TOPIC: Anchoring finger to the head

Well for me I have found it to be a problem to get my ring finger to stay put and pick with my middle finger at the same time. It seems that the two fingers are linked together. So What I have found works for me is I tuck my ring finger in my hand and put my little finger on the bottom of the bridge and hang on with it while forcing my hand to push down at the same time. It seems to work. But Every time I start to practices I must remind myself to put the finger down first. guess it will take some time to train my hand. Any one else had similar problems?

As long as you have the pinky at a minimum anchored, you are doing fine. Others anchor both the pinky and the ring finger. You don't want to remove both.

In the book, "Masters of the 5 string banjo" there are several players that definitely do not anchor both fingers. I think that part of the issue is getting good enough so you don't move your picking fingers any more than you really have to.

Some classic advice is to use a rubber band to tie your ring finger and little finger together to keep them both down. It can also help build some independence for the middle finger.

Be careful about hanging on to the bridge with your little finger, as it can impact tone and perhaps even setup.

-Chris

Okay, what's with the anchoring of "2" fingers.....????? I thought it was supposed to be the PINKY only....Is this another bad habit of mine????? Or is this for BANJO players only?? Or is this a surprise that Dave is saving for me??

Pinky is a minimum. Two is preferred, or so "they" say.