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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Hi,
just thought I'd share this post from Adrian Legg from the Acoustic Magazine forum...
Long term, if you use it as a fundamental part of your technique, there is a strong possibility that it can cause a repetitive strain injury - which is why it's not acceptable these days in classical. It works a lot better -long term- if you can anchor from where your arm rests naturally on the guitar, just dropping your palm if you need damping. If you take a look at how much tension locating/resting with your pinky introduces to your right hand, the injury possibility becomes clearer. I've been lightly resting my pinky for years as it really helped with stability but having just read that (and freaked out about getting RSI) I've just tried NOT resting the pinky. Obviously my technique has improved since I started as it feels pretty good without resting it so I'll be unlearning this potentially damaging technique from now on! Also it frees up another finger - woo-hoo! |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | I never could get the hang of resting the pinky on the top while fingerpicking. Of course, as I've stated many times before, I only dabble in this guitar thing. |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | I was told 4-5 years ago it wasn't good, so I have stopped doing it. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | I reckon it'll take a little while to fully adjust, but it'll be a worth while investment methimks |
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November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | When I took lessons some 20+ years ago (man am I old) my instructor who was teaching me the travis picking method insisted that I NOT rest my pinky. Bad form he said. He did not mention injury but I think he did talk about proper classical technique. I alway notice a player resting his/her pinky. Just one of those things that stick in my mind. As Dweezil said it frees up not only your pinky but you whole hand if you want to improvise or change the rhythm, you can almost adapt a strumming motion while picking. I don't know if this is possible whilst achoring the pinky as I have never tried since then.
I just wish I could get used to using a pick. I need to learn some techinque there I suppose :) |
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August 2003
Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | ...nearly ALL of the better banjo players "plant" at least the "pinky" while playing (sometimes pinky/ring):
.....but, then again, they are banjo players. :rolleyes: |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| I only started trying to play fingerstyle a couple years ago. It just didn't feel right to plant my pinkie. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by twistedlim:
I just wish I could get used to using a pick. I quit trying until someone can give some hints my fingers can heed. |
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July 2005
Posts: 3408
Location: GA USA | Iffy, get TRboy to show you his hybrid pick/fingerstyle technique.
I have only been attempting fingerstyle for a short while now. What technique I have I learned from workshoplive.com and none of their instructors ever mentioned planting the pinky. |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | my pinky has been a pick guard potato for years.
i usually only lift it when i am doing a percussive downstroke stroke in conjunction with my ring finger. |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | O.T. here.
Iffy, I just noticed your sig line. Thanks!! |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Chet Atkins always rested his pinky on the top or p/g of his guitar unless he needed it to pluck a string. Didn't seem to hurt him...... |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | He's dead now right? |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | If banjo players do it, it must be wrong. In one of the few lesson books I read, it said not to, so I haven't for 30 years or so. I also use all 5 fingers on a couple songs. Try some exercises where you hit the thumb, roll through 4 fingers and back a few times. Then do the thumb and pluck 4 at the same time then back to the thumb. Those will get you using your pinky for something other than a place holder. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by dweezil:
He's dead now right? Yes and will remain so for the time being; but not due to his pinky... :rolleyes: |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Can you be sure? |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | This newsfash is just in....
General Valicio Franko... is still dead.
Update at 11:00!
Doc Watson and I both plant the pinky. He's blind and I don't listen but like, whatever. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | :) |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
Originally posted by dweezil:
He's dead now right? Yes and will remain so for the time being; but not due to his pinky... :rolleyes: |
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November 2005
Posts: 4817
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Attention banjo players: five strings, five fingers.
Coincidence? I think not. |
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December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Planting the pinkie is one of those "bad" habits I've had for decades. I've tried to unlearn it several times with no luck. I asked Matt Smith last year at Amelia if this was bad technique and he said not to worry about it. |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | I rely on the 'pinky anchor' while flatpicking, but I have learned to hybrid fingerstyle without resting (pick=thumb plus the other three). My only gripe is that the extra finger, in my case, generates some noise on the guitar top! Especially with an Adamas (I've installed a clear plastic pickguard to help). |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Although I won't/don't play enough for it to cause me a problem I do think that it might be better not to rest it. That's not to say it's bad or wrong, I just think FOR ME AT LEAST it is something worth tackling as it MAY help in the future. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by dobro:
My only gripe is that the extra finger, in my case, generates some noise on the guitar top! Especially with an Adamas (I've installed a clear plastic pickguard to help). It'll make noise on a textured T top also...
Generally I just lay my forearm on the body edge, and that is where my hand goes...
(Unfortunately that technique puts my hand around the 24th fret on a Viper, but I still do it.) |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | On some songs I only use two fingers and the thumb. I usually rest my ring finger on those songs. On some songs I use three fingers and thumb. Sometimes I rest my pinkie, sometimes I don't. On some songs I use four fingers and the thumb. Nothing rests. I never use a pick, but when I play rythum guitar for the bluegrass stuff I play, both my ring finger and pinkie rest on the pickguard while my thumbnail does the work. But they are not so much planted there as lightly touching. |
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Fingerstyle : Resting the pinky!
