Anchoring pinky whilst picking with ring finger?

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by pvfederico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0ocjT3gObE

I love Tommy, but I disagree with both the "independent thumb" concept, and the need to anchor.

I'd like to see him argue with a classical player about the "need" to anchor. (The issue of the damped bass is different, but relevant. If you damp the bass with the side of your palm - for Travis style - there is no need to anchor a finger, because the hand is already anchored on the bridge.)

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Actually he does, at 1:50 in that video when he says "or just your fingers".

I agree with the rest of your post, although I don't think "anchoring" has to mean any undue pressure on the fingertip. It just rests on the scratchplate to keep the hand steady. As you say, it can also glide up or down as your hand moves further from or closer to the bridge, still touching.

Hi Jon

Probably how I interpret the word 'anchor'. When you anchor a boat, the anchor is deliberately meant to be 'held' in place and the boat moves around it. I think terms like 'plant' and 'anchor' imply more than merely touching down or resting a pinky on the guitar's top.

I have seen some players firmly put weight on their pinky while playing.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by agfsteve

Well I'm pretty sure I'm seeing Joe anchor his pinky (on the pickguard) in the videos that I've seen so far in the paid lesson. He doesn't do it all the time, and he doesn't do it when he plays with a flat pick, or flat pick and fingers, but he certainly can play with his ring finger (even on the third string) when he anchors his pinky.

Hi agfsteve…

There is a lot of discourse among finger stylers as to whether it hampers a player to plant/anchor (implies adding weight to the pinky in my mind) or drop/rest/glide a pinky on the top of the guitar while playing versus floating the pinky.

In your posted video saw him drop his pinky on the pick guard in the video, but there is still flex in it and it comes up easily when he plucks chords or switches to strumming.

Being an ardent fan of great fingerstyle players, It's not uncommon to see about half of them drop a pinky on the top…some of the best do it…and it doesn't seem to impair them.

I've heard people argue it from it not being traditionally classical position.

You certainly don't have to be in a classical position to float the pinky. Very few fingerstyle players assume a true classical position for holding/playing guitars.

Classical position includes dropping the body between the knees with the left knee elevated so the neck is in a near-vertical position with the picking fingers nearly parallel to strings.

Typical fingerstyle posture places the neck wherever the player wants it, with the picking/plucking hand at an oblique angle across the strings.

[agfsteve]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi agfsteve…

There is a lot of discourse among finger stylers as to whether it hampers a player to plant/anchor (implies adding weight to the pinky in my mind) or drop/rest/glide a pinky on the top of the guitar while playing versus floating the pinky.

In your posted video saw him drop his pinky on the pick guard in the video, but there is still flex in it and it comes up easily when he plucks chords or switches to strumming.

Being an ardent fan of great fingerstyle players, It's not uncommon to see about half of them drop a pinky on the top…some of the best do it…and it doesn't seem to impair them.

I've heard people argue it from it not being traditionally classical position.

You certainly don't have to be in a classical position to float the pinky. Very few fingerstyle players assume a true classical position for holding/playing guitars.

Classical position includes dropping the body between the knees with the left knee elevated so the neck is in a near-vertical position with the picking fingers nearly parallel to strings.

Typical fingerstyle posture places the neck wherever the player wants it, with the picking/plucking hand at an oblique angle across the strings.

All good info, thanks, but what I was originally getting at is that it is pretty much physically impossible for me to touch the pick guard with the tip of my pinky finger (so you could call it anchoring or not, but the pinky is in contact with the pickguard) and pluck the third string with my ring finger. Joe Dalton does this at least part of the time while he is playing fingerstyle, and most of the time in the videos that I've seen so far in the lesson that he gives on Truefire.

So I'm just saying that I don't get how anyone is physically able to play like that. If I touch the top of the guitar with my pinky, I cannot pick with my ring finger at all, let alone pick the third string with it.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by agfsteve

…I don't get how anyone is physically able to play like that.

Hi agfsteve

People's hands are not all alike. I sure wouldn't get hung up over his capability to place his pinky on a pick guard and still have flexible fingers. If the only way you can gain the separation between fingers 3-4 you need is by floating the pinky, then by all means float it.

I've taught for over 40 years, and am amazed at the difference between players' hand size, flexibility, length of fingers, fatness/skinyness, spread of fingers, ability to curve fingers/or not, length of thumbs, width of palms, etc.

A very important part of guitar playing is adapting techniques to our physique. I think that's been mentioned repeatedly in the thread. Just because someone else does it doesn't mean I can or have to.

I'm sure DNA plays a part in abilities. It's the thing that separates dedicated athletes from professional athletes.

Some guitar players are more adaptable because their physical characteristics make them able to be more adaptable.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

[size=2]Hi Jon

Probably how I interpret the word 'anchor'. When you anchor a boat, the anchor is deliberately meant to be 'held' in place and the boat moves around it. I think terms like 'plant' and 'anchor' imply more than merely touching down or resting a pinky on the guitar's top.

Understood. Joe Dalton seems to be merely touching, not using any pressure.
But as I said, all one needs to do is place the pinky there. It can hold its position on the scratchplate, if necessary, without being pressed down. A light touch is all that's needed.

Originally Posted by ljguitar

I have seen some players firmly put weight on their pinky while playing.

How can you be sure from looking, though?

Having just tried it, I can imagine that some additional pressure might help steady the guitar, in the way that forearm weight generally does. But otherwise it feels (to me) a really weird thing to do, to actually press the pinky on to the scratchplate. I guess it could feel more natural to press ring and pinky together - or Travis-style, middle-ring-pinky.
But then I can keep my hand steady enough without touching at all. I guess it varies for others.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by JonPR

…How can you be sure from looking, though?

Hi Jon

Because I was their teacher and sitting 2 feet across from them, and was talking to them (asking questions) and observing them. It's very easy to tell when you're sitting that close and watching them for 90 minutes every other week.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Jon

Because I was their teacher and sitting 2 feet across from them, and was talking to them (asking questions) and observing them. It's very easy to tell when you're sitting that close and watching them for 90 minutes every other week.

Ah-ha! say no more...