help! left hand pinkie has a mind of its own!

Well, the connection of the tendons between your ring and little finger might have something to do with it. MY hands go a bit nuts sometimes too.

My guitarist had issues with his little finger joint - it was painful for ages, and his little finger would just go nuts when he wasn't playing and spasm like a trooper - after months of prevaricating by the doctors, they x-rayed it and he's got an R.S.F.; a Repetitive Strain Fracture, all from playing the Jibboom tapping solo loads when he was learning it...

I do the following exercise after I've run through some scales to warm up. It's really simple (and monotonous ), but it should help with your finger independence problem.

Play the first bar 8 times, then (without pausing) play the second bar 8 times, then the third bar, etc. When completed with the sixth bar, do it again but reverse the notes (first bar - 4343, second bar - 5454, etc.)


Fret - Finger
3 - Index
4 - Middle
5 - Ring
6 - Pinky

1st Bar
+-----+-----------------+
|4:---|-----------------|
|4:---|-----3-4-----3-4-|
+-----+-3-4-----3-4-----+

2nd Bar
+-----------------+
|-----------------|
|-----4-5-----4-5-|
+-4-5-----4-5-----+

3rd Bar
+-----------------+
|-----------------|
|-----5-6-----5-6-|
+-5-6-----5-6-----+

4th Bar
+-----------------+
|-----------------|
|-----3-5-----3-5-|
+-3-5-----3-5-----+

5th Bar
+-----------------+
|-----------------|
|-----4-6-----4-6-|
+-4-6-----4-6-----+

6th Bar
+-----------------+
|-----------------|
|-----3-6-----3-6-|
+-3-6-----3-6-----+


Be sure to use a metronome and set it at a comfortable speed (in this exercise there are 2 notes played per tick), so that you hit each note cleanly. You should start on a different string and different fret each time you try it. Hope it helps.

Speck

Home-made said:

Well, the connection of the tendons between your ring and little finger might have something to do with it...

Click to expand...

Yeah. I do believe the pinky and ring fingers both share the same ligament, so it is difficult at first for the pinky to gain independance and control. I had that problem, but through time I have seen an improvement. I'm sure you will as well.

I've done a few exercises similar to speck's, alternating fretting between the 2 fingers usually. Try playing 1 finger per fret if you don't already do so, so you can give yourself use of the ring finger. If you just play the 3rd note of a scale (I'm thinking in terms of a minor pattern right now as an example) with your pinky, it will never get used to having to make stretches/extensions. And when playing watch your pinky that it doesn't tense up...'claw up' or straighten up in such a way that it 'locks' the joint. You want it relaxed.

Finger independence, especially ring/little finger takes time and attention to develop. The exercises already posted are good, but whatever you practice, you need to try to maintain good LH technique. I guarantee you that if your LH thumb is not properly positioned behind the neck, your LH pinky is going to be flapping in the wind for a long time. When you play scales or any exercise, play it slowly enough so that you can make sure that all fingers are 'quiet' and that the nominal effort to fret a note is to drop the finger the remaining 1/8" to the string.

I have this if I take an extended break from playing... what I do to get back in shape are dominant-flat-9 arpeggios all around the board... in 5ths, 4ths, 3rds.. make myself think musically, and stretch that pinky out to hit that flat 9... works especially well on fretless.

few minutes a day, you'll be ready to pinkie-wrestle in no time!

funkcicle said:

I have this if I take an extended break from playing... what I do to get back in shape are dominant-flat-9 arpeggios all around the board... in 5ths, 4ths, 3rds.. make myself think musically, and stretch that pinky out to hit that flat 9... works especially well on fretless.

few minutes a day, you'll be ready to pinkie-wrestle in no time!

Click to expand...

Do you play a b5? (i.e. 1 3 b5 b7 b9) for this exercise?

Funkateer said:

Do you play a b5? (i.e. 1 3 b5 b7 b9) for this exercise?

Click to expand...

no, but I think I will from now on!

hey what's up. i actually had the SAME EXACT problem when i first started! i just practiced a simple exercise every day. i just did the basic (index 1, middle 2, ring 3, pinky 4) 1,2,3,4 scale up and down the neck. i PROMISE once you do this for a month or two you'll be straight!!! and also, this sounds kind of goofy, but when you're not playing.. during some boring class, job, or meaningless conversation... just play air guitar with your fretting hand (the same 1234 scale)! works. take care and hope you clear up your little problem. rock.


*tom*

i have basically the same problem. im a pretty quick finger player, but I have no strength or coordination in my left pinky. it really sucks when i come to a lick that I cant play cleanly. it doesnt happen much, but when it does, its frustrating. never have been able to get it going...
-d