Tucking your pinky...BAD??

[orskard]

Hey, ive been playing for a few years and am self taught, i know some say that putting your thumb over the board is bad, and im stopping that now. But when i play my left hand is fretting and i tuck my pinky in, i roll it up basically. If my description doesnt work ill post a picture but its like this.

Take your left hand and make all your fingers tucked in startring at the second knuckle. so you have like little half fingers. now unfold them all but the pinky, that is how my left hand looks, i dont use my pinky to fret anything. Is this bad? Or is it only bad if it hurts? Because lately my left hand has been hurting, not just my fingers either.

anyone understand me?

thanks.

[Figjam]

Its only bad because it limits you. You will want to be able to use your pinky unless you play simple, slow basslines. You will never be able to play to your full potential if you dont learn to use your pinky.

[Broach_insound]

I feel everyone must learn to play with their pinky! Idont know hwat I would do with out mine , and like Figjam said it limits you in many ways especialy if you ever want to read music getting from point a to point b on your fret board you will deffinately have a hard time in some cases especialy when your trying to look at the sheet music and play simultaneously. I use all of my fingers when reading music

[Spikeh]

I use my fretting pinky quite extensively... especially for long stretches and sometimes for slides down towards the bridge. There's an 'ideal' finger configuration for each tab - most song books and teachers would tell you which finger is the most economical to use from which postion.

I must admit, the pinky is quite weak in comparison to the rest of your fingers, but if you force yourself to use it, it'll be up and running in a few weeks / months without a problem!

I presume you mean putting your thumb over the top of the fretboard to hit the E string? imho, wrong! Never done that... v bad habit to get into if you ask me But then again... I'm no teacher...

[ole Jason]

You don't see baseball players swing the bat with one arm and you don't see pianists play everything with four fingers so why should you only use 3/4 of your fingers?