The British Steelies Society

Hi folks, I bought a Cindy Casdollar DVD on western swing non-pedal steel techniques for beginners. Have watched it through and it seems like lots of good stuff to help me practice and get going. BUT looking at her fingers she seems to have the metal picks on her fingers the wrong way round, or at least the opposite way to how I would normally put them on, so the 'nail' bit looks like it's bending up from her real nails and the wrap around bit is closing on the top of her fingers. Can you picture it? Beginners question: why has she put them on that way? Is it a better way to wear them than the normal looking way?
I have put them on this way and it seems kind of OK although feels a bit like I have put my pants on back to front, i.e. it's covering what it should do and doing the job but feels kind of uncomfortable so I keep fidgeting.
If it's the proper way to do it then I'll persevere. However, I hadnt been using metal picks or metal tone bar on my lap steel up to now and watching this DVD (only on pedal steel). Before, I was playing lap steel using a glass bar that a chap from the local glass factory made (from a dobro bar type shape) and a plastic thumb pick. Now I'm trying the metal tone bar and metal finger picks.
What do others use on the lap steel and is this back to front finger pick thing the way to go? Thanks all, Carron

This is the normal way to wear picks.
As you pick toward yourself the blade is kept fast against the pad of your finger.
Different people bend the blade more less but wrap at the top is the way to go.

Well I'll be. Thanks very much Allan.

Ruby, don't feel too silly- when i first had a lesson with Dave Hartley, I did exactly the same as you, and put them on as though they were nail extensions! Felt a right plum!

Ha, it's if you'd painted them a jaunty pink colour that he may have been checking for the nearest exits! Also, in Allan's picture they look a bit more 'bent round' than mine. Do they need to be a bit more bent over? Trying them this way round, the pick is missing the string and I keep catching the edge of my fingertip on the string rather than the pick. Do they just push over to bend more or is there a secret to it?

that's a personal choice kind of thing. I use mine "straight out of the box", as it were. Just bend the fingers-wraps to suit. Some players have them like Alan, almost touching the fingers, some bend them almost straight. The answer is to keep fiddleing and use whats best for you. Some players don't use them at all! In the end, if you're a better player with them uspide down, just leave them that way. Who's to say you can't? (like telling Brian May he can't play a home made guitar with an old sixpence!)
Jason

You just beat me to it Jason, that's eggsactly what I was going to say,except about Brian May and the tanner. The way you pick will become your sound, yours!!, not anyone else, yours!!. Try them all ways, bent around, straight out, it doesn't matter, and you will find a way that suits you. I like to pick my nose with mine.

At least my head didn't cave in. Ha Ha