The Anchored Baby Finger

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The Anchored Baby Finger

Postby ajbremer » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:03 pm

Thursday - April 17th, 2013

Right Hand Technique

I've come to realize the importance of the anchored baby finger. You see Chet anchoring his baby all the time and so do most other Chet players. Usually I don't think about it and then I find myself not stretching out the baby and purposely using it as an anchor. I've also found that not only stretching out the baby finger into a straight position helps but it helps even more when it actually touches the guitar body. To add to this, it seems like an even better practice to apply a little pressure to baby finger as it touches the guitar body in a straightened position.

I've been trying my best at that tune 'A Man and A Woman', particularly the way that Claes Neeb plays it at the link at the bottom. I've found tab for it on the net and have also purchased John's Volume 7 Number 3 Issue #27 where he has the tune tabbed out and has done an awesome job. Claes plays it just a little differently where he uses his 'I' and 'M' fingers at the same time during those quick 16th notes during the verses. We'll, Claes plays the tune at around 180 bpm cut-time and playing those two fingers together like that and also doing a clean job of it is a pretty hard task - especially for a beginner like me. I've found, especially in this tune, that using the right hand baby finger anchored as discussed above, really helps in landing those doubled-fingered 16th notes clean and at that rate of speed.

I think I should start paying closer attention to my baby finger and how it's anchored, it really helps with the right hand technique. Do you agree?

I've posted this youtube video here before but for the sake of explaining this post, here's Claes playing 'A Man and a Woman'. Watch his baby finger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHM2wGlCrNg
ajbremer
 
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Re: The Anchored Baby Finger

Postby Norm » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:34 pm

I'd be wary of using it as an 'cast in stone' technique.
Some do, some don't. Chet liked his Bigsby which means he had to have a relaxed enough right hand to grasp the tip and apply it. Travis liked to anchor.

I rest my finger on the pickguard sometimes but, again, I don't make it a Rule.
...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

Audio samples: http://www.youtube.com/user/acountrygent/videos
That should do it.
Norm
 
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Re: The Anchored Baby Finger

Postby ajbremer » Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:35 pm

Thank you Norm, that is great advice sir.
ajbremer
 
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Re: The Anchored Baby Finger

Postby Roger Hardin » Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:18 am

ajbremer wrote:Thursday - April 17th, 2013

Right Hand Technique

I've come to realize the importance of the anchored baby finger. You see Chet anchoring his baby all the time and so do most other Chet players. Usually I don't think about it and then I find myself not stretching out the baby and purposely using it as an anchor. I've also found that not only stretching out the baby finger into a straight position helps but it helps even more when it actually touches the guitar body. To add to this, it seems like an even better practice to apply a little pressure to baby finger as it touches the guitar body in a straightened position.

I've been trying my best at that tune 'A Man and A Woman', particularly the way that Claes Neeb plays it at the link at the bottom. I've found tab for it on the net and have also purchased John's Volume 7 Number 3 Issue #27 where he has the tune tabbed out and has done an awesome job. Claes plays it just a little differently where he uses his 'I' and 'M' fingers at the same time during those quick 16th notes during the verses. We'll, Claes plays the tune at around 180 bpm cut-time and playing those two fingers together like that and also doing a clean job of it is a pretty hard task - especially for a beginner like me. I've found, especially in this tune, that using the right hand baby finger anchored as discussed above, really helps in landing those doubled-fingered 16th notes clean and at that rate of speed.

I think I should start paying closer attention to my baby finger and how it's anchored, it really helps with the right hand technique. Do you agree?

I've posted this youtube video here before but for the sake of explaining this post, here's Claes playing 'A Man and a Woman'. Watch his baby finger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHM2wGlCrNg


Class does an outstanding job playing this and I would not change a thing, but I did notice that he appears to be playing all of those 16th's with the same finger or "repeating" the right hand fingering. I seem to recall the recommended right-hand fingering in John Knowles book was alternating the "a" and "m" on those 16th notes or, something similar to that. That is probably how I would play that, Not that it matters, Just an alternative idea. To me It does not matter what part of the anatomy you use if you can play the music but, many technique Gurus would disagree.
Roger Hardin
 
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