Lack of vibrato using my pinky

[bobm2112]

Hey guys. I just got a fretless and thought I'd start messing with some Jaco tunes (dont we all) I noticed that when I use vibrato (side to side classical style) with my ring finger, I get a very nice vocal-like vibrato. When I use my pinky on the other hand. I cant hear any pitch shift what so ever.

Is it because my pinky is much smaller than my ring finger? I don't want to go to a "blues" style if I don't have to. The classical came very naturally.

Maybe some of you pro's can suggest an exercise to get some expression out of my pinky

Thanks so much.
Bob

 

[Skitch it!]

For me it's a matter of using the pinky (or other) as a pivot and rocking the hand side to side, that in turn rolls the tip of the finger back and forth. You don't need too much fretting pressure but a little more than usual to keep the pivot and the roll on the tips.

There is some pinky vib at 0.37 here and onward, you'll see what I mean by the hand movement, just a version of a John Giblin line I did a while back.

Kate Bush - Babooshka Bass. - YouTube

 

[Clef_de_fa]

You can put your pinky and ring finger colse together ( almost like they are glue together ) to help your pinky and pivot the whole hand.

 

[FretlessMainly]

Try taking your fingering hand thumb off of the neck when using your pinky. That, and keeping your elbow close to your body will put more of the mass of your arm in-line with your pinky which should allow you to get a bit more oomph for pinky vibrato.

 

[vin*tone]

Vibrato should be coming from your arm/wrist using the thumb as pivot. It shouldn't have a whole lot to do with finger strength.

 

[Oneirogenic]

Get your action as low as you feel comfortable with. Finger strength may not matter but each finger uses different muscles to get a consistent vibrato. Practice consistent vibrato with all fingers, all across the fingerboard, with different vibrato speeds. As with finger picking, start slow then speed up.