Maybe no finger plant, but how about

[levin4now]

I have heard more opinions against the technique (aka "bad habit") of pinky planting whilst picking, and the latest reinforcement of that came from watching Thile's video for the first time the other night.

However, he mentioned he rests his wrist just behind the bridge (lightly, I guess).

Does anyone else do this? Or is your hand completely free and clear of any bracing or planting or resting on the instrument. I end up muting the strings too much ("north" of) the bridge if I try this.

I am not trying to emulate Thile per se, but am trying to quit the finger planting. So far, I'm pretty sloppy when I quit planting the pinky.

[Jim Garber]

IMHO I would think you would be better planting that finger than muting your bridge with your palm, however light. One of the best players out there, Barry Mitterhoff, plants to the point of wearing away the finish on his '40s F5.

Coming from the classical tradition, some instruments actually have an armrest that positions your hand over the bridge. it would actually be difficult to plant your finger on such a mandolin.

Ideally, you shoud touch the top as little as possible. Work on the non-planting but avoid any other contact, if possible.

Jim

[BenE]

I was watching the Woodsong broadcast of Thile and Mike Marshall and I noticed the Mike would post his pinkie on some passages....
I tend to post to tremelo and pick through some difficult passages in the music. Maybe not the best technique but I say whatever works!

[Mando4Life]

It seems to me that many of the prominent mandolin players out there switch from planting fingers to not planting constantly while playing. #I have always thought that it is a result of what type of "playing" they are doing such as tremolo(plant), chop(no plant), cross-pick(no plant/plant), etc., etc. #I used to try not to plant myfingers at all, but have come to the realization that for me is makes some things easier to play. So now I find myself switching back and forth while playing songs all the time now.

"Whatever works..." - right on BenE

[BenE]

This is sort of like how do you hold a pick. #What works for some may not work for others. #I have noticed lately how different ways a person will hold a pencil while writing. #Try and start looking at folks when the write and think that we were probably all taught to hold a pencil the same way. #Weird how in the end we come up with what works best for us as individuals.

[August Watters]

I have been surprised how many people lately seem to think that finger-planting is a bad thing -- I think some planting or at least loose finger-brushing on the top is predominant in the bluegrass world, and planting is a technique often taught as a necessary tool in the classical world.

I'd guess the trend against finger-planting is due to the influence of Thile's video, which advises against planting -- but as a teacher I've seen way too many players try to avoid planting with the fingers, only to end up planting with the wrist instead, behind the bridge, where it dampens both the projection and tone of the mandolin.

I think it's important to remember we're all built a little differently, with different sizes and shapes of hands -- so what works for one might not work as well for another. And as someone pointed out in this thread, it's easy to find top-level players who use just about any technique imaginable! So we all have to find what works best for us.

August Watters
http://www.galleryofstrings.com

[Dfyngravity]

I agree with mando4life. There are times when you might need to plant and by all means plant if it helps you. And then there are the times when you don't want to plant, and if you do you need to break the habit, ex:when playing chords and crosspicking. I particularly don't like to plant because I am left handed and I play right handed. Which means I really have to concentrate on my right hand, and whenever I plant I tend to tense up which you don't want. I would do whatever you feel comfortable with though and if it workd than use it.

Dfyngravity

[beachbum]

Alan,
I made a similar post to this a few weeks ago. I'm still a beginner and started learning from Rich DelGrosso's Mandolin Method where he recommends posting the pinkie. I have other books that say don't do it. I was strictly a poster until a few weeks ago. I concentrated really hard on not posting and found that with practice I'm pretty good at it now. However, since I don't post my wrist does rest lightly behind the bridge. I haven't noticed a decrease in volume. As I've practiced tremolo I've noticed I do better if I post. Maybe it's just a matter of what feels right to you. Good luck!
Susan

[lownote]

I also agree with mandolife, and will also offer, the prominant players probably do not even realize or think twice about posting. I'm not one of these folks but find I plant in several diffent fashions dependent on what I'm playing.
Lee

[Keith Newell]

I agree, finger post is most common and varies from player to player. Muting the bridge hampers your tone and can greatly influence your volume. Touching the bridge at anytime is not a got idea. When you do it and feel that buzzing vibtration in the heel of your hands means one thing..."Im dampening my total output ofvolume and tone".
Keith Newell

[Stillpicking]

I don't plant my pinky to play anything but I do rest my wrist but not on the bridge. What I use for that is a mandolin arm rest attached like a violin (fiddle) chin rest but on the mandolin. Mine is located just above the tailpiece. If I am chopping away my wrist is off the arm rest which gives me the added force or attack on the chop cords for that pop sound that I am after.
Just my way I have seen many styles of playing as was said before what ever works for you is the "right way".

[AussieRoger]

Muting the bridge hampers your tone and can greatly influence your volume.

Chris Thile lightly rests his wrist just behind the bridge, and from what I can tell it certainly doesn't harm his tone ;) He doesn't do it all the time, though.

I find that planting my little finger feels very unnatural to begin with, and also seriously restricts my picking movements.

[AussieRoger]

To expand on the lightly resting thing, just being able to sense where the strings are in relation to your wrist helps to keep it from moving around too much. That's why I only lightly touch it. I guess it's not even resting...

[mando bandage]

Had the pleasure of seeing Barry with Hot Tuna last night in Medina,OH, and yes, he plants (and yes, he is very accomplished, and very precise). #For what it's worth, I noticed that Jorma, the captain of the guitar finger-pickers, plants his pinky occasionally on some techniques. #Personally, I go with the wrist resting lightly behind the bridge, but then again, I can't make it sound like Barry does.

R

[Chuck]

Niles, Do you have an opinion on this one ? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[mandocrucian]

<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>Muting the bridge hampers your tone and can greatly influence your volume.</span>


<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>Chris Thile lightly rests his wrist just behind the bridge, and from what I can tell it certainly doesn't harm his tone.</span>

There is an aspect of this question that goes beyond what is most mechanically expedient (i.e. whatever works), to the idea of widening the possible range of sounds/tone/colorations in order to enhance expression.

Mandocrucian's Theorum: There is no inherently "bad" tone, only "appropriate" or"innapropriate" tone.

Beyond the base-line sound of a particular mandolin which is set up in a particular way (i.e. action, string choice & spacing, etc), the variations in the potential sound all stem from the instrument/player interface. #Volume, attack, pick angle/contour/thickness, and so on. This is why the same mandolin will sound different when played by six different players.

Posting a finger, resting your hand and all this can affect the sound/tone output of the instrument, but is this really any different than pick choice, or how hard you whack the strings?

The player/instrument interface might be thought of as a 24-track mixing board, and the combination of channels (factors) and how much or how little they are turned on can create a much wider palette of sound than just running 2 or 3 channels wide open all the time. #For example, reducing the overall volume via palm muting on the bridge produces an entirely different result than reducing volume by just playing softer. <span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>(In my Rhythm Mando Bootcamp (http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/northern/adult.html#rhythmbootcamp), I usually spend a couple hours demonstrating the applications and uses of palm-dampening, and other types of muting techniques. May 7-9, 2004.)</span>

This is something to keep in mind when reading responses that say a certain technique is detrimental. Well, maybe it is , but maybe it isn't....depending on the circumstances. I realize that this seems to contradict the "conventional wisdom", but it's just taking manipulation of volume/tone/attack to a different level.

For the beginning player, I would tend to favor lightly resting behind the bridge over posting with the pinky. Without actually seeing what a player is doing, or how they are holding the instrument or the pick, I'd be reluctant to make any specific suggestions. However, I think that a student should not limit themself to just a single way in their practicing. #So, I advocate also practicing with the free wrist, even if one does post, or palm-rest. The free wrist may be somewhat awkward, but maybe it will give the player more tone options and benefits (playing in spots over the fingerboard to get that hollow-er sound) on slow stuff. #Eventually, you'll increase your capabilities to handle quicker tempos. #However, as with any technique, it won't happen automatically, and you have to start at the bottom some time if you ever want to utilize it.

Nilles Hokkanen
<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>Beginner Mandocrucian Boot Camp (http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/northern/adult.html#bootcamp), April 4-7, 2004.</span>