Do you rest/anchor your pinky finger on the scratchplate when picking?

Switch625

I see a lot of tutorial videos on youtube where the teacher is resting/anchoring their pinky finger on the scratchplate for picking, particularly faster parts. I've never got in to the habit of this and when I try it now it just feels uncomfortable and a hindrance. Like it would give me carpel tunnel or something.

Is it something I should work on slowly to get used to or not so important? I'm thinking of being used when playing intros like Paradise City etc. I can see the merit of maybe hitting the right strings more accurately or can I get away without it?

digitalscream

Nope - fist-grip here. It's never really affected my accuracy at all...near as I can tell, it's more of a function of how you started; enough muscle memory, and your hands know exactly where the strings are anyway.

bertie

used to.................for a year or two..................... 40 years ago.............. but not now

digitalkettle

I've tried to work 'bi-directional pick slanting' into my technique:

• if I'm downward slanting (for an upward escape), there's some contact because the hand is open...but there's no tension so I don't think of it as 'anchoring'
• if I'm upward slanting (for a downward escape), there's no contact because the hand is closed

That's how things feel most comfortable for me at the moment.

octatonic

No.

CaseOfAce

Yep - always have - right hand pinky and indeed ring finger on the scratchplate- even when strumming. It's just the way I play. If it's wrong I don't want to be right.

There is a school of thought that this is incorrect technique and restricts movement / speed of the hand BUT on the other hand Jennifer Batten tells the story of going to Berklee? - and being told off for anchoring her hand. She tried and struggled for 2 weeks to use fist grip - until seeing a famous accomplished jazzer either at the school or on tv ...anchoring on the scratchplate... and she thought why fight it and never looked back.

roberty

When you rest your fingers on the guitar it should be just that - resting. Anchoring your fingers to a fixed spot on the body for orientation is a bad habit. Resting is fine if you play with your hand open

CaseOfAce

roberty said:

When you rest your fingers on the guitar it should be just that - resting. Anchoring your fingers to a fixed spot on the body for orientation is a bad habit. Resting is fine if you play with your hand open

Someone tell Knopfler he's doing it wrong!!
  

I take your point though Roberty - but at what point though does resting become anchoring!?

I take the approach of do what comes naturally - if it starts to feel uncomfortable then you are probably doing something wrong and then correct it. You'll soon know.
Also the trouble with the internet is you can read something / take it out of context and end up going down blind alleys following advice that might not necessarily be in your best interests.!

Nitefly

Why does it matter?  Just do what feels comfortable.

Tannin

There are people who think that it is bad technique. They are wrong. 

There are people who think that it is a necessary technique. They are wrong.

There are people who think that it works for some purposes and not for others, works for some players and not for other players. They are right.

What do the very, very best players do? Some rest, some don't. 

(Do I finger-rest myself? Sometimes. Then again, sometimes I don't.)

Mellish

I'm with @Nitefly and @Tannin ; if you find it helps, do it  

prowla

I think I tried it years ago and it felt weird to me.

I don't know if I do it at all when playing; now it's been mentioned, maybe I'll find out I do!

Crazed_Fandango

Sometimes, but it's not something I think about.

axisus

Nope. To be honest my technique probably  isn't the best, I rest the heel of my picking hand on the body of the guitar. 

Roland

None of my guitars have scratch plates, which I think answers the question. When I was learning I thought about it, but I was getting the best sound by playing near or over the end of the fretboard where there was no available anchor.

Devil#20

Nobody has mentioned the third option where you need to use palm muting. Can't see that being used in conjunction with finger anchoring where you need some notes muted and others allowed to ring out. Think of the intro to "Ain't talkin' 'bout love".

guitarjack66

Tommy Emmanuel does it and says Chet Atkins did it too. Will somebody tell Tommy him and Chet are wrong?

Tannin

Devil#20 said:

Nobody has mentioned the third option where you need to use palm muting. Can't see that being used in conjunction with finger anchoring where you need some notes muted and others allowed to ring out. 

I don't think there is any point to finger anchoring if you are palm muting. Both serve the same purpose: they provide a fixed position from which you can more accurately move just the right amount to get exactly the sound you want. (They both also restrict your RH freedom of movement, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you are trying to do.) 

I have always been a palm muter, it's very much a part of my sound. I didn't realise how much I palm mute until I got my upside-down leftie (with the treble strings on top). Unless I consciously adjust, I get a lousy sound on that guitar because the top (treble) strings generally sound awful when muted and the bottom (bass) strings sound boomy and muddy un-muted. 

(PS: I have no intention of changing my ways, I started playing that way (largely unconsciously) because I liked the way it sounds, and I still do. It's just good to be aware of what you are doing.)

PAL

Do what ever feels right depending on what you are playing. The little finger on the pick guard/top of guitar works as a pivot
  point and can be handy it insures your picking fingers are within striking distance of the guitar string so it keeps your fingers 
  at an even distance from the string. It's not essential but can work. The best thing is to be able to do play in different ways
  be adaptable and just remember there are no set rules use what works for you. Hope this helps

Mellish

Bluegrass banjo players anchor by way of the pinky. There's nothing wrong with doing it on a guitar if it works for you