Fast fifth fingering

[schmig]

Folks,

I've asked a question along these lines here in the past but have yet to get a definitive answer.

I hope to post the question in a more specific way today.

Band I play with is presently covering a Peter Green/Fleetwood mac number, "Watch out".

The version we play cycles quite quickly on root/fifth below over the 1/4/5 progression.

Now, the question I've asked before. Fingering these root/fifths below correctly.

Options:
- Playing the 1. There is a fast chromatic run up from the 7 sometimes so my pinkie is on the 1. As it's tricky to shift the pinky down to the five I have been fingering it with the adjacent finger. i.e. the 1 is an A, so pinky is on A while finger to the left is sitting on the E right below it. I have been doing this and I feel it is very bad practise as my hand is simply in a bad position. BUT - it makes it possible to hit the five.
- Move pinkie up and down very quickly. Main question here: IS THIS USUALLY DONE?
- Could fret both strings with the pinkie. Compromise solution.
- Could finger with a more dextrous finger such as index. Would have no fingers to the left however.

Anyone who can answer this, I'm in your debt. I play with some excellent blues guitarists and have asked their opinion, but they don't understand why i would be worried about that.

I bet some folks here know exactly why I am worried about it.

Thanks in advance folks

[Fergie Fulton]

Great song and so many different versions, so lets be clear on which one we are talking about?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56wTDO_DdL4

This is the classic version as it is played.

This playing is easy if the middle finger is on the root line ( the 1 and the 4). That allows for the fast change between the 1 and the 4 (the short 1 as it is known) in the opening because the little finger and the ring finger will be in place as will the middle and index finger to cover the notes. The 9th bar going to the 2 chromatic, (chromatic 2, 2 jazz, womble turnaround..what ever you wish to call it, that covers the 4 and 5 coming down through the 9th and 10th bar (on this occasion) and leads to the "jazz turnaround" (chromatic turnaround) at the 11th and 12th bars. This version has many slight variations in the structure, as the opening shows, but consider this song as a 1-4-1-2 over the 12 bars.

In this version it can be pretty well played from the one position give or take a slight stretch, but that is all. Letting the middle finger adopt the root position (in line so to speak) will allow the notes to come to you rather than you searching them out.
So slow it right down and learn the structure and the notes available to you and then speed it up.

[mambo4]

Not familiar with the tune, but I do play a song where I'm quickly alternating root/ low 5 under my pinkie.
My pinkie back bends easily at the last knuckle, so I usually fret both strings with it, but often I fret with 2 fingers :4 on root, and 3 on low 5th. I feel it gives me slightly better control.

My approach in your situation would be to fret the chromatic run with fingers 1-2-4
and use finger 3 for the low 5th.