Fretting hand perpendicular or at a slight angle?
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If you can do both, I’d say use both!
Just pick the one that feels easiest in each situation
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For maximizing your reach and flexibility, approach the fretboard at an angle.
The biggest reason for this is the limited range of lateral motion at the knuckle joint. Fingers can only move in a small side-to-side range. When the left hand is perpendicular to the frets, the only range of motion is coming from this lateral motion, which is likely to cause severe injury when trying to extend this range at a perpendicular angle.
By simply turning the hand about 30-45 degrees inward, we eliminate the problem of the lateral finger joint movement. Now we’re using the Vertical range of motion at the joint - this is a much wider span. Just try it out - the finger tip moves much further up-down than it does side-to-side!
Here’s Troy’s position in a pentatonic scale:
and EJ:
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Great pictures! My calluses very clearly suggest I do angled more than fret-aligned. They’re all on the corner of my finger tips. I have no comment on this whatsoever as far it being good or bad, and I don’t think about it much. But I’m always going for the path of least resistance. Most of the habits I fall into are because at some level it’s comfortable.
I use a combination of both including one where fingers slightly point towards the headstock. I use the one on your second picture and the fingers slightly pointing towards the headstock for most legato (hammer ons from nowhere) runs.
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To further confuse the topic. I’ve noticed the lower on the fretboard(towards the headstock not the low E) I play, it feels more comfy to play more perpendicular. As I work my way up the fretboard I tend to unconsciously angle my fretting hand. Which is all well and good but it has the added side effect of me unconsciously as well, hanging my thumb over the bottom of the neck near the low E. You’ll notice from Troys pic his thumb is planted behind the neck. It happens automatically and when I mentally force my self to plant my thumb behind the neck it’s like trying to pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time.