RIght Hand Advice, Starting Over

[Chris Cook]

Getting a new guitar next week, haven't played steel in about 10 years.

When I stopped, my right hand was a bit of a mess: I was self-taught for about 18 months, then I watched a Jeff Neuman video and tried to throw everything out and start from scratch.. but never "clicked" with Mr Neuman's right-hand "pyramid" shape.

Watching a few videos on YouTube, I'm discovering lots of different hand shapes (see images below) from Jeff Neuman, Joe Wright and Aaron from Steel Pickin' just to name a few:

right-hand.jpg

In the image above, Aaron and Joe wright have a more "flat" hand that Mr Neuman warns against vehemently, but that hand shape is probably more similar to my original right-hand technique.

If you were STARTING OVER from SCRATCH and willing to put in 30-40 minutes a day of just right hand pickin' with the metronome, what technique would you focus on?

Is there one instructional video or YouTube channel that's the "gold standard" for getting a clean right hand technique? I don't want to play fast, but I don't want to play slow all the time either.

[Bill McCloskey]

Jeff Newman. Worth the effort.

[William Carlyle]

Definitely agree with Bill. Jeff Newman!!

[Chris Cook]

Jeff Newman. Worth the effort.

Definitely agree with Bill. Jeff Newman!!

Interesting and thanks.

Is the "Right Hand Alpha" video what I'm looking for? The way to go?

[Thornton Lewis]

What dictates your hand shape is blocking. Jeff Newman palm blocks so his hand shape facilitates dropping the back of his right hand onto the strings to block. Joe Wright pick blocks. His hand shapes facilitates moving his fingers from one string to another to pick and block as needed. There are other forms of blocking using the left hand that everybody uses, but palm vs pick really dictates your hand shape and, frankly, your style to a degree.
Listen to two technical masters, Buddy Cage and Joe Wright. These guys can play as fast and clean as you will ever need to, but executing similar things they sound different because of their blocking. Buddy sounds percussive, Joe more flowing. That's a taste question.
Paul Franklin says "Just do it all" and unquestionably if you play wide chords with multiple string skips you will need some form of palm block. We are not Paul and I think if you are looking at significant right hand practice and are not trying to reproduce the sound of 50s to 60s steel, pick blocking is the way to go.
I'm no great steel player. I use four picks, which makes avoiding palm blocking easier. Look around though and you will be hard pressed to find a professional steel player (especially under the age of 50) who palm blocks most of the time. There's a reason for that.
People have recommended "No speed limit." I will recommend "The Wright Hand." It's ridiculously detailed, just figure out how the technique works and do whatever exercises make what you want to play sound better. It's free on the web.
Need I say metronome and drone? Dizzy Gillespie said " Nothing swings like a metronome." I say execution without articulation leads to devastation.

[Bill McCloskey]

I’ve studied both Jeff Newman and Joe Wright’s methods. There is nothing in Newman’s method that prevents pick blocking. I do both and I also wear 4 picks. While Joe Wright’s method is great for Joe and his hands, he spent a lot of time doing figure isolation moves that are difficult to master. I don’t think it is for most people. Jeff Newman’s method allows for both pick and palm blocking.

[Bobby D. Jones]

Just think about the times you have shook hands with people, No 2 hands are the same.

Finger diameter , Length of fingers, width and thickness of palm area have an effect of hand position.
Some people's hands will not form into some of the positions, Some instructors teach.
Some can palm block, Some have to pick block or use parts of fingers and thumb to block.
Some players even have to use thumb on right hand or slide bar back and use middle finger to block/mute certain strings.

You have to work with your hands, And figure out how you can best block/mute strings.
Hand size and shape also affects what diameter and length bar a player can use and have complete control of.

[Dave Magram]

Hi Chris,

Thornton has explained a most important point--which blocking method a player uses determines his/her hand shape.

Many years ago, I took one of Jeff Newman's one-day workshops. It was very helpful, but I never could use Jeff's recommended hand-shape to palm-block. Fortunately, there are several other valid hand-shapes for palm-blocking: Lloyd Green, Tom Brumley, Jay Dee Maness, Hal Rugg, Buddy Emmons, and others--all of whom palm-block (although Buddy uses a unique "hybrid" blocking technique)--and all employ slightly different hand shapes. After trying several of them, I found one that worked for me.

• I include many screenshots of and links to YouTube videos of these and other steel players that include close-ups of their right hand, in the Blocking Guide I describe below--so you can find one that works for you.

Many years later, I heard Paul Franklin take a blistering solo (~190 bpm) on "Pick It Apart", and I learned to do "fingertip blocking". Now, I just use a combination of the two interchangeably so I don't even think about which one I am doing.

If you are interested, I can send you a 22-page Blocking Guide on both palm-blocking and “pick-blocking” that I put together several years ago for a student. Over the years, several players on the SGF have asked me to send them a copy, and have reported that it was very helpful.

The reason why it is 22 pages long is that it consists of a series of detailed but simple step-by-step exercises to "de-construct" the challenging palm-blocking technique. Palm-blocking may look very easy, but is difficult to learn for many newer players.
• I have recently added an explanation of how Paul Franklin does “pick-blocking” (which he calls “fingertip blocking”)
• It has many screenshots of, and links to YouTube videos of many top PSG players.
• It also has some tips that you may find useful, such as how to shape your fingerpicks, etc.

I do not charge anything for the Blocking Guide; all I ask is that you let me know if you find it helpful or not, and make any suggestions to improve it.

• It's my way of giving back to this great SG Forum that bOb started and managed so well--from which I have learned so much over the years.

If you want a copy, please send me a Private Message with your email address.

- Dave