Little Finger
Matt23
Oct 17 2008, 06:17 PM
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I've got a question. Should i use my pinky for shred runs.

I've noticed that for example, Pavel and Muris use their pinkies a lot, but Marcus (Lavendell) and other people (cant remember who) don't use theirs so much. All of these people can play very fast so both methods obviously work. I always try to use my little finger wherever possible, but for a long time i had trouble with getting my pinky fast and i still do. I just wondered if i happen to have a weak little finger and should try to use other fingers instead. This may be me trying to find a reason why i'm not progressing as fast as id like to, that isn't i haven't done enough practice, but i just wondered why do some people use their pinkies and some people don't.

Matt

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This post has been edited by Matt23: Oct 17 2008, 06:48 PM
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Jesse
Oct 17 2008, 06:24 PM
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I think we got the same problem buddy, my pinky is weak and numb as hell! The pinky "muscle" is the weakest, but I have practised the use of the pinky alot and I am noticing improvements. Try to use your pinky alot when you can!!!!! Start slow, then build it up. Also, practicing legato with your pinky will improve strenght and stamina!

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Matt23
Oct 17 2008, 06:26 PM
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QUOTE (Jesse @ Oct 17 2008, 06:24 PM) *
I think we got the same problem buddy, my pinky is weak and numb as hell! The pinky "muscle" is the weakest, but I have practised the use of the pinky alot and I am noticing improvements. Try to use your pinky alot when you can!!!!! Start slow, then build it up. Also, practicing legato with your pinky will improve strenght and stamina!


I did do pinky/ring trills for like a minute a day once but then i got good enough to do like 3 minutes and it just got so boring. I also didn't even have any pain to be slightly interesting, my pinky just felt numb at the end of it so i gave up.

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Jesse
Oct 17 2008, 06:27 PM
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"Give up never, you should."



Is what Yoda would say...

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Matt23
Oct 17 2008, 06:29 PM
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I'm shocked. I just tried to do a trill and only managed half a minute before my hand got so tense i couldn't trill. I was doing it on lower frets than normal but i think ill start trilling again. Edit: On normal frets i can only do it 45 seconds.

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Bogdan Radovic
Oct 17 2008, 07:49 PM
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You should use all you fingers when you have the need..Little finger will get stronger after some practice (finger dexterity ones are best) so you won't have many problems..
Here is a pretty cool lesson by Dejan : https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guit...inger-work-out/

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Ramiro Delforte
Oct 17 2008, 07:57 PM
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The use of the pinky finger is something personal that I think is more an issue of the structure of the hand. In my case I use a lot that finger but I have a big hand and big fingers so when I play over the 12th fret usually I use my ring finger because is more comfortable. Regarding the strenght of that finger I used to play an exercise that helped me a lot.

Here I leave you the exercise. Be shure to practice it 5 minutes a day to see some good improvement.

I hope I was useful.

biggrin.gif

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superize
Oct 17 2008, 08:03 PM
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I always use my pinky when doing speed runs.....

The more you use it the stronger i gets

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Marek Rojewski
Oct 17 2008, 08:13 PM
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Before joining GMC I was using my little finger rarely. Now I try to use it as much as I can, and thanks to Dejans and Tronds lessons I see improvements. Still little finger is the only one that hurts after long playing ( well long for me is 1.5h hour... )

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Shadow21
Oct 17 2008, 08:44 PM
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My pinky is also smaller than a normal pinky should be, so I've got more problems with it laugh.gif

I also got a squier strat, which has a quite fat neck, and with my hand that is not really big plus my pinky is smaller than normal, I usualy get problems reaching to certain points of the guitar.

But I've been doing exercices and stuff since I started playing, so I haven't got any problems doing licks or riffs using my pinky, but man, at the begining it was quite hard using it laugh.gif

My advice is to practice some Paul Gilbert licks (that helped me alot making my pinky stronger), some tapping using your pinky (the tapping part in Eruption, by Van Halen is a good exercice too) and other exercices where you use your pinky, 'cause it's best using it, for some big stretches for example.

Good luck dude, and don't forget to practice!

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Jose Mena
Oct 17 2008, 08:49 PM
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When I started playing guitar, I found it very hard to use the pinky, I thought I was never going to be able to use it because my pinky cannot move by itselt, some people can and some cannot.

To explain better, I cannot bend my pinky forward if I hold the ring finger straight with the other hand, I still can't however on the fretboard I can move those fingers independently.

Anyway, I think that using the pinky is a matter of the sound you are going for, I mean if there is no need to use it for a certain lick or phrase, why use it?, I don't if I don't have to but playing something like the stretch on my hard rock solo lesson:


--17-10---10-13-17-13-10-17-10---10-13-17-13-10-
---------14---------------------------14-------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------

Would be impossible without the pinky.

So does it depends on the style?

I don't really know the answer, some think you probably will never need it if you arrange your scale differently, and you play pentatonics bluesy licks, and don't want to shred.

But I look at it this way: it is an extra finger, less work for the others, even if you play slow and never shred, it is there for when you need it, my advice is train the pinky, and use it whenever it would facilitate the performance of a certain lick.

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This post has been edited by Jose Mena: Oct 17 2008, 08:53 PM


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Ivan Milenkovic
Oct 17 2008, 09:07 PM
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Don't worry mate, it will all come with practice. Pinky is the weakest finger of the bunch because you don't use it in real life situations that much, so muscle memory for it must be specially developed. Good news is that it doesn't require you to do any extra exercises - just practice more using your pinky that's all.
Here's my modes workshop lesson, where pinky is used all the time. Remember - if you practice with pinky, you will later play with pinky. smile.gif

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Matt23
Oct 17 2008, 09:33 PM
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Thanks guys. smile.gif Lots of good advices here.

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Guitar1969
Oct 17 2008, 10:40 PM
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Great topic. I was just about to post pinky problems as well. I have been working on my hammer ons alot lately and trying to get a clean sound out of the 4 fret span hammer on (Fingers 1 and 4). The problem I have is I can't get a nice sutaining note with my pinky - Seems to fret the note flattened(collapsed joint) rather than the tip of the pinky, and because of this, also interferes with the string below it(The higher pitch string). If anyone has any advice on this other than continuing hammer on exercises - please let me know, as I feel I am doing it wrong.

Thanks,

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Muris Varajic
Oct 17 2008, 10:54 PM
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It's fully up to person but depends of what you're playing as well,
some licks just cannot be done without pinky.
In my opinion it's always good to have it well trained
and ready for any situation.
So as the starting point you should use it for all
3nps patterns(diatonic scales) for the highest note on every string,
and also for pentatonic scales 2nps when you have a minor 3rd interval.
Later you could apply more pressure to it by practicing
pentatonic scales 3nps patter,those are impossible without pinky too.
Pinky IS the weakest one and needs special treatment
but once again it's your personal preference how often
you're gonna use it. smile.gif

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This post has been edited by Muris Varajic: Oct 17 2008, 10:54 PM


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Skalde
Oct 20 2008, 01:15 PM
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My pinky is also very weak, I don't use it for bending at all, even when I support it with my other fingers.
Playing with the ring finger and pinky helped me a lot. I still spend 5 minutes a day for doing 'pinky exercisex' smile.gif

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