pinky pain!

You strengthen it by using it when playing. No other exercise needed. It takes care of itself. Once I started incorporating my pinkie it hurt a little, but mostly because of lack of callus. Don't stress it out at first though: relax when playing and don't get any foolish ideas about "playing through the pain" - that's just repetitive stress injury waiting to happen.

Anyway, if I even notice, my pinkie does a lot more than finger #3 now, and I'd be lost without it.

 

My biggest battle at the moment (been playing for about a month) is to strengthen my pinky. It's also my biggest irritation as it causes rattles right through my practice sessions. But it's a battle I've accepted as a fact of life - it will pass soon. Try shortening your practice sessions (eg. 20 minutes max at a time) with 10-15 minute breaks in between. That will give the finger time to rest and build up strength for the next session. It's just a matter of time before it's as useful as the other fingers.