Hi David,
I really enjoy your Guitar Noise website and thank you for taking the time to create it and maintain it.
I just have a question about flatpicking. I’m going through the lesson for the song Behind Blue Eyes. When I pluck individual notes using a pick I do not rest any part of my hand on the guitar. Now some people I see online, they kind of let their pinky or ring finger or both sort of glide near the pick guard, probably for stability or something. Is there a correct way? If I want to get faster should I let my pinky or ring finger hang out a little? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Hi and thank you for writing.
And thank you as well for your kind words concerning Guitar Noise. I’d love to take all the credit for it, but it’s Paul Hackett who created the website in 1995 and who still owns and maintains it today. I’m simply one of many volunteers who help out when spare time allows.
There are many arguments, both pro and con, when it comes to using the pinky and / or ring finger as an “anchor” when strumming. In fact, if you type the word “anchor” into the search engine on the Beginners’ Q & A page of the Guitar Noise forum, you can read up on quite a few of those arguments. People who use an anchor usually do so for positioning purposes. It helps to keep the strumming hand in a certain area and also keep it from slipping while strumming. But one can easily do that without an anchor as well. It pretty much depends on what one is used to.
Speaking only for myself, I sometimes use an anchor and sometimes don’t and I don’t consciously know when I do or don’t. But I have to admit that it’s something I don’t pay much attention to and don’t even watch for when looking at others play (unless it’s a student of mine and I am trying to track down potential snags in his or her strumming / picking).
There are no definitive proofs that it helps one’s playing and, likewise, none that it hurts someone’s playing. And there are no deinitive proofs that anchors help improve speed. But, again, it does help some people. Or I should say that some people claim it helps them. Sometimes we believe that doing things in a certain way makes our playing possible and perhaps the belief itself is what makes it work.
The bottom line is that there is no single “correct” way. How comfortable you feel when playing, or how awkward a position makes you feel when playing should be the determining factor.
I hope this helps. Thank you once more for your email and I look forward to chatting with you again.
Peace
March 12th, 2010 @ 12:29 pm
David,
This is the fourth time in my life that I started to learn the guitar. I
have tried lessons, books and web but always reach a point of
consternation where I get bogged down and abandon the project. I have
always been too embarrased to play in front of anyone other than my cat.
I came across your guitar noise lesson podcasts on http://www.GuitarNoise.com
this Winter and I feel like I am actually learning something. At the age
of 60, I am actually playing my guitar with others at a community folk
sing. I just started lesson #10.
Thanks again and please continue to keep up the good work.
John
March 17th, 2010 @ 11:36 am
Hi John
Thanks for writing and my apologies for not replying sooner. Thanks, too for your kind words concerning my work at Guitar Noise.
And rest assured I will be posting a lot of new material there once I finish up with the work on a new Complete Idiot’s Guide to Guitar for Alpha Books (which will be out this fall). That work should be done by the end of the month, so I’ll be back using all my spare time on Guitar Noise articles and Podcasts very shortly.
Peace
June 4th, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
Hi David – I ran across a YouTube video of Jamie Andreas doing a video lesson, using your(?) arrangement of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. It’s quite good, and I’m looking for the tablature. The YouTube video suggests that it’s available at GuitarNoise, but it looks like it has been removed. Can you help me??
THanks! –
CJ
June 4th, 2010 @ 1:49 pm
Hi CJ
I think I can. Write me direct at dhodgeguitar@aol.com and we’ll see what we can do to help.
Be chatting with you soon.
Peace