Fingerpicking Pinky Finger for Stability?

Super_Dave

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Hey guys,

When I fingerpick in patterns I know (or learn new ones) I don't do the typical pinky-finger placement on the soundboard. I see it recommended a great deal, but it feels more awkward than my free-floating hand.

My question: is that pinky-placement important for learning future techniques or doing harder patterns down the line, or can I just blow it off? Is it important as you get into playing longer songs? Or is it just a personal taste technique?

I've only been playing 6 months or so, but I play a lot and have pretty good feel for where the strings are so far.

I just don't want to have to unlearn things in a year when I start getting into more and more complicated playing...

Thanks for any thoughts.

/super
 
I tend to plant my pinky on the top, but I was told (in the context of guitar playing) that this is a bad habit, and that it's better keep your hand floating.
 
If you don't need to plant your pinky you should consider yourself lucky. It just restricts your movement.
 
I was also taught not to use the pinky as an anchor and find it freeing not to. I was taught every complicated pattern my instructor threw at me. tYou’re in good form Super Dave.
 
Thanks for the help guys! I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do it!
 
Another reason to not plant a finger: it can wear the finish where you do it. On a guitar I had this issue because even though there's a pick guard, I like to plant it in front of the guard, right on the wood. At first the finish was gone, and then it started wearing away the wood too!
 
I do it both ways. I don't really do either way consciously, sometimes I plant it, sometimes not.
 
I read this thread a couple months ago and at the time, I was a pinky-resting fool. If I was a pickin', my finger was on the deck. After reading this thread I decided I needed to break that habit. So here I am now months later and I'm finally every bit as accurate and comfortable with my digits floating but it did take quite a bit of practice to clean that mess up. For beginners, I HIGHLY recommend NOT resting your pinky when finger picking lest you have to go through what I did...learning all your picking tunes again at least from the right-hand side. It was quite frustrating.
 
I read this thread a couple months ago and at the time, I was a pinky-resting fool. If I was a pickin', my finger was on the deck. After reading this thread I decided I needed to break that habit. So here I am now months later and I'm finally every bit as accurate and comfortable with my digits floating but it did take quite a bit of practice to clean that mess up. For beginners, I HIGHLY recommend NOT resting your pinky when finger picking lest you have to go through what I did...learning all your picking tunes again at least from the right-hand side. It was quite frustrating.

I dropped my 40+ year habit of pinkie planting last summer after noticing the small crescent shaped dents my pinkie nail was creating in the koa top of my Taylor GSmini. I was surprised at how easily I was able to do this, and I'm very happy with the results as the change opened up all sorts of possibilities for me.
 
I plant the pinky on some fingerpicking songs but mostly not. It seems to be useful when you're doing a repeated triplet with the thumb, index, and middle finger up the strings.

Petey
 
Early on, I noticed that planting the pinky on the smaller ukes dampens the sound/sustain a little, so I never got in the habit of doing it, luckily.
 
Five-string banjo players, who know something about fingerpicking, almost universally plant one or two fingers. Classical guitarists, who also know something about fingerpicking, almost universally do not.
 
I have already chewed up the finish and some of the wood on my ukes doing this. It's a hard habit to break.
 
I tend to (try to) play like Herb Ohta Sr. and Herb Ohta Jr., so instead of planting the pinky on the top of the soundboard, I actually use my ring finger and my pinky to help hold up the instrument to play chord melody style. My thumb and index finger then (kind of Kimo Hussey style) end up doing 95% of the work, with my middle finger occasionally helping to strum or just staying out of the way.

Here's Ohta-san using the "pinky to hold up the instrument" style with a soprano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87e7cAViYxQ

Here's Herb Ohta Jr. playing a similar style, letting the thumb do most of the work, and using the pinky and ring finger to stabilize on the side of the instrument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEfkazmxcBM

On the other hand, here's Herb Ohta Jr. planting the pinky finger down on the top to stabilize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEfkazmxcBM

Here is Kimo using his pinky to stabilize in a certain spot on the top right by the side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHKoOHG-Ngw

I guess the moral of the story is, play the way that works best for you! :D
 
You could try pinky at the heel side of the neck. Easier with a cutout.
 
Why choose just one way, learn both. There are tunes that require the hand to float freely, others planting one or more fingers is the way to go.
 
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Ian O'Sullivan, a classical guitarist plays the guitar with no fingers planted. When he came to Minneapolis to do a concert, he also did a workshop on the uke. Here is a video of him playing my Mainland. During the tune he sometimes plants his finger, other times all fingers are floating.

Ian and the Uke

Ian and the guitar

My uke must have broken since he borrowed it because it won't go as fast as it did when he played it.
 
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Another thing to consider in this thread is the allocation of fingers. I always play PPIM with the pinky planted. I never feel restricted or hemmed in like some people. But that's probably because I don't use my ring finger. Haven't you noticed that unless you have done some very focused neurological training that the pinky and ring finger like to move in tandem. Therefore it might feel weird to have a stationary pinky and a moving ring finger.
 
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