I find it really helps to use a 12-string guitar, like my Yamaha, strung up with only 6 strings per standard. It gets a little confusing when tuning up, having to skip all the "vacant" tuning machines, but I'm getting used to it and the wider neck translates into string spacing more like your classical guitar, and a bit more conducive to fingerpicking, drop-thumbing, "pinches", appregios and all that stuff. If I really want to, I can still take a pick to it and whail away - although I have to keep it up close to the bridge to avoid tripping or getting hung up between strings with the pick. I hardly ever do that anyway, but every so often need to (or feel like) making a lot of noise and too lazy to break out the banjo. I used to trim my fingernails real short on the left hand for fretting and leave 'em pretty long for picking on the right... but after studying and trying to emulate the early (1850 - 60) styles such as Justin HOLLAND, have gotten away from that and use fingertips and palmar side of thumb to pluck with. You almost have to come up from underneath the string and pluck up and away from the deck - and this is where it helps to have a little room between strings. For some of the harmonics ("Chiming") HOLLAND reccomends simultaniously plucking down on the string to be "chimed" with the thumb while plucking up with the index or second finger about a half-inch down from the thumb, and immediately lifting the hand away from the strings. Takes a little practice.

As to the habit of "anchoring" the right hand to the deck with the pinky; HOLLAND mentions that this technique was being taught by some of the European Maestros (The Instruction book I have was published in the 1880's) at the time, but that in his opinion "...This practice cannot be too highly condemned", and the hand should be allowed to "float" over the strings. HOLLAND felt that the finger contact "deadened" the instrument and he apparantly used all five fingers at one time or another in his melodic picking style, so probably considered it a waste of a perfectly good picking finger.

I rather enjoy using the "old" styles on the steel - strung guitar for it's crispness and clarity, and my "first CD" (such as it is) "Home From The Hill" has several of the "Trad" tunes on it - as well as a couple of my more recent compositions - recorded with my Yamaha .

If you have an old 12-string hanging about that needs re-stringing anyway, I'd encourage you to give it a try.