I believe this goes under the technique moniker.

Chances are everyone have gone through opinions on which picking technique is the best, what to do and what not to do. Of course the widely accepted technique is to use your wrist, for it surely is the most accurate and consistent one.

Really the only technique I hold in disregard is to use your elbow, and most likely everyone knows why. However, I wouldn't say strict use of your wrist is the only acceptable method; we are all born with different kind of hands, and no one's technique is identical to that of somebody else's due to physical matters.

The reason I'm bringing this topic up is this: in my early days of playing I discovered a major flaw in my right hand technique. Back then I had played for just over 6 months I guess, and I used my whole arm when picking (that is, elbow). Figures I didn't know anything about proper technique.

I also played with a closed fist. But while converting to a more proper technique, using my wrist, I realised I had to play with an open hand, so from that point on I have practiced playing with an anchored finger. Early on I only anchored my pinky, but when I progressed, I noticed that anchoring both my pinky and ring finger feels much more natural for me, probably because I have quite large hands. Even now that I have switched to 7-string guitars, I can and do still (honestly) pick the low B-string while anchoring 2 of my fingers on the body. This has also got to do with the fact that I have naturally progressed to a more circle picking -oriented way of playing; I have nearly ditched using my wrist when alternate picking, using my fingers instead.

Using my fingers to strengthen the picking movement hasn't really proved to be a problem for me, but anchored fingers have. My right hand fingers have swollen to abrupt sizes. I noticed this over a year ago, but it was milder. The swelling retreated for quite some time during the summer, but they have swollen again. To worse lengths this time around.

I decided this edema is caused by my technique, as I can't find any other logical reason behind it. And just how does it suck that I find it next to impossible for me to play with a floating or closed hand now; it's virtually not possible for me due to my large hands and other physical treats.

Yesterday I began practicing with a lighter touch, which should do me lots of good. I tend to anchor my fingers with quite a lot of pressure (partly unintended) and to pick with force; now I'm trying to let my picking hand flow with the wrist, even though I keep anchoring the fingers. I'll have to see if this helps at all, otherwise I'm gonna have to redesign my technique all over again... and that would take months.

Too long; didn't read: discuss picking hand technique freely!

Chris Impellitteri has a strange picking hand technique. His middle, ring, and pinky fingers are " Straightened"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y1cYMWp_sU

Yus, seems like he stiffens them most of the time, so he's bound to using his wrist without finger movement.

I pick from the wrist and don't anchor any of my fingers when doing so Obviously my right hand is not floating freely as it is used for muting strings. I also change where I pick depending on what tone I'm looking for and I feel that anchoring my fingers would inhibit this. I also hold my pick at about the 10/11 o'clock position between the tip of my thumb and the side of my index finger.

I completely relate to this as I had the same exact progression.Started playing with close hand moving freely and making the movement with whole arm.
But someday somehow (I think it was watching Batio lessons on youtube) I decided that I should try to anchor my hand to reduce movement so I could improve speed.
Anchored pinky first and now bot pinky and ring fingers. No one told me to do so, not even my teacher. I just thought copying the virtuosos was the real way.
After time I realized many of them dont play with anchored hand but I dont feel like going back again!

I dont understand this. Can u explain it in another way? My english sux sorry.

I think the real advantage of anchoring the hand is that your arm doesnt get tired (at least for me)

[OFFTOPIC]

Orzandotl, what guitar is that one in your sig? It's so beautiful. I thought the vine inlays(are they called that way?) were only in the ugly (IMO) Vai signature guitar.

[/OFFTOPIC]

It's a J Custom RG8570Z

IbanezDaemon has a similar one.

http://neoclassicalmetal.org/index.php?showtopic=83&st=240

Acousolysis,

Anchoring the fingers in itself is not a bad thing, but it is a problem when you put too much weight on it, which is what it seems you're doing.

In otherwords, you shouldn't really be "anchoring" your fingers, but rather using them as guides, so you're on the right track. Play with a lighter touch, and try to keep your hand and arm relaxed.

Even when you play hard, it should stay relatively relaxed. Loudness comes from how far you move the pick, not from adding more force. Ideally, at least... ;)

One good thing to do (classical guitarists do this) is to play in front of a mirror so you can see your arm as you play. That way it's easier to tell where you're tensing up and adding unwanted pressure.

I mean that my right hand (picking hand) fingers have swollen, which I believe has to do with my picking technique. Like DatM said, I probably cause too much pressure on my anchoring fingers.

In the morning the swelling and stiffness is worse. Cools down a little bit during the day, but that doesn't really help in the long run.

For the last 2 days I haven't played much, but my fingers just seem to stiffen more and more every day. And now my left hand pinky is just as swollen as my right hand pinky - I mean, come on!

Going to see if my school's health nurse is available today and ask her if she thinks I should go get checked; I have showed her my fingers last winter (me thinks), and she sent me to the health center... I guess I never went there.

Sorry to have to ask something offtopic again. I searched a lot, mainly on Ibanez webpage, and not only Spain (my country) but also another ones like USA and haven't been able to find a catalog with those custom guitars, or at least the ones they are producing right now.
Can u clarify please? Im interested in those models. It's be so bad they couldm't be bought from here, Valencia.

Btw how's it Marty Friedman isn't still in this thread? His picking hand is just unique!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVdyHs_IX1I

I'll send a pm ;)

Adrian: You won't be able to buy those guitars new in Europe or anywhere else for that matter as the J Custom range is available to the Japanese market only. All the J Custom models are limited edition as well with the most common models still maybe having only 24 or 36 pieces worldwide. The earlier ones were more limited again with some having only a run of 3, 6 or 12 produced.

However the original Japanese owners do sell them on so it is possible to come across them for sale in Europe. There are a few similar models to the one in ORZ's signature on ebay at the moment, they are all in used condition but you would have to import them from Japan. Bear in mind on top of the price listed in these ads that you would also have to pay shipping and import duty.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-Ibanez-J-C...=item27ada8cf8c

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2009-Ibanez-EMG-J-Cu...=item2ea9bb12b4

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2009-NEW-Ibanez-J-Cu...=item27adcc830c

Having thought a bit more about this, I've never heard of anybody's hands actually becoming swollen from playing guitar. You might be dealing with something else that is only flaring up because of your playing.

I'd go see a doctor ASAP.

Well, I did see my school nurse, and she believes cold air during winter time causes the swelling; my circulatory system might be weak (I am really tall and skinny). No wonder that my feet and hands are always really cold.

She also suggested I go see a doctor if I feel like it, but she didn't think the condition was anything to get worried about as I don't have any aches in my hands. As I'm too lazy to actually go see a doctor and pay for it, I'll just let it cool down and see how the situation progresses. Of course I will get an appointment if it gets unbearable.

I usually anchor my pinky to get rid of access noise and lay my thumb (on my picking hand) on the top strings. I use a similar picking hand technique as Jason Becker.