Anchoring your pinky

[Primdmit]

Hi, everyone!
For the last 3 years i’ve been mastering boom-chick fingerstyle. I’d been playing guitar for 2 decades when i first heard Tommy Emmanuel and my guitar life changed forever. Despite being mostly finger picker i found that i need to learn a lot of new techniques. One of them i struggled the most is anchoring a pinky. In his many interviews Tommy strongly recommends to anchor a pinky, i even remember his phrase “Do what i say or f....-off!” (of course in his humorous style). It took me at least a full year to feel comfortable with that and now i can see the real benefits: it gives me more stability and helps to keep the rhythm.
But on the other hand i see many really great fingerstyle guitarists who doesn’t anchor their pinky. I think there are two different groups: those who anchors and those who does not.
What about you, guys? In which group you are? Do you find anchoring really useful?

[Lamenramen]

Many of the best in the world anchor their pinky so clearly it does not hinder technical excellence. So I say why not. Anchor at times or float free at other times. It’s whatever you feel is most natural for you. I do both. At first I received advice to anchor but once I ignored it I started playing better.

[Silly Moustache]

I suppose it might be necessary if you use all fingers - "PIMA" etc,. but as I mainly flatpick or finger pick with just thumb and index finger - it isn't, apparently, necessary.

[Silurian]

It depends on the song.

If it requires a repetitive but precise picking pattern I usually anchor. Think Freight Train or Dust in the Wind.

For "looser" type of stuff. Lightning Hopkins style for example, I don't anchor, It feels a bit restrictive.

I don't make a conscious decision to anchor or not. The song decides.

[Tico]

I've always fingerpicked with all 5.
You can get used to anything.

Only 5 fingers for 6 strings?
Why throw away 20% of one's capacity by wasting a finger?

[KenL]

I taught myself to fingerpick decades ago when nobody cared if you anchored or not. It just wasn't something players worried about.

And I play with my thumb and middle finger in sort of a banjo roll. It works for me, and I've been told I sound pretty good.

I prefer the feel of a pick guard underneath my anchored pinky. But I also flatpick, so a p/g is a good idea for me.

[Cecil6243]

What I find a challenge right how is doing a hammer with the pinky finger on the fret board hand in the a song I am learning by Paul Simon. Darn thing doesn't want to listen, but it's coming! I need to slow down to get it right first, but keep forgetting that!

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by Tico

I've always fingerpicked with all 5.
You can get used to anything.

So true several great guitarists were missing fingers or had paralyzed fingers.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/...-rebennack-jr-

[dneal]

I admit that generally I anchor my pinky, but...

I recommend not doing it. There’s something to be said for the more relaxed hand position of classical players / not anchoring. I also notice that I tend to “scratch” along the string when I anchor, and pick more cleanly when I don’t.

TE is an amazing guitarist, but so is John Williams. Anchoring isn’t necessary.

[pegleghowell]

I do and I don`t(mostly don`t)..I find anchoring restrictive on many of the songs I play.

[MThomson]

You don't find too many classical guitarists anchoring and it doesn't seem to hold them back. And the likes of Mark Knopfler (and Tommy E) do anchor and it doesn't hold them back either.

My conclusion - do whatever you feel comfortable with and practice until you're good at it.

[rstaight]

When picking, either flat or what little finger picking I do I anchor the palm of my hand on the bridge.

No doubt Tommy Emanuel is an excellent player just because he insist on anchoring the pinky doesn't mean it's the correct method. You don't have to anchor your pinky or the palm of your hand. Do what works for you.

The only reason to anchor anything is to maintain a reference point. Pinky or palm, it's up to you.

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by Tico

I've always fingerpicked with all 5.
You can get used to anything.

Only 5 fingers for 6 strings?
Why throw away 20% of one's capacity by wasting a finger?

I always thought that and find that despite the logic of it, my pinky never seems to pick individual notes. That said, no, I avoid anchoring. There are several reasons which I have thought about over the years - and no reason I see to anchor.

1) I can go from picking to strumming instantly as my right hand is always ready, in the right position, flexible and loose.
2) I won't wear through the finish like some "anchorites" do.
3) Most importantly, my finger is not dampening the vibrations of the top.

But I find no fault in those that do anchor. If it works for them, have at it. Many of those who do anchor are so much better than I can ever be - and I can say the same of those who. like me, do not anchor.

[JHey!]

I can relate to OP’s post. I’d been playing for a bit more than two decades (at times in earnest, at times not so much) when I watched TE’s lesson on getting started with the boom chick method. That was about a year and a half ago. Because TE stressed the importance of anchoring, I really wanted to get comfortable doing it, but for quite awhile it felt awkward and unnatural. I remember being discouraged. However, the awkwardness eventually faded and now it feels natural and noticeably helpful in many cases. I don’t necessarily anchor in every situation, but the experience has reenforced my belief about how important repetition, practice and persistence are when it comes to learning new techniques. I also watched a Chet video where he briefly explained his technique and he said something to the effect of how he spent 6 years getting along with his thumb before he started adding notes on the upper strings. Hearing that made me feel better about my own progress. Sometimes the learning curve is steep.

[TRose]

I’m a newbie.
I found anchoring my pinky an important reference as to where my other fingers were in relation to the strings.

There are advantages to both approaches. As I get a bit more proficient I hope to transition to a free hand. Being able to modulate tone by moving the picking hand around- closer to the bridge or more over the sound hole and beyond- is, for me, desirable. I suppose that is a more classical approach.