Buddy's Rake Technique

[Chris Templeton]

I've always liked Buddy's rake technique. I believe it's the ring finger that damps the string that was just sounded doing the rake.
What are your experiences with this technique?

[Tucker Jackson]

I do believe it was the thumb of his bar hand, pushing the bar away from him as he raked with the right. Coordination of the two hands and timing is critical.

That's how I do it, and it works well.

[Dale Rottacker]

Whatever Buddy's method, I've always thought it was about the coolest sound on the planet. Raking is my method of faking speed.

[Ron Hogan]

I’d be lost without it. I do it heavily on C6. I do block with my ring finger, but only on C6.

I posted a video on it. I’ll see if I can find it.

[Lee Baucum]

Next time I'm working in the yard, I'll get my wife to make a video of my rake technique.



Are/were any other steel pickers using that embellishment? It's way cool.

~Lee

[Ron Funk]

Watch and learn ........about 2:19 into the video during Buddy's solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD_0t8or-Kw

[Brett Lanier]

Buddy had a couple rake techniques. One with the finger pick raking back, and then the forward rake with the thumb pick - which to me is much harder. I think what makes the thumbpick rake so tough is that you're doing both the rake and the strike with the thumb, whereas with the back rake you're raking with the finger and striking with the thumb.

[Donny Hinson]

I could be wrong, but I think Buddy is blocking the rake with the middle finger of his left hand as he pulls the bar back. I also believe this is how most players do it.

[Ian Rae]

I thought this thread was going to be about Buddy's technique for playing 4-note chords.

In his Basic C6 course he describes (in the audio, not the text) how to play the upper two notes with the first and second fingers while raking the lower two with the thumb.

I soon decided that I'd never have the patience to master that, so I just use four picks (which brings other benefits).

[Donny Hinson]

I thought this thread was going to be about Buddy's technique for playing 4-note chords.

We can talk about that too, but the video example that Ron linked shows Buddy doing the downward rake twice. Anyhow, all ideas are welcome and open for discussion. But the "pick two with the fingers and rake the others with the thumb" is sort of a mainstay. Two fingerpick users players like Buddy, Hal, and Curly did that a lot!

[Ian Rae]

Donny, if I were starting out I'd seek to emulate those guys, but for what remains of my career I'm content to cheat!

[Ron Hogan]

Here is a tutorial on the rake. Hope it helps.

Pay no attention to the muddy tone. I plugged in without adjusting.

https://youtu.be/eIspm1rYZ4M?si=3Tvixz-oY98dbV5Z

[Ron Hogan]

TTT

[Larry Dering]

Ron that was an excellent demo showing the technique. Thanks.

[Chris Templeton]

Thank you, Ron! Excellent!

[Dale Rottacker]

Here is a tutorial on the rake. Hope it helps.

Pay no attention to the muddy tone. I plugged in without adjusting.

https://youtu.be/eIspm1rYZ4M?si=3Tvixz-oY98dbV5Z

Very good Ron ... thank you ... without actually doing it at this moment, I think I go back and forth between my index and middle finger. What caught me eye/ear though was that thumb rake you did a couple of times. Something I think I first heard Buddy do, and something (among many) that seems to elude me. Lack of technique or too stiff a thumb pick, or just not enough time spent working on it. Would love to hear your thoughts about thumb raking.

[Chris Templeton]

Excellent Ron! Thank you for the refresher!