Picking Technique

[juankavamo89]

Hi people, I have a question for you. I support my pinkie over the pickup, when it comes to practice fast picking I don't feel confortable this way, but to play melodic, slow & accurate passages were you can pick a wrong note, I feel great. So I was looking at some videos of some accurate players (Paul Gilbert, Al Di Meola, Buckethead) and I noticed that the don't support the pinkie, they use what I think it's called "Foating picking hand". My question is, this mean only rest part of the forearm over the body of the guitar but the hand is "Floating" even when you play the 6th string?, and, Can I develope a good technique using it?.

Please give me a hand.

Thank you.

[juankavamo89]

Sorry I forget to say that I want to develope an wrist picking exclusive.

[chrismatson]

I don't think very many guitar players 'float', as the term implies. Floating entirely seems inefficient, but what I HAVE seen many players do is rest their palm on the brigde of the guitar, without anchoring. Its also easier to mute. For me, it is a much better attack, since I'm not in favor of anchoring myself.

But really, you can get 'good' with any type of attack, with enough practice. Angelo and Petrucci are in favor of anchoring, and look at them. Those dudes ROCK.

Just do what is comfortable.

As for the wrist vs. forearm vs. fingers thing. I like to use wrist and forearm. I don't really even pay much attention to it. Whatever gets the jobs done efficiently is what matters. And efficiency will develop all by itself.

Hope that helped.

[pricelix]

To me supporting the pinkie is bad.

It might take years to find out,but it will limit you one way or the other.

Besides,a floating hand looks much cooler

But it might be different for you,I've seen many people do it,I think

John Petrucci does it.