My pinkie is not long enough!!

[((ZASDER))]

I was at lessons today and my teacher gave me a walking bass line...

like this....

g---------------7-8- ....for the 5 fret you have to use index
d-----------5-6----- ...... 6 - middle
a-------7-8--------- ...... 7 - ring
e---5-6------------- ...... 8 - pinkie


It may seem easy but you have to leave your fingers on the fret while moving to the other ones. I can get about half way through untill I have to move my ring finger to the G - 7 and since you have to leave your pinkie on 8th fret...I cant reach...

Since im a begginner he told me this to get my fingers stretched but it is litterally impossible for me to do this?

Any suggestions or should I just drop this excersise?

[Lorenzini]

Depends on how small your hands really are, but believe it or not your hand will stretch.

Your fingers will also become stronger, so fretting 3-4 frets away from your index (or pinky) will become easier.

I was blessed with large hands, so this isn't really an issue for me, but I have a few friends with TINY hands, and they have no problem fretting.

Keep playing! If your hand starts to hurt, take a break and start again later. Keep playing, it'll turn out good.

[g8shot1]

I can somewhat relate to what you're saying. I'm about 8 months into lessons. I have average sized hands.

You will get that stretch, no problem, keep working it.

In some of my early lessons, the teach had me doing a scale that required more stretch than I could handle:

E string index finger fret 3, second finger fret 5, pinkie fret 7, A string index finger fret 3, second finger fret 5, pinkie fret7, D string index finger fret 4, second finger fret5. I finally got it down and so will you. It takes some time to get your hand used to it.

And.....this was just a prelude to a series of hammer-ons and pull-offs up and down the neck in various combinations. Pure torture I tell ya ......

Keep thumpin, you'll get it.

[mariner]

Here's a just my luck story...

I'm right-handed and have never been able to play any way other than lefty...

Tried, just didn't feel right..

On my right hand, I'm missing a carpal so that my fret hand pinky is about a good 1/4" or so shorter than it should be..

Talk about painful learning, I made it and you will too...

[Toasted]

You'll learn it Thats a 5th to 9th strech. My hands arent that big

[tim99]

My problem has always been to get my ring and middle to work separately. I have done exercies like this out of books, but I have never been told to keep the fretted fingers down. I like that. This chould change my life forever.

[((ZASDER))]

Toasted your fingers are alot bigger then mine...

I will trace my fingers on the screen right now to show how small they are...


____________________
|____________________) Thats how long my pinkie is. I put it up to the screen and traced it. The one picture above it didnt even look like your ring or index are on the fret board?

For the excersise im talking about when you have to move your ring down...My pinkie does reach but its striaght out and pushes the other strings down..which is not good.

But after practicing some scales for the past couple days my pinkie has grown...I measured it up to the other one. Wierd how its bigger now.

[jadesmar]

Originally Posted by ((ZASDER))

____________________
|____________________) Thats how long my pinkie is. I put it up to the screen and traced it. The one picture above it didnt even look like your ring or index are on the fret board?

I changed my screen resolution to 640 x 480 and your pinkie should be large enought now.

Cheers

[lowphatbass]

They have this operation they perform to make people taller. It involves sawing through the bone, spreading it apart a little, and allowing the bone to grow in the gap, then they do it over, and over until your leg bone is longer, and you are taller..(it't true, I've seen it)Seriously though, don't worry about the size of your hands and fingers, just keep good technique and your mind and body will adapt. In over 20 years I've seen people with three fingers, no thumb, etc. play stringed instruments well, and plenty of people with very small hands, if they can do it, you can do it!

[Vorago]

The late great Django Reinhard played with 2 fingers on his left hand, and he was awesome, no worries