Pick blocking and Lloyd Green's playing

[Jeremy Klein]

Hello, I'm a relatively new player who has gotten pretty good at palm blocking but is still working on pick blocking. When playing with others, i mostly palm block but find myself occasionally pick blocking when playing twangy, high attack licks with an attitude.

I've been running through Charley Pride's "Last Thing on my Mind" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef61bmi ... ride-Topic) from his classic live album, trying to tap into Lloyd Greens style for fast country songs and learn some of those licks. Something that's struck me about some of his licks, particularly the ones on the first few strings (0:17, 1:24), are the quick and sharp attack. When I try to play these licks with palm blocking, it just doesn't feel sharp and aggressive enough, leading me to think Lloyd is pick blocking these licks. In this youtube tutorial (https://youtu.be/fRMiTbcvFA4?si=LdnWv4_5q91gMTdH&t=36), the guy pick blocks the lick at 1:24 I was referring to, possibly confirming my suspicions.

Only thing is, I find pick blocking these licks to be incredibly awkward and difficult for me, as they involve quickly moving across strings. It will take me a while to build the muscle memory for that, and I'm not even positive Lloyd is doing it since I know he palm blocks a ton.

To those more experienced than me, do you think Lloyd is pick blocking those licks? And is pick blocking. a necessary technique to get the aggression and attack in that recording? Is it possibly I just need to work on my palm blocking and I can achieve the same results?

[Ricky Davis]

I play both and it always turns out to be pick block when I need fluid motion and palm block when I need aggressive quick pick.
Here I do both throughout on this longish solo>
https://youtu.be/WParxip-RJM?si=lF2N-h9m3I6OwSX_
I say use them both; if one falls behind on what/how you want it to sound; Do it MORE NUMBERS than the other; till it catches up.
Ricky

[Jeremy Klein]

Thanks Ricky, that's helpful. Sounds like I have it backwards and palm blocking is used for a sharper attack on quick runs.

[Dave Magram]

I agree with Ricky--it can be very useful to learn both picking techniques.

However, the term “pick-blocking” is very misleading--according to Paul Franklin himself.

Paul says in one of his videos (below) that “finger-tip blocking” is a much more accurate description than “pick-blocking” for his innovative technique, because blocking with just the picks is only part of how he mutes the strings.

Here are some resources to learn more about how to do “finger-tip blocking”...
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Paul's Picking and Blocking Technique – Paul Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFumqjf8dRs
At 0:58 minutes, Paul demonstrates the basics of “fingertip blocking” with great close-ups starting at 0:59 minutes. You can see how he uses the “backside of his thumb” to block thumb-picked notes when ascending. Notice his short-blade Herco Blue thumbpick.

● In Paul’s “Tackling Blocking” post on his blog, he explains “fingertip blocking” in just 54 words: “For the ascending lines across ten strings, the backside of the thumb blocks (the previous note)… When picking descending lines moving across the ten strings I use the fronts of the ‘webbed’ fingers to accomplish the muting…. For the ascending lines across ten strings, the backside of the thumb blocks in the same fashion”
https://paulfranklinmethod.com/tackling-blocking/

The Fred Kelly Speed Pick that I use has a short-blade like Paul’s Blue Herco thumbpick does—to help with blocking thumb-picked notes—but it doesn’t loosen up like the Blue Hercos do.
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The Do's & Don'ts of Pick Blocking – Paul Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBPXH2-AX_0
Paul explains why a more accurate name for “pick blocking” is “fingertip blocking”.
At 0:42, he explains and demonstrates exactly how he blocks finger-picked notes with the tips of his ring and little fingers: “Wherever my middle finger goes, my ring and little fingers follow—because they are all ‘webbed’ together.”.

This sounds very simple, and basically it is—but it takes some time to master!
This is because you need to practice the many permutations of the fingerpicking pattern in “fingertip blocking”.
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Pedal Steel Guitar Lesson: Bluegrass Ending Licks (Paul Franklin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-QtjySlSFY
Paul demonstrates a couple of bluegrass licks, with very tight close-ups. You can see clearly how he uses the backside of his thumb to block thumb-picked notes.

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Best country band ever, Mark O'Connor & New Nashville Cats - American Music Shop - "Pick It Apart" (Paul Franklin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJkBnt8Uww8
Paul Franklin’s incredibly fast solo begins at 1:10, with several close-ups of his right hand.
Hearing this tune (clocked at 170 bpm) caused me to decide to try to learn how do “fingertip blocking”; because I couldn’t imagine how anything could be played at this tempo with palm-blocking!
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The above information is an excerpt from a 20-page guide to palm-blocking and finger-tip blocking that I wrote several years ago. If you would like a free copy, send me a Private Message with your email address.
No charge, but I do ask that you let me know if it is helpful or not.

- Dave

[Jeremy Klein]

Thanks for sending that stuff over Dave! Yea I've seen Paul Fraklin's material on the matter. It's hard to get myself to put in the time learning pick blocking when I can play all those licks just fine with palm blocking, but sounds like it's a worthwhile effort to know both in the long run.

[Mark Hariman]

There’s a dude on YouTube doing Lloyd Green covers and it’s quite evident he’s palm blocking to achieve that quick staccato mute on the strings.

https://youtu.be/UTK2OKl2ZFQ?si=ycPIUuhyoIDrK60T

[Tucker Jackson]

Something that's struck me about some of his licks, particularly the ones on the first few strings (0:17, 1:24), are the quick and sharp attack.

What Ricky said. That aggressive, short stacatto sound is often palm blocking.

And as has been pointed out, 'palm' is a misnomer. You can just set you hand down on the strings and not think about what's happening -- something other than the palm will stop the string from ringing. If you curl your fingers under, it could be one of those... or it could be the back of your hand (think karate chop).

It's not helpful to have to change the position of your hand to acheive this. After picking, just immediately drop it straight down without consciously trying to change posture, letting it land how it lands. It might naturally twist a tad to the right and that's fine, just don't try to force something different to consciously "block." Setting the hand back down is literally the most natural thing you could do, so it shouldn't feel tense or awkward.

If this technique not there for you, try an exercise where you just pick one string, like the 3rd... start at neutral with the hands resting on the strings. Pick with the hand still on the string, fully blocked, just to get the feel of it. You'll get a "thwump" sound. Do that several times, then pick again, but slightly lift your hand to get sound to come through, and immediately go back and set you hand down. Try to get it as one flicking motion. You're going for a 'Pop!' sound, so pick hard.

So.... default is hands resting on the strings, and you're only lifting during the split second you want sound to come through.

When doing a fast run, your hand will be lightly bouncing up and down on the strings, making machine gun touches with the strings as it briefly alights.

[Barry Yasika]

Not to deviat from the original thread but that video link of RIcky Davis was very impressive. Such a nice touch and such deliberate playing. It was enough to see him start the solo himself but when the guitar player and he played through the licks together so locked in, it bumped him up into a whole new category of playing, at least for me it did. I could hear more palm than pick blocking but man that's something worth shooting to get proficient at doing. I'm surprised I haven't heard more about him other than reading his posts on the forum. Really great example of faster singe not palm and pick blocking!!

I use both palm and pick blocking too, but sadly developed a bad habit of using my left thumb on the bar to mute or block strings. It was something that came naturally and there was no one around in my early days to tell me I was using the wrong approach. I've tried hard to break away from that but it always creeps it's way back into my playing. Listen to Ricky, and stay away from bad habits!!