My pinky finger is often touching the top of the guitar, more as a place holder than anything else. I wouldn't describe what I do as anchoring. My pinky finger moves around on an off the top as needed so that I have access to all the strings I need.
I find when I touch the guitar top on and off with my pinky finger that it helps me know exactly where all the strings are beneath my fingers. I figured this out when I was 16 years old, just starting to play.
I have noticed that a lot of self taught players -- Erik Clapton, Tommy Emmanuel, etc -- tend to do this, myself included. I know modern fingerstyle teachers discourage this practice. I have experimented to see if I can play accurately with my pinky finger tucked in, and I find that I can. But it feels uncomfortable mentally, as if I'm on the edge of a cliff. I suppose I could make myself do it so that I could get used to this approach over time, but the truth is, I can find no reason to change what I have been doing for almost 57 years.
This is a good example of how I play:
- Glenn
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