Re: "Floating" right hand
I am a guitarist historically, and I have always pinky planted.
When I started playing mandolin I made a conscious effort to play it correctly, with a floating hand.
It wasn't so hard, once I decided to work on it.
Now when I go back to guitar I find that I am playing with a floating hand there too.
I think the weight of the hand behind the pick gives better tone, and the freedom you get from not being tied to one point is really nice.
I do sometimes open out the hand a bit when playing chop chords or playing tremolo.
Actually, when I play tremolo up over the fretboard, I tend to touch my pinky to the inside of the cutout.
One thing that I did to help learn to close up the hand and float was to hold a second pick under the pinky and ring fingers on the right hand. Having to hold the pick made me keep my hand shut. This worked for me.
Mandolins: Northfield 5-Bar Artist Model "Old Dog", J Bovier F5 Special, Gibson A-00 (1940)
Fiddles: 1920s Strad copy, 1930s Strad copy, Liu Xi T20, Liu Xi T19+ Dark.
Guitars: Taylor 514c (1995), Gibson Southern Jumbo (1940s), Gibson L-48 (1940s), Les Paul Custom (1978), Fender Strat (Black/RWFB) (1984), Fender Strat (Candy Apple Red/MFB) (1985).
Sitars: Hiren Roy KP (1980s), Naskar (1970s), Naskar (1960s).
Misc: 8 Course Lute (L.K.Brown)
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