Volume pedal vs finger strain

[Jim Pollard]

Finally dawned on me as i was falling asleep last night (what?! what do you think about when you're falling asleep?) That if I were to turn up my amp more and focus on using the VP to manage volume I might reduce my tendency to "dig in" with my picking fingers when I want to be louder. Maybe even turn the amp well past what I'm comfortable with hearing. A way to develop a lighter touch?

[Jerry Overstreet]

Many players do that, but that means you need precise control of your volume pedal.

I saw Sonny Purdum at the Spoke in Nashville one night, visited the stage on his break and noticed his 2 Peavey 400s were dialed wide open.

[Donny Hinson]

I saw Sonny Purdum at the Spoke in Nashville one night, visited the stage on his break and noticed his 2 Peavey 400s were dialed wide open.

That's the only way I ever play. I don't do to be loud, I do it so that I can have almost endless sustain of notes and chords.

[David W.D. McCormick]

...reduce my tendency to "dig in" with my picking fingers

Is this undesirable? A little off topic but I'm curious as to whether people feel you should usually be picking lightly. I like to "dig in" as i find it gives a slightly different tone.

[Jim Pollard]

Right now it's desirable for me as I'm having issues with my picking hand. Not trigger finger, more like radial tunnel syndrome. Makes my fingers feel stiff at times.

[Bruce Coffman]

Sounds like an “adapt or die” situation — figure out what works best for you. Us old guys deal with that kind of shit all the time.

Pretty sure that’s also one way Billy Gibbons keeps rocking HARD into his upper 70’s — his six-stringers are all using 8’s and his amps are WFO.

[Dave Grafe]

As for "digging in" I practice without an amp to keep me putting some meat onto the strings and behind the bar all the time. That's where tone comes from so this should be more the norm than the exception, use your hands to make the sounds and your VP to manage volume, dynamics and sustain.

[Steve Lipsey]

I gotta' say, some of the best advice I ever got was from Dave Grafe: "Pick it like you mean it!!"
It is so easy to lose tone by just picking delicately....

[Jim Pollard]

As a follow up to this I've started a good stretching routine and it's really helped.

https://youtu.be/GmMfW2kCkeE?si=zkRLhvZ6KQg82LFP

[Fred Treece]

As a follow up to this I've started a good stretching routine and it's really helped.

https://youtu.be/GmMfW2kCkeE?si=zkRLhvZ6KQg82LFP

Be careful doing that stuff. If you are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome, those extreme stretches are some of the worst things you can do for prevention.

I 100% agree with cranking the clean amp, using the VP, and picking reasonably hard.

[Ron Pruter]

I've read here in the past, that Paul Franklin picks/digs-in, pretty dawg gone hard. Just saying. I have arthritis really bad (AA) so when I do, I always pay the price the next day.
I did know a great bass player that had his action so low it was impossible for me to play his bass and not have emmence fret rattle. When he played it, no buzz. His secret, turn the amp up real loud and play real lightly. Let the dynamic range all fall within a different gain setting. RP

[J D Sauser]

...reduce my tendency to "dig in" with my picking fingers

Is this undesirable? A little off topic but I'm curious as to whether people feel you should usually be picking lightly. I like to "dig in" as i find it gives a slightly different tone.

IF you want to play fast…
There are instance when one should “dig in with intention, thou.
I realized that while watching Bill Phelps at the Cater booth back in the late 90’s. He just played so effortless. I asked him about it and got the answer “IF you want to play fast!”


… JD

[J D Sauser]

Volume pedals became “the thing” when pedals did.
One reason was LOUDNESS control between backing up and soloing.
The other was the fact that pedal steels had inferior sustain and dynamics (changer mechanisms, large radius chager bridge etc).

I feel that pedal use can turn into a habit of over-use to the point that some have no natural attack left in their tone. I know, I have fallen into that trap in the past.
I think that we should at times take our foot off it and practice on our picking hand’s touch and dynamics, so not to loose control over it to a “pedal”.

… JD