Intergrating that ring finger....

[weeding]

I'm slowly intergrating my ring finger into playing and so far it is working well. However, I have a query to pose. I remember when I first started playing, my fingers had nasty blisters on them. However, now that I am using my ring finger for the first time, I haven't as yet recieved any blisters.... Any suggestions as to why this might be?

[Erick Lam]

Perhaps you've learned to play softer.

[VanillaO]

maybe that coupled with your ring figner having less strength.. less friction.. or somethign.. i'm a scientist

[spindizzy]

I think VanillaO is fairly close. I have used my ring finger in my playing since the late 70's and it has never developed the kind of hard skin that my index and middle have. I never gave it much thought until I saw this thread. Oddly enough I have floated my thumb just as long but didn't incorporate it in as a striking finger until the mid-eighties yet it has developed the same callouses that my index and middle have. I just think that VanillaO is probably right that, although you strengthen it and use it often, it doesn't get quite as much play nor do you hit with the same strength that you do with other fingers. My ring finger is often used for quick bursts of speed but folks probably tend to favor the index and middle for most parts (or the thumb, index and middle as I do) and throw the ring in when they have to squeeze out a few extra notes in a fast passage. The good news is that it doesn't seem to cause any pain and doesn't seem to affect my playing any its just softer than my other fingers.

I love these threads that make you think about stuff that never occurs to you normally.

[weeding]

Thanks guys. Thinking about it, I think that VanillaO has it correct, as I have also intergrated my little finger into my playing to make it my second most common finger used, and it is rapidly developing callus, so I think it must be the froce factor.