Dave Magram’s Blocking Guide

[Dave Magram]

Hello fellow steel guitar players,

A few updates:

• As of today, 104 SGF members have requested a copy of my "Blocking Guide for Pedal Steel Guitar"!
  These members range from beginners to full-time professional players.

• Based on their feedback and additional content contributions, the Guide is now 40 pages long!

• As of December 20, 2025, it now includes a dozen advanced blocking exercises contributed by a SGF member who has toured nationally with several well-known Nashville artists! "It takes a village to explain blocking!"

• Shoshanah Marohn (Bob Lee's daughter who kindly took over ownership of the SGF) is very appreciative of the donations to the SG Forum from recipients of the Guide!

• Many thanks to those who have already donated to the SGF because they found the Blocking Guide useful! (I heard from one Forumite who contributed $200; that is the spirit that should help keep the lights on at SGF HQ! )

BOTTOM LINE:
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.
● I do not preach any "The One Way" to do blocking; I simply analyzed the techniques used by the major-league players and suggest you choose whichever one (or combo of techniques) works best for you.
● I did an extensive analysis of the five major variations that major-league steel players (including Jeff Newman, Lloyd Green, Emmons, and many others) use to palm-block, and also how Paul Franklin and a couple of others "pick block".
● I list over 30 YouTube videos that show those top players in action, along with several instructional videos, and include step-by-step explanations of how to palm-block and "pick block", with exercises to practice these skills.

If you want to receive a copy of my Blocking Guide, please send me a Private Message with your email address (because the SGF email system cannot attach PDF files).
● To send me a PM, just click on the little green bubble next to "Contact" under my name on the top right side of this post.
● For your protection from the evil info-scraping web-bots, do NOT post your email address in plain sight on this (or any) Forum thread!

- Dave

[Dave Magram]

I just noticed this feedback in another thread where I had first mentioned my Blocking Guide:

This is no doubt The Most Comprehensive guide on right hand technique that I have ever come across. Now just to put it all into my practice routine. Thank you Dave

viewtopic.php?t=412292

Dave Morrison, you are most welcome and thank you for your kind words.

- Dave

[Dave Magram]

Happy New Year to everyone!

As of today, 122 SGF members have requested (and received) a copy of my "Blocking Guide for Pedal Steel Guitar"!

These members range from beginners to full-time professional players.
● Based on their helpful feedback and additional content contributions from an SGF member who has toured nationally with several well-known Nashville artists, the Guide is now 40 pages long!

If you want to receive a copy of my Blocking Guide, please send me a Private Message (PM) with your email address (because the SGF email system cannot attach PDF files).
● To send me a PM, just click on the little hollow green thought bubble next to "Contact" under my name on the top right side of this post, and then click on the solid green thought bubble that appears.
● For your protection from the evil web-bots trying to steal your personal information, please do NOT post your email address in plain sight on this (or any) Forum thread! Instead, send it to me in a PM.

- Dave

[Pete Martin]

Thank you so much for all the work you put in. It has helped me and some friends very much!

[Brian Lee]

Additional kudos to Dave Magram for putting together his excellent right hand blocking guide!!! I've been working my way through an earlier edition from a couple of months ago, and it's been really a tremendous help! Now there's even more excellent info in the latest edition.

Dave, I especially like the way that you have captured the range of approaches used by great players, as it really helps in examining what I'm currently doing and figuring out what works best for me personally to improve my playing. The video links sure make it efficient and easy to study the nuances of great players approaches.

You've done us all a great service. I am one of many who have contributed to the forum and referenced your guide as a way to thank you, Shoshanah Marohn, and all the moderators who are keeping SGF moving forward. Thanks so much!!!

[Dave Magram]

Pete and Brian,

Thank you very much for your kind words; I'm glad that are finding the Blocking Guide helpful!

And thank you for donating to the SGF--it is the best music forum I've seen on the web!

- Dave

[Dennis A Brown]

Thanks to Dave Magram for sending me a copy of the Blocking Guide. I've made a donation to the SGF. Got some serious study ahead of me.