Fellow Forumites,
Below are excerps from an email I sent to Dave Magram after receiving his Blocking Guide. I realize that more resources are becoming available everyday, but Dave’s document immediately filled in some blanks for me, all in a single compilation, and it’s my hope that anyone who is learning or wants to improve their picking technique will obtain a copy. Surely, his guide will help a player get onto a path that is good for them.
Mostly, I hope this post helps someone to avoid all of the struggles and disappointments I’ve experienced over a period of five decades. Maybe this post will help someone gain success in a reasonable timeframe. It’s 21 pages covering several topics like right hand shapes, picks, pick shaping and slippage, thumb picks, several video links featuring world-class steel-guitarists, etc..
Some points:
* …the most comprehensive information/insights that I have ever experienced. There are some things that I had discovered, but your guide filled in some crucial “blanks” that have frustrated me for 50 years...IMHO no one should be without it.
* For me, THE single most significant topic in your guide is “The Big Secret” of Palm-Blocking wherein you describe it as one motion!! Even Jeff didn’t explain that—that I can remember. I was trying to rotate my hand to block too…SMH
* I’ve been struggling to get Jeff’s right hand technique to work but can’t do it. After reading your Guide I think I my right hand naturally looks/functions more like Paul’s or Joe’s.(who would have thought!!) I’ll be watching the vids you provided.
* Thank you for the Fred Kelly Speed Thumb Pick info!!... and the comprehensive info regarding the finger pick brands, shaping, and the use of nose pads!!
* Thank you so much for the information/links [to about 25 YouTube videos of master players that show their picking techniques] you’ve provided on pages 17 thru 21!! I’ve been trying to study these things for decades and couldn’t get it done. Now, it’s all in checklist format for me to begin my next journey.
* I want to be sure you know that the ENTIRE guide is phenomenal. The bullets above are derived from the things that hit some critical nerves for me, so don’t think I’m discounting any other material. It’s ALL important and VALUABLE. I wish I’d had this 50! years ago"
Again, I hope this post encourages someone to contact Dave for a copy of his guide, and in doing so, gets onto a productive and satisfying path on their playing journey. The more we know the better questions we can ask of our instructors, and Dave’s guide is full of knowledge that can be absorbed as a spring board.
All the best,
Marty Broussard
Dave Magram’s Blocking Guide
Moderator: Dave Mudgett
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Marty Broussard
- Posts: 2507
- Joined: 18 Oct 2002 12:01 am
- Location: Broussard, Louisiana, USA
Dave Magram’s Blocking Guide
RETIRED
Former steel guitarist for Tracy Byrd & The Byrd Dawgs, Mark Chesnut & The New South Band, Mark Nesler & Texas Tradition, Wayne Toups & ZydeCajun, Belton Richard & The Musical Aces
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin
Former steel guitarist for Tracy Byrd & The Byrd Dawgs, Mark Chesnut & The New South Band, Mark Nesler & Texas Tradition, Wayne Toups & ZydeCajun, Belton Richard & The Musical Aces
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin
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Colin Boutilier
- Posts: 98
- Joined: 24 Jan 2024 6:00 am
- Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Re: Dave Magram’s Blocking Guide
I'm hoping to sit down with his guide this weekend and see how it looks/feels for a pickless player like myself.
Sierra Session S12U, Carter Starter, USA Little Buddy, Austin dobro, B/G Bender Telecaster, '75 Twin Reverb, '75 Super Reverb 1x15
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Dave Magram
- Posts: 737
- Joined: 10 Jan 2003 1:01 am
- Location: San Jose, California, USA
Re: Dave Magram’s Blocking Guide
Wow!! What a nice review!!
Marty, thank you very much for your kind words about my Blocking Guide!!
They mean a lot coming from you; I've heard you play with Tracy Byrd, and you sound GREAT!!
*****************************************************************************
ABOUT MY BLOCKING GUIDE
In my Blocking Guide:
● I analyze, to the best of my ability, the four major hand shapes and various palm-blocking techniques used by master players such as Emmons, Green, Brumley, etc.,
● I include a thorough explanation of how Paul Franklin does his "fingertip blocking" (his term for what many players call "pick-blocking")--mostly in Paul's own words.
● Included are numerous screenshots and many YouTube videos of master players so you can study their hand shapes and blocking techniques like I did.
● Included are a series of step-by-step exercises to learn effective palm-blocking and/or "fingertip blocking", regardless which variation of blocking you prefer.
● Also included are what I hope are helpful tips on ergonomics, how to shape your fingerpicks for maximum picking effectiveness and comfort, etc.
Most importantly, my guide is descriptive, not prescriptive--I do not evangelize one technique over another, or preach about how I personally do blocking.
● As I state in the Guide, "All of these variations on blocking work very well for these master players—just find the one that works best for you!!"
I have learned so much over the years from bOb Lee's Steel Guitar Forum--the best online music forum I have seen--this is my way of giving back a little something.
And if you are a pretty good player or instructor and don't feel that you need to learn anything from my Blocking Guide--but may have some suggestions to help me improve it, I'd be happy to send you a copy for your review and candid comments.
TO GET A COPY OF MY BLOCKING GUIDE
If you want a copy of my Blocking Guide, please send me your email address via PM or SGF email; because the SGF email does not allow me to send attachments such as a Word document or PDF.
The Blocking Guide is free of charge…
All I ask is for you to please provide some feedback if it is helpful or not, and any suggestions you may have to improve it.
- Dave
p.s. I thought I should clarify that when Tracy mentioned the use of "nose pads" in his review, he was referring to "eyeglass nose pads" used to cushion the inside of fingerpicks--not some sort of blocking device attached to one's nose.
Marty, thank you very much for your kind words about my Blocking Guide!!
They mean a lot coming from you; I've heard you play with Tracy Byrd, and you sound GREAT!!
*****************************************************************************
ABOUT MY BLOCKING GUIDE
In my Blocking Guide:
● I analyze, to the best of my ability, the four major hand shapes and various palm-blocking techniques used by master players such as Emmons, Green, Brumley, etc.,
● I include a thorough explanation of how Paul Franklin does his "fingertip blocking" (his term for what many players call "pick-blocking")--mostly in Paul's own words.
● Included are numerous screenshots and many YouTube videos of master players so you can study their hand shapes and blocking techniques like I did.
● Included are a series of step-by-step exercises to learn effective palm-blocking and/or "fingertip blocking", regardless which variation of blocking you prefer.
● Also included are what I hope are helpful tips on ergonomics, how to shape your fingerpicks for maximum picking effectiveness and comfort, etc.
Most importantly, my guide is descriptive, not prescriptive--I do not evangelize one technique over another, or preach about how I personally do blocking.
● As I state in the Guide, "All of these variations on blocking work very well for these master players—just find the one that works best for you!!"
I have learned so much over the years from bOb Lee's Steel Guitar Forum--the best online music forum I have seen--this is my way of giving back a little something.
And if you are a pretty good player or instructor and don't feel that you need to learn anything from my Blocking Guide--but may have some suggestions to help me improve it, I'd be happy to send you a copy for your review and candid comments.
TO GET A COPY OF MY BLOCKING GUIDE
If you want a copy of my Blocking Guide, please send me your email address via PM or SGF email; because the SGF email does not allow me to send attachments such as a Word document or PDF.
The Blocking Guide is free of charge…
All I ask is for you to please provide some feedback if it is helpful or not, and any suggestions you may have to improve it.
- Dave
p.s. I thought I should clarify that when Tracy mentioned the use of "nose pads" in his review, he was referring to "eyeglass nose pads" used to cushion the inside of fingerpicks--not some sort of blocking device attached to one's nose.