Does Randy Beavers play with 3 fingers & Thum?

Wayne Franco · Post by **Wayne Franco** » 11 May 2003 9:17 am

Or standard 2 fingers and thum.

Randy Beavers · Post by **Randy Beavers** » 11 May 2003 9:42 am

I use 2 fingers and thumb. The older I get the more I wished I used 3 finger picks. It would be helpful, especially on the E9th tuning when playing chords. I've been thinking about giving it a try.

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 11 May 2003 9:46 am

Randy,

In Mtn. City last week it sounded like you were using 16 fingers and 4 thumbs. I thing there are still some of those moves you made bouncing around that building up there.
Sweeney

Wayne Franco · Post by **Wayne Franco** » 11 May 2003 9:56 am

Nothing like getting it strait from.........
Thanks Randy for being a fine person as well as a fine steel player. The reason I asked that question is I was trying that lick you showed me involving 4 strings in your medly you played in Texas You must use your thum to hit the bottom string before you play the other three...just wondering.

: )

Dan Dowd · Post by **Dan Dowd** » 11 May 2003 11:15 am

Randy, I was at the Nashville jam April 1. I had never heard you play B4 that. I was blown away by your fresh style on the E9th stuff you picked. Look forward to seeing and hearing you again.

Randy Beavers · Post by **Randy Beavers** » 11 May 2003 11:43 am

Thanks guys. On chords where the notes are spread out like on strings, 9-7-5-4, what I do is pick 9-5-4 and then pick up the 7th string with my thumb while the rest of the chord is ringing. I learned this from Paul Franklin about 20 years ago. He told me to play the "outside" notes of the chord and then pick up the other notes in the middle.
I've been working on my "raking" technique also. Using my thumb to play two strings that are together like 9-8 and using the fingers for 6-5. The trick is to angle the thumb so the rake is smooth and the strings sound as though they were picked together, and the volume isn't louder than the strings picked with the fingers. Combinations like these sound like they were played on C6th if done smooth. Most of the time on C6th you can play every string within a grouping like 8 thru 4 and not leave out any string. The challenge on E9th is learning how to "play around" the strings you don't want in the chord. One of my favorite things to do while practicing is take a tune I play on C6th and learn it on E9th. It'll make you scratch your head!
Hey Mike! Mt. City was one of the highlights of my year. I bet I got as much out of it as your "Boot Camp" students. I picked up a bunch from watching you. As to licks still bouncing around, I did have my delay set a little too "wet."

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 11 May 2003 11:53 am

Randy,

That's funny. I wasn't talking about your delay at all. Hoss, You were the king of that show hands down. Except for maybe Garland Nash on that lap steel. Bryan sent me a picture of Garland while he was playing "The Nearness Of You" with all of us watching over his shoulder.
I do thank you for the kind words too. Give me a call soon.

Mike

Bowie Martin · Post by **Bowie Martin** » 11 May 2003 4:58 pm

Randy, we are looking forward to having you with us at the MASGA jam in Wilson, NC June 14-15...A lot of steelers in our area have not heard you and are excited about you coming...I'll be in touch soon.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 13 May 2003 12:30 pm

Randy: I tried to emmulate Reece when I lived in Dallas but then I had a problem when I went to the bathroom so I gave it up too !!

Regards, Paul