should i anchor my thumb on the bass strings

[ice 9]

i find it esier to to play the treble strings with my fingers when my thumb is resting on the low e string. is this a bad habit or is it ok to continue like this? thanks

[Alan Green]

Anchoring is popular amongst any number of guitarists - if you look at the Guns & Roses video for Patience you'll see Slash's pinky anchored on the body of his guitar when he plays the solo.

That said, I do teach my students to avoid anchoring as it gives you more ability to move the hand around for difficult passages, do faster runs, change position from ponticello to sforzando quickly, and if you're using harmonics you simply can't do it with an anchored hand.


Alan

[ice 9]

thanks
i usually anchor when i play fast passages on electric, but clasical guitar tequnique seems to be a lot stricter so i was just wondering it was different for that

[Bonifacio]

I anchor my pinky very lightly on the body (on the rosette just below the high E string) of the guitar. This leaves my thumb and other fingers free and fixed where I want to play. I've been told by teachers that the sound projected from the guitar comes mostly from the sound board (top) and that the anchoring reduces the sound. I don't seem to be able to tell any difference in the sound and the anchoring does give my right hand stability. I've been doing this for years and feel pretty used to it. I can play without anchoring but don't feel as secure. Just like with the sitting position CG has its "protocol". Does anyone have any ideas on this?

[Chris Davis]

i find it esier to to play the treble strings with my fingers when my thumb is resting on the low e string. is this a bad habit or is it ok to continue like this? thanks

it depends on the situation. If the thumb would be muting a note that needs to ring, then no it's not okay. If you need to change from rest to free stroke fluently, the thumb can often hold you back if it's anchored.

I anchor my thumb on bass strings a lot when doing technical exercises, but not often when actually working through pieces. When i'm playing a piece, my thumb is often the most active of my fingers: playing when it needs to, muting notes as needed, moving to it's next playing position.

[alan_1]

my thumb is resting on the low e string. is this a bad habit ... ?

I see in some method books, and from a few teachers that this, at the beginning, is a good thing. Not all books, and not all teachers, would agree.

There seems to be two main reasons, in the beginning, in favor of resting the thumb on the lowest string, from what I gather. One reason is simply that it supports the hand. Another reason - and more often than not, is overlooked - a teacher may want the student to get a feel for the open hand sensation - that is, that separation, and open, spread out feeling, that is produced when the thumb is on the lowest string and the fingers are at the highest string. That ‘form’, and associated sensation, lends itself in teaching a relaxed hand, and promoting finger movement only. It is often a tendency for an untrained right hand to contract and to naturally want to ‘grab’ when the thumb is allowed to become in close contact to the index finger. From the time we are born, we grow learning to use the hands and fingers to grab things with - alot of classical guitar right hand training is to unlearn that way of using the hand, and to train the fingers and thumb to work independently of each other and the hand.

I am no smart person or great guitarist, but I believe anything, even good, could become a bad habit. But if you are just beginning your studies with classical guitar, I would not worry about it too much. As you progress you will soon encounter music that will put the thumb to work.

I believe that in classical guitar playing, an idol finger is the devils workshop - like children, give the fingers something to do and keep them out of trouble.

[Nick Cutroneo]

I anchor my pinky very lightly on the body (on the rosette just below the high E string) of the guitar. This leaves my thumb and other fingers free and fixed where I want to play. I've been told by teachers that the sound projected from the guitar comes mostly from the sound board (top) and that the anchoring reduces the sound. I don't seem to be able to tell any difference in the sound and the anchoring does give my right hand stability. I've been doing this for years and feel pretty used to it. I can play without anchoring but don't feel as secure. Just like with the sitting position CG has its "protocol". Does anyone have any ideas on this?

If you anchor your pinky, you are greatly restricting the motion and control of 'a' and 'm' in your hand. Since you are 'teaching' your pinky to stay stiff and in an anchor position, you are using contrary muscles when you use 'a' and 'm'. And while you may not realize it, you are adding tension into the hand. The pinky should be free so that it can move with 'a' (and when you're playing a scalar passage, 'a' and the pinky move with 'm').

As for anchoring your thumb, I keep my thumb down all the time. However depending on the situation, I only keep on string in between my thumb and the string I'm playing (rest strokes) or no string in between (free strokes). By moving your thumb as you play on higher strings this keeps the curvature of the fingers the same for the bass strings as well as the treble strings. Thus the fingers don't straighten out while you play on higher strings. What also needs to happen when you are moving your thumb is that your forearm should be sliding as you move up strings or back down. This also keeps the curvature the same in the fingertips.

[Circles]

The only finger i anchor sometimes is my thumb on a bass string, but only during scale type sections or i,m,a chords that dont require the use or movement of the hand (as in if its say 1st and 2nd fret to 2nd and 2nd fret i'll ancher but if i have to move to say 5th fret then i wont) this is because i find that if i move my hand while anchored it gets A. Slowed down and drags a little, and B. this dragging causes squeeks >.< lol so i dont achor the thumb all that often..

Its kind of like a boat.. I only anchor if i plan on being there for a while.

[freestroke]

an idol finger is the devils workshop"...

Almost by definition.

[alan_1]

alan_1 wrote:
an idol finger is the devils workshop"...

Well alan_1 needs to check his spelling.

The word should be ‘idle’, not ‘idol’ LOL
Quite a bit of difference.


I bet you caught that didn't you freestroke? Thanks for not making me feel stupid by saying something like: the word is IDLE not IDOL - everybody knows that - Gawd what is wrong with you alan_1 ? Didn't you ever learn how to spell? Don't you know anything? LOL
ahhh we have fun don't we.

[freestroke]

I bet you caught that didn't you freestroke?

I enjoy typos with a hidden theme. Would this be the fickle finger of fate, alan-1?

[alan_1]

typos with a hidden theme. Would this be the fickle finger of fate, alan-1?

Well put ! That is a good saying freestroke - and funny too.
I hope that you will not mind if I use that one in the future

I just love guitarists that are friendly and have a sense of humor. A great guitarist that is Mr. Know-it-all, unfriendly, no sense of humor - I would never care listen to him no matter how good he was. I would just think - that guy is an A-hole ! LOL

I always like reading your posts freestroke - style, class, humor, smarts and humility all in one.
Keep up the good work !

[freestroke]

...
Keep up the good work !

Thanks! You are too kind!

[kfisherx]

from a technical point of view you should never "ANCHOR" or "BRACE" a thumb or a pinky on any part of the guitar. This causes tension and tension is something you don't want to build into your playing.

Now that said, I rest my thumb on the bass string directly above the string I am playing with my fingers. We are all taught to do this in our studio. The reason is that it teaches the hand to move from the elbow and cross the strings rather than having the fingers reach for notes. Moving the hand gives the fingers the most leverage and the most secure playing position.

[Nick Cutroneo]

from a technical point of view you should never "ANCHOR" or "BRACE" a thumb or a pinky on any part of the guitar. This causes tension and tension is something you don't want to build into your playing.

Now that said, I rest my thumb on the bass string directly above the string I am playing with my fingers. We are all taught to do this in our studio. The reason is that it teaches the hand to move from the elbow and cross the strings rather than having the fingers reach for notes. Moving the hand gives the fingers the most leverage and the most secure playing position.

I was getting at the same thing in my post...but you're answer was much more articulate than mine.

Keeping your thumb on the strings of the guitar is fine, it provides a 'balance' (for a lack of a better word) for the hand, and helps guide the arm and secure the arm while you slide it moving from string to string. HOWEVER the thumb moves while I'm playing. Again I usually keep a string between the thumb and playing fingers (rest stroke) or no strings between (free strokes).