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 green bubble next to "Contact" under my name on the top right side of this post.
● 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!