Picking hand

[MikkoKarhula]

Hi!

Do you lean your fingers on the top of guitar's body? Most of the times I do but when recording I try to keep them away like in this video. That because they causes a noise when touching the guitar. Also in some fast runs I keep fingers on air. So personally I think it's good to learn both techniques.
Have a great day!

https://youtube.com/shorts/2fjS2PqtAlM?feature=share

[Mandobart]

I don't plant my fingers on the guitar when flatpicking or playing fingerstyle. I get better tone and dynamic control with a floating right hand.

[MikkoKarhula]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I don't plant my fingers on the guitar when flatpicking or playing fingerstyle. I get better tone and dynamic control with a floating right hand.

Yes, that's how I get it too. Although some really rapid string skipping jumps are difficult without anchoring those fingers to top of guitar to me.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by MikkoKarhula

Hi!

Do you lean your fingers on the top of guitar's body? Most of the times I do but when recording I try to keep them away like in this video. That because they causes a noise when touching the guitar. Also in some fast runs I keep fingers on air. So personally I think it's good to learn both techniques.
Have a great day!

https://youtube.com/shorts/2fjS2PqtAlM?feature=share

Fun Question : I literally had to take down a guitar and watch myself.

I both flatpick and finger pick.

I like/need pickguards, on all - BUT they are not their to guard from picks - I'm not a wild thrasher (hate that) so my picks, never touch the top.

When I first started playing guitar (a little after the Battle of Hastings) in England the term "pick guard" was not used ... they were "scratch plates".

When I finger pick (thumb and index only) by ring and pinky rest on the pickguard.

When I play with a pick my right hand is open not clenched and, again the ring and picky touch the pick-guard.

I tend to clean and polish my guitars when I change strings (about every three months), and I can see tiny marks on the pick guard so I try to keep the nails of the offending fingers as short as possible - although my nails are very hard and grow very quickly.

No rules - we develop out own styles.

[Railroad Bum]

I am a completely self-taught player, and I unconsciously developed a bifurcated way of playing, I suppose. When I am playing rhythm and fills, I float my picking hand. When I am playing more lead-type stuff, I anchor the side of my picking hand on the bridge. I have discussed this with some world-class players (mostly flatpickers), and they said that if you can play what is in your head, do what works, as there really aren't any rules, per se. I have noticed that Molly Tuttle, an incredible flatpicker, plays almost exactly like I do, except she's about 1,000 times better, lol.

And then there are people who play in very strange ways to me. If you ever watch John Mayer, he has the oddest fingerstyle technique I have ever seen. Wes Montgomery basically played all that stuff with his thumb. And on and on.