me what Herb calls "Palm Release" at my first lesson.

He said think "Block-Pick-Block" for each note.

Dirk B · Post by **Dirk B** » 8 Oct 2003 12:56 pm

This is just a guess, but I think part of the reason why Joe Wright and Paul Franklin make pick blocking look so easy is because they've worked on index-middle dexterity. They seem to be able to pick interchangeably with any finger combo.

Most of us find that I-M pattern to be the most difficult, but with time it seems to get better and allows for more possibilities (I work on it with a metronome a few minutes each day, MOST days...).

Dirk B · Post by **Dirk B** » 8 Oct 2003 1:02 pm

He proceeded to rip off some lightning fast scales, chord grips, and all kinds of things with his hand in that position which were so clean I couldn't believe it. I didn't hear any pick chinks or noise whatsoever. This guy really has it down.......

...and by his own account of it, Joe sometimes practiced 10 hours a day in his youth, and repeated each lick 10 or more times. If he messed up even one of those 10 times, he started all over again until all 10 reps were perfect. THAT tells me something about how to get those chops. [This message was edited by Dirk B on 08 October 2003 at 02:02 PM.]