Originally Posted by: aliasmaximusChris Schlegel recently posted in response to a Travis picking question and said that use of the pinky is common for those who dare brave the unforgiving world of Classical music.

Just be clear, most classical players use thumb plus index, middle & ring.

Some use the pinky. But not all because it is not part of standard classical guitar technique. So it is somewhat of an exception. To my knowledge Villa-Lobos was the most prominent advocate of including the pinky in picking hand technique. There were others, but I'm not as familiar with them.