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Menpachi Man
Lokahi
274 Posts |
 Posted - 04/28/2007 : 2:29:15 PM
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What say you, who play for many years?
Matter of choice? I looked at some other guitar forums and opinions vary.
Classical players and purists say a definite no.
Some bluegrass players say yes.
Some say it dampens the top vibrations. I have not noticed a difference. I play a Martin HD28. Any difference on guitars with a pick guard or not?
Some say it contributes to fatigue and lack of flexibility. I can play several hours without fatiue but I play intermediate-advanced music, and not hard-core stuff like Bach's Toccatta & Fugue in D-minor (although I have messed with it) and advanced flamenco techniques. So my level of playing may not be so tiring.
FYI: I am trying to get rid of the anchoring and now find myself doing both depending my sense of finger spatial relationship. Any other technique for securing finger spatial relationship?
Also, anyone use their little pinkie for picking/strumming?
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 3:20:56 PM
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I played electric guitar and also classical going from way back. On electric (using a pick) I seem to recall waffling a bit but I anchored most of the time. On nylon and steel acoutic I never anchor. I do not even like the way guitars by default have a pick guard, because it may influence the tone of the guitar. It also hides some great looking wood.
One thing that happens when you anchor is what you metioned...the damping of the top. I think that does happen somewhat and you also mark the top of the guitar or guard--I hardly ever have prints on my guitar top for instance. The other thing it does is it puts your hand closer to the strings an you end up with a flater hand position with the fingers curled more to stroke the strings.
My acoustic position is high and it looks as if I could fit a tennis ball in the plam of my hand when I play. It comes from classical technique. fyi, Keola Beamer remarked that he liked my hand position when he saw me playing at a work shop.
Sometimes I scruch my hands close to the strings so that I can have a flater thumb angle on the bass strings to soften the volume and tone, and sometimes I need to damp the stings which I cannot do in the high position. I think the tone may be better in the classical position.
Long story short...I don't think a player needs to touch the top of the guitar but I am not sure if there is a serious down-side to doing it--besides the marking you guitar. If you need more range when playing anchored you just pick your pinkie up and move where you gotta go anyway.
Another issue is the angle at which your fingers stoke the stirngs. If your hand is angled you have a good chace of producing a scraping noise along with the tone. If your fingers a perpendicular, or nearly so, I think you can produce a more pure tone.
Bob
Oh, and I do use my pinkie when I need to pluck 5 (or 6) strings at once, but not often. |
Bob |
Edited by - RWD on 04/28/2007 5:00:47 PM |
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Menpachi Man
Lokahi
274 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2007 : 7:23:49 PM
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Thanks for the reply Bob.
I am back to basic fingerpicking arpeggios and other excercises. Been at it a couple of months and it feels superior. Maybe an electrified pick-guard or a pick-guard with short needles might be useful. Jus' kiddin  .
You are right about the scratches on the pick guard but that can be buffed out later on. I also noted a better ability to pick the baselines with my thumbnail. I will determine a preference for a thumbpick or not later on. I've always used finger picks but now am trying nails. I tried nail-hardners for the hell of it, but it was too much humbug and once my index fingernail caught on fire while lighting a candle in a jar with a small lighter! 
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Edited by - Menpachi Man on 04/28/2007 7:35:11 PM |
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Menpachi Man
Lokahi
274 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2007 : 09:17:51 AM
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Bob,
Thanks for the fitting the tennis ball analogy. Today, it led me to the idea of loosely holding a small ball of paper towel in my pinkie while I practice getting rid of the brace habit. |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2007 : 09:20:14 AM
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You don't need long nails to play well. That's where a lot of people go wrong -- they think you have to have them super long (like Keola) and if you don;t have really hard nails (again, like Keola) that length will for sure make them crack. I use a slight modification of Scott Tennant's (Pumping Nylon) approach and when I look at my hands, palm side up, the nails seldom extend much beyond a quarter of an inch at the longest point. Most people's nails will tolerate that -- especially if you keep them well groomed and "polish" the edges with a chamois, or something like that.
As to anchoring. I have a friend whose hand/fingers shake quite a bit. He anchors the pinkie and it has made a world of difference. If you sound bad without anchoring, and decent when you anchor, why shoot for some mythical perfection. What works for you, etc. I don't anchor the pinkie. Resting my hand over the bout gives me enough stability so I don't have to. I also move my right hand up and back quite a bit to help vary the tone and anchoring makes it more difficult to do that. |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2007 : 11:17:10 AM
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| I sometimes use free weights. I always use leather gloves that completely cover my fingers. Looks weird but works. Some of the "regulars" in the gym have taken to calling me Mr. Guitar Man. |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2165 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2007 : 2:32:04 PM
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| I anchor, it's comfortable for me. I learned taht way, apply my right hand heel for dampening. Also helps to slip into a "Travis" mode. Keep experimenting to get the sound you want. |
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JimC
Lokahi
USA
135 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2007 : 07:02:15 AM
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I have always played with my ring and pinkie finger anchored. pluck with my index and middle fingers. Never gave it much thought, it's just where my hand naturaly went.
I had a very strange thing happen recentley, got a bad case of the flu ( the one that lingers for few weeks) all of a sudden I had no control over my ring finger. It would move together with my middle finger and land on the strings (deadning the sound) and after a short while my right hand would cramp-up to the point of not being able to play. Took a rest from playing for a week or so but no improvemment.
Got a referal to a sports Doc at Kaiser that just happens to be a base player. He felt there was a definet connection to the flu (weekening of the muscles) started me on a therapy of working my fingers through a bucket of un-popped popcorn and working silly-putty through my fingers as well to help regain strength and independence of finger movement.
In the meantime I started trying to play in a more classical position (very awkward at first) but after a couple weeks I started to get the hang of it. Then my ability to play "anchored" started to return.
It's now been about a month and I am now using a combination of the 2 positions and like the results I'm getting even more. I find I anchor particularly when doing base runs.
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Jim
http://www.ohanahulasupply.com
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Edited by - JimC on 04/30/2007 07:03:08 AM |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
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