Anchoring the pinkie

[T'Bone]

Hi all,

I've noticed when watching videos of people fingerpicking that their hand seems to float over the strings while they pick with three or four fingers and thumb. Just wondering how prevalent this is, and if it is "proper" technique. I play a bit of banjo (Scruggs style) as well and it feels very strange not to anchor my pinkie while fingerpicking, and to use any fingers other than index, middle, and thumb. My thought is that if it's good enough for five strings and banjo speed, it should be good enough for the uke, too although I realize that you lost the ability to pluck more than three strings at once. Just wondering what others' opinions were.

 

[TheOnlyUkeThatMatters]

If I'm picking, my pinkie's planted ninety percent of the time. No problem plucking all four strings at once, either.

I've heard that a planted pinkie is "bad" technique, too, but I'm don't think any technique that comes naturally, feels good, and works well can be "bad". If it's working for you, keep doing it.

 

[T'Bone]

When playing banjo, anchoring the pinkie is good technique! Actually, most will tell you to anchor pinkie and ring fingers, but you can get away with just the pinkie. The idea is to stabilize your hand for when you're flying through your finger rolls. If it helps you go faster, why is considered poor technique for the uke?

I agree 100% though that "bad" is only when something's not working for you. Good habits are supposed to prevent future technique from limiting you, but if I can pick just as fast as the next guy, unless it compromises tone, why change?

 

[Bob-in-Alberta]

We should consider starting a support group. You know, maybe meet every two weeks in some church basement somewhere? Hi, my name is Bob and I'm a pinkie planter.

 

[TheOnlyUkeThatMatters]

When playing banjo, anchoring the pinkie is good technique! Actually, most will tell you to anchor pinkie and ring fingers, but you can get away with just the pinkie. The idea is to stabilize your hand for when you're flying through your finger rolls. If it helps you go faster, why is considered poor technique for the uke?

No clue why. I just hear that from friends who've taken guitar lessons. Some guitar picking patterns use all five fingers, I guess? But with four uke strings, my pinkie serves me best as an anchor. (My pinkie also serves as anchor when I pick on guitar---no one's ever shown me a great-sounding picking pattern that uses all five fingers.)

 

[Brad Bordessa]

I think the reason itʻs regarded as bad technique is because to some extent or another it stifles the soundboard. Not much, but probably more than you would think.

 

[UkuEroll]

If it feels right for you then do it. I mostly finger pick and sometimes plant my pinky and other sometimes I don't, it depends on what you're playing. I seen videos of Jake doing it, so if it's good enough for him it's good enough for me.

 

[anthonyg]

Dampening the soundboard is the only reason that I can think of as to why its a bad technique for ukulele playing. Its not really a bad technique for guitar and on banjo dampening the top probably helps.

Do what works for you. I'm happy not to plant my pinkie.

Anthony

 

[Raygf]

For the casual player, planting the pinky may not present any real problems. Serious classical guitar training, on the other hand, is extremely physically demanding. Hours and hours and hours of repetitive right hand practice over years and years and years with the pinky planted just won't cut it. Actually, you couldn't make it very far. Bad technique for sure under those circumstances.

In my early 20s, after playing guitar for over 10 years, I decided to do some serious guitar study and found a top notch, local, degreed, performance guitarist who came highly recommended and the first thing he did was stop me from planting my pinky. It did not take long and was not that hard to do. I discourage my students from the very beginning. Now, I did not follow a strict classical guitar track, but my right hand technique for various styles of playing benefits from not planting my pinky.

Planting the pinky sets up unnecessary tension in the hand and forearm. Plant your pinky and move the other fingers, then lift your pinky and let it move with the third finger. There is a difference. It's just a habit, what you're used to doing, what you've always done. I did it too. Some folks call it a bad habit, a crutch, if you will.

That being said, I'd better go back and watch my videos to make sure I'm not slipping into old habits.

 

[T'Bone]

Interesting, why is classical guitar training so physically demanding over banjo playing? I would actually think banjo is tougher on you just because of the physical weight associated with it. In terms of the time spent playing, I would wager that for any instrument played at a high level, it's a wash. Hours and hours and hours of practice are the norm.

 

[kiel9]

My $0.02

Planting the pinky sets up unnecessary tension in the hand and forearm. Plant your pinky and move the other fingers, then lift your pinky and let it move with the third finger. There is a difference. It's just a habit, what you're used to doing, what you've always done. I did it too. Some folks call it a bad habit, a crutch, if you will.

I agree with this. As a guitar teacher I definitely put the pinky plant into the bad column for this and other reasons when I'm showing students classical/fingerstyle technique. It makes rasgueados and golpes almost impossible and there's simply a better way to get the stabilization required for the right hand. Just make sure the elbow is on TOP of the instrument rather than in front and you'll find that the front edge of the guitar balances your arm where it meets your forearm. Voila! Stable right hand and no need to touch the face of the guitar in any way. Of course, when using a pick all bets are off; especially for speed picking where it's necessary to anchor the wrist near the bridge.

With all that said, ukulele seems to be a new ball of wax. Even though I'm an avid player I don't have a lot of experience teaching people to play uke. Still, I just had 100 kids sign up for my ukulele classes in the Fall and I've been mulling over this sort of thing so I'll know how to present it. To me it seems like the constraints of the size of the uke make all the rules more flexible. What is required in both hands is stabilization and freedom of movement. You can get away with supporting the neck with the left hand if you are just playing simple chords, but that doesn't work in a solo when you need to go up and down the neck.

Same goes for the right hand when you're doing four-finger rolls. That's why many pros I see are using the ukethong or a strap. Unless you've been gifted with a natural belly-shelf, some external support seems to be required to really let loose.

 

[T'Bone]

This is seriously fascinating stuff. It never occurred to me that there would be a reason outside of tone or "you can't use certain techniques if you do it that way."

Just for comparison, this video describes the planted finger around 1:03 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBVNH3aDIl4) and here you can see the father of bluegrass banjo himself, fingers solid on that banjo head (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=6RvI6ZI2JWc&feature=fvwp).

Would love to hear back from the classical guitarists as to why it's not an issue. Maybe because of the shape of the instrument your arm is held in a different position, so less strain? And would that mean that for uke it's a moot point because your arm is similarly not in that position?

 

[Tim Mullins]

I'm primarily a bluegrass banjo player. Since this requires using picks, planting your pinkie (or two fingers) really helps to stabilize your hand and to "register" where your picks strike the strings. Since you can't feel the strings with your fingertips with picks on, I think having the pinkie down is a must. I don't know of any professional-level banjo pickers who float their hand.

On ukulele, however one uses bare fingers to be able to switch from up-picking to strumming. This would certainly free you to not plant the pinkie, although I still find that I can pick faster and more strongly with the pinkie down. I recently watched George Uke play some great sounding, technically challenging stuff with three fingers and thumb with no pinkie. It seems like one can learn to do it either way.

I also find that using a (Mobius!) strap frees my right arm from the constraint of having to support the ukulele, making it easier to switch positions and techniques. I even use it sitting.

 

[Raygf]

With all that said, ukulele seems to be a new ball of wax. Even though I'm an avid player I don't have a lot of experience teaching people to play uke. Still, I just had 100 kids sign up for my ukulele classes in the Fall and I've been mulling over this sort of thing so I'll know how to present it. To me it seems like the constraints of the size of the uke make all the rules more flexible. What is required in both hands is stabilization and freedom of movement. You can get away with supporting the neck with the left hand if you are just playing simple chords, but that doesn't work in a solo when you need to go up and down the neck.

Same goes for the right hand when you're doing four-finger rolls. That's why many pros I see are using the ukethong or a strap. Unless you've been gifted with a natural belly-shelf, some external support seems to be required to really let loose.

Yes indeed. I either use a strap or sit and rest the instrument on my leg. Sometimes I can get away with tucking it under my right arm, but a strap is the best way to stabilize the instrument for me, standing or sitting. Because of the right hand technique work I've done over the years, I never plant the pinky while playing guitar or ukulele. I get what Tim Mullins is saying about not feeling the strings with finger picks on. That drives me crazy. I need to feel the strings with my fingers and I've always played with a combination of nail and flesh. I messed around with Alaska picks for a while, but found them uncomfortable.

When I had a thumb nail (a vertical split appeared about a year ago on the playing side and I have not been able to heal it or repair it since), I would sometimes support my ukulele with my fingers cradling the bottom side of the upper bout below the neck and pick/strum with the thumb nail. Can't do that any more. I'm starting to get used to a thumb pick for slack key guitar and fingerstyle ukulele, but it's just not the same. I'm considering trying a fake thumb nail, but don't hold much hope for that either. I guess you never know until you try.

100 kids signed up for your ukulele classes in the fall. That's remarkable. Where do you teach?

 

[BigMamaJ40]

I plant my pinky to finger pick, as I have always done with the guitar, but I am making a conscious effort to change this because it causes incredible stress in my hand, even more so on ukulele than guitar.

But old habits die hard; I may just have to tape that little guy out of the way!

 

[Wicked]

I pinky plant when flat picking (yes, on the ukulele as well) - don't when finger picking (just because I use that digit on occasion).

Classical guitarists obsess over form... It's just one of their quirks. I guess it helps keep themselves busy on Saturday nights while the rest of us are out on dates. (Just kidding, calm down.)

 

[BlueLatitude]

I'm uncomfortable with my pinkie planted. It just seems awkward and kind of stiff to me, so it's been interesting reading the comments about the tension it sets up in your hand.

 

[OldePhart]

One thing to keep in mind is that really top-notch uke players like Aldrine, Jake, etc. pick all up and down the strings depending on the sound they are looking for at a particular point - watch vids closely and you'll sometimes see that "floating" hand move from down near the bridge to up around the 12th fret. That's not just "stylin' and jivin'" - picking near the bridge gives a more treble-heavy, sharp attack while picking nearer the middle of the string gives a smoother, "rounder" sound.

John (not that I can pick worth a flip, anyway, anchored pinkie or not)

 

[coolkayaker1]

I anchor my dinghy, but never my pinkie.

 

[itsme]

I come from a background as a classical guitarist and approach fingerpicking on the uke in much the same way.

CG players don't anchor the pinkie because it interferes with freedom of movement of the other fingers (PIMA, or thumb/index/middle/ring fingers) on that hand, especially, as OldePhart mentioned, when your hand needs to "float" between ponticello (playing near the bridge) and sul tasto (playing over the fingerboard above the soundhole).

But I'd never begrudge anyone's style of uke playing. Whatever floats your boat and YMMV.