anchoring - the great debate

[Mr. Killer]

Instead of choosing just one technique, why not practice them both? I know that some people claim that certain technique damages your wrist. I wouldn't worry about injuries, unless I was a professional musician who does a lot of touring. And even professionals don't say that one technique is better than the other one (Petrucci anchors, Gilbert doesn't, and they are both professionals).

Like I said before, I preffer to use both techniques instead of just one. If one them was the "right" one, this thread would not exist (or at least it wouldn't have so many posts).

PD: Do you guys really play 6+ hours a day??!!! Then I guess you're studying music as a career.

[Radha]

I rest my forearm on the body contour; and position my hand such that it's fleshy side only lightly touches (for dampening) the strings. 99.9% of all motion occurs at the wrist for picking, strumming, palm-muting, and arpeggiation.

I "rest" my forearm quite heavily/fixedly; it never moves from the same spot on the body contour; in fact I have to get it to "stick" in one place (by moistening/breathing-on it at the point of contact with the contour).

I've developed a dry-skinned bruise on my forearm from all this heavy resting. Is there some kind of arm-brace/wrist-guard (perhaps with a ruberised under-side) already in existence I could just wear? If not I'll just have to get a sock with some kind of iron-on print and cut 5 holes in the toe-end.

I've seen pictures of Wes Borland wearing some kind of "arm-warmer":
Google Images string - "axesense.com: wes borland"
- does anybody know why he wore it?

[Homebake]

Originally Posted by Mr. Killer

Instead of choosing just one technique, why not practice them both? I know that some people claim that certain technique damages your wrist. I wouldn't worry about injuries, unless I was a professional musician who does a lot of touring. And even professionals don't say that one technique is better than the other one (Petrucci anchors, Gilbert doesn't, and they are both professionals).

Like I said before, I preffer to use both techniques instead of just one. If one them was the "right" one, this thread would not exist (or at least it wouldn't have so many posts).

PD: Do you guys really play 6+ hours a day??!!! Then I guess you're studying music as a career.

i don't practice them both because it's a waste of time. there isn't really a point doing both when you can do 99.9% of what you want 1 technique to do that the other can't. i'd rather focus on 1 technique and get very good at it.

yeah, i'm making music my career too. 6-8 hours a day is a pretty solid effort, especially if it's all actual practice. you can't have complete command of the instrument playing for 20 mins every 3 days lol.

[Andrimner]

After reading all these opinions on anchoring vs not anchoring I got so depressed that I have decided to stop playing guitar after playing for more then 25 years.
I anchor and I am now afraid I have chosen the wrong way which will lead me into the darkness.
I realize I may have chosen the dark side of the force.So to all of you who is unsure.
Stop playing right away. This might very well be the end of the world if you like me is anchoring.
Save the world and stop playing guitar.


It's also hard to not stop laughing when you hear people saying that players like Steve Morse, Petrucci, Satriani etc is not very good and have wrong technique.
Well sorry that they don't have the time to respond. They are busy touring all over the world and writing songs that a lot of people actually do listen to, while the people who slag them is hanging around guitar forums trying to find a way to get their head out of their ass.

[MattyG]

I don't think anybody was slagging anybody else off - merely pointing out that some great players use one technique and other great players use another.

[Homebake]

maybe after about 200 years of pickstyle playing one style will emerge as the dominant technique, as it has in classical and other styles that have been around for yonks.

[Timbaline]

Originally Posted by Homebake

maybe after about 200 years of pickstyle playing one style will emerge as the dominant technique, as it has in classical and other styles that have been around for yonks.

Too bad we won't be alive to find out....

[MattyG]

I'm pretty sure pick style has been around just as long.
A lot of the instruments similar to the guitar were played with a pick.

Also check out this cool painting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ja..._Delft_013.jpg

she's anchoring LMAO

[Daigo]

I started off using the anchoring technique because it felt comfortable to me when I first attempted to learn shred circa 3 years ago and it worked fine for me up until that point.My technique over these 3 years kind of evolved I guess and I sometimes now try to not anchor and it seems allot easier than in the beginning when I really had to anchor to play notes up to speed especially for alternate picking ofcourse.As I said I was quite happy with my anchored picking until I read this thread and decided to give unanchored picking a serious shot and I must say it makes quite a difference.
My picking range has improved with it and I feel more nimble when I pick this way, also I dont have the feeling like Im forcing my wrist to move so for me this floating picking technique will be a keeper.I just want to say though that I never would have made it here if not for anchoring in the beginning , its allot like using training wheels or atleast thats how I experienced it.Everyones different and everyone will be comfortable picking in their own way I guess, just look at how weird friedman holds his pick XD
Someone who posted here before me had the reverse experience first unanchored and than anchored and that felt better to him in some circumstances, it goes to show we should all keep finding our own style or methods for approaching techniques.

[Homebake]

http://www.troygrady.com/players.php

everyone should check out this site.

this dude has been studying famous pickers's techniques with a slow mo cam and has come to the conclusion that the virtuosos all pick differently and most of them don't know how they do it. it's pretty interesting.

[asolid]

After reading this thread (well, part of it anyway..) I noticed I anchor only while playing the 3 "high" strings (E-B-G) and I rest my palm on the tailpiece/trem/bridge (don't want to insult any purists saying "my tremolo is not a bridge/tailpiece! it's a tremolo!")

am I weird?

and when playing "fast" i usually "Un-anchor" and just start screwing up :P on the high strings

[Ad_Astra]

I've never bothered myself with analyzing how and why I do things the way I do. It's just the way I've always done it and won't be changed really easily. Bad habits die hard, eh? Like the way I hold the pick, when doing some fast rhythm playing, I have the pick between my thumb and middle finger (or middle and index finer). Some say it's the wrong way, but I don't mind.

Judge yourselves the way I play:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Starlia777?feature=mhw5