Anchoring hand to the bridge? Bad thing?

[Razor]

I anchor my hand too. I anchor my pinky finger on the bottom of the pickup ring, and lay my hand across the bridge for muting.

Here's an earlier thread where I had brought up (hijacked ) the subject in another thread that has some interesting responses too.

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31643

[thetroy]

my hand usually doesn't touch anything except to mute strings but in general just do whatever works...it's guitar not violin

[slayer32390]

i usually anchor my forearm on the edge of the guitar and rest my hand the strings over the bridge pickup for palm muting and playing the high strings, and when the lower strings need to be played open i just float my hand over them. and that goes for my floyded guitar (RR3) and my fixed bridges (ibanez rg3ex1 and epi LP std.) basically whatever works for you like thetroy said.

[tanpsi]

Sometimes I anchor pinky on body like some people have mentions, sometimes palm on bridge.

I've been trying to "float", even though it's not as comfterable now, becuase I
feel it might give me more control later on, but I drop back into the other 2 methods.

As far as proper technique, you can go with what feels comfortable. but maybe what's harder at first,maybe better later one, for example economy vs strict alternate picking

[adoxtater]

I generally "anchor" my picking hand with my pinky and/or ring finger resting right in the 90 degree angle where the bridge pup mounting ring meets the body. It's probably a bad habit but he's to keep me in place. Muscle memory I suppose.... so far so good LOL

[memphiskat]

I anchor my hand too. I anchor my pinky finger on the bottom of the pickup ring, and lay my hand across the bridge for muting.

I do this exact thing. Although not always when doing very rapid, agressive
low string down strokes. But always when doing single note lead lines. It seems to give my hand a piont of reference. My hand has learned how far it has to strech away from the anchor piont on the pickup ring to reach the different strings. Karl

[Argos]

Personally, I was taught that anchoring your hand was wrong, so I learned to never do it.

But some guys do, Becker did in his day. I don't think it really matters.

[Sunbane]

I'd say do whatever feels best to you.

I think I used to anchor the side of my palm rather heavilly on the bridge, because I remember having trouble playing Floyds in the past (I'd press on the bridge and the guitar would go sharp).

That went away when I got my first Jackson and started going for a more lighthanded technique. I'm still far from lighthanded, but I wouldn't say that I "anchor" anymore. I position my hand lightly over the bridge - just touching it really. My hand will then move up and down depening on which strings I play on.

There's one thing I haven't been able to stop doing though - I'm curling the last two joints on my fingers up into sort of a "cat fist" shape. I don't think that impacts my playing much, other than when I bump into the MIPJVK.

...Mandatorilly Ill Placed Jackson Volume Knob (TM).

[6_string_master]

I tend to anchor my pinky on the body of the guitar near the volume knob when I am play fast leads or sweeping. So far so good, and my speed is steadily increasing. When I am playing a funk song, though, I don't anchor cause I need a loose wrist.

[RR05xx]

It's difficult not to do it for me, I've been playing like that since I started. Damn you, James Hetfield.

+1 LOL! I have tried to stop and I just cant (I even took 10 years off and had to re-learn just about everthing, and I still went back to that). In fact, I need to play a guitar with a "real" bridge (IMHO), all my guitars, even my LP, have either floyds or kalhers. It is a curse.

[jwoods986]

I anchor my ring finger on the body when doing faster stuff (pinky is too short). Which makes volume knob placement a factor when shopping for a guitar -lol.

As far as right or wrong, off the top of my head Angelo, V. Moore, Impellitteri, and Yngwie come to mind as guys that anchor and I wouldn't be complaining if I could play like any one of them.

[horns666]

I'm used to anchoring my hand very lightly on my floyds.
My hellraiser 7 is the first "non" floyded guitar I've owned in a long time and having the TonePros kind of screwed me up a little at first,
but now I just lightly anchor my hand on the strings right in front of the bridge and it's actually made my "anchoring" lighter with my floyds.
Just do what works and feels comfortable.

agreed.

[6_string_master]

I anchor my ring finger on the body when doing faster stuff (pinky is too short). Which makes volume knob placement a factor when shopping for a guitar -lol.

As far as right or wrong, off the top of my head Angelo, V. Moore, Impellitteri, and Yngwie come to mind as guys that anchor and I wouldn't be complaining if I could play like any one of them.

Yeah, I agree. over on the "ultimate-guitar" forums most of the guys there are a bunch of hacks that say you have to play unanchored. I say screw them. If Petrucci, Yngwie and other mega shredders anchor than it is definately ok if I do to.

[MattyCakes]

i just now realized ultimate guitar.com is a joke.

[MichaelLitvak]

i got a floyd so i usually rest my palm on the strings very close to the floyd..
my teacher told me i should lift my palm and put my fingers on the body under the strings for support.. and move the thumb up and down only instead of moving the whole hand when picking.. he's right.. moving my whole arm does slow me down a bit and now im getting used to his new teqhnique, its not bad