Learning Tremolo Technique With Just 3 Fingers, my pinky is quite crooked Options

[Ctodd]

So some of you may have read sometime ago that I broke my pinky finger on my right hand. Well being the idiot that I am I finally decided to have it checked out 4 weeks later when I saw that it was not healing correctly. Long story short it is very likely that I will have to live with my pinky the way it is.

I have limited range of motion, and alot of stiffness. I have experimented with using all four of my fingers for the tremolo technique, but it didnt go very well, and I have also tried using just my index, middle, and ring fingers, and that worked a little better, but I am not sure if it will work at such high speeds.

My question...

Would it be realistic for me become just as fast as some of these instructional videos with just using three fingers?

EDIT: suggestions and tips would also be greatly appreciated too

thanks,

-Chris

ps and spare me the "you should have got it looked at sooner!!" comments, I already recieved enough of those from my family

This post has been edited by Ctodd: Dec 1 2008, 04:18 PM

[Jose Mena]

As far as I know Classical guitar doesn't use the pinky, or does it?, I might be wrong

[Ramiro Delforte]

The classical technique doesn't use the fourth finger. Look at Vinod's "Recuerdos de la Alahmbra" and check how he does the tremolo

[Vinod Saranga]

Pinky is not used in classical guitar technique.

So theorytically there should be no problem in playing tremolo using your index,middle and ring finger.


However depending on the situation there may be some issues that limits your tremolo.

I think with practise you will be able to play fast.If you can post a photo of your Pinky it may be easy to tell something in detail. 

[Ctodd]

oh... I could have sworn in one of you lessons Vinod you had said that all four fingers were used for tremolo...

*checks*

wait no it looks like I am wrong...

ok so to make it so this thread isn't pointless...

what special care should I give my finger nails?

right now they are pretty short, and don't extend past my finger tip, this is ideal correct?

[Vinod Saranga]

oh... I could have sworn in one of you lessons Vinod you had said that all four fingers were used for tremolo...

*checks*

wait no it looks like I am wrong...

ok so to make it so this thread isn't pointless...

what special care should I give my finger nails?

right now they are pretty short, and don't extend past my finger tip, this is ideal correct?

I might have said four fingers that is thumb,index,middle and ring. 




Finger nails should be in correct lenght to get maximum speed in tremolo.

Place your fingernail and the finger tip opposite to a vertical plane.(wall or a card)

Both your fingernail and the finger should touch that plane @ 90 degree or slighly greater than 90 (Angle bitween the vertical plane and upper surface of your finger.)

If it's smaller than 90,then your fingernail is too short.If it's significantly greater than 90 then it is too long.

You should also consider the shape of your fingernails and filing of your fingernails.The nails should not too much round neither catchy parts.

Use a nail file rather than a nail cutter and use a sand paper (very smooth one like 1000) to polish your nails .

This post has been edited by Vinod Saranga: Dec 2 2008, 01:32 AM

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Sorry to hear about your pinky finger mate, at first I thought it is the pinky of your fretting hand. This should create a bit of problem, but even that would not prevent you to play at all. Our brain easily adapt to whatever stuff he has to accomplish different tasks, so even if you practiced a lot with the pinky, you won't have to learn it all from scratch when using ring for example. Ring will just take over functions of the pinky at a very fast rate. My point is you can play the tremolo no problems, and although you can't control the pinky too much, you will adapt and you should have no problems.

Also wanna tell you a story when I injured the index finger on my fretting hand. I couldn't play with it for a couple of weeks, but during this time I introduced other fingers to my playing greatly, and middle, ring and pinky started to have a much bigger role. This led to that I had a wider techniques to choose from, and learned some onortodox moves that I wouldn't normally do. So even if your picking hand pinky is a bit difficult to control, this could make you develop technique that is original to you, and that can be a good thing.

[Ctodd]

Also wanna tell you a story when I injured the index finger on my fretting hand. I couldn't play with it for a couple of weeks, but during this time I introduced other fingers to my playing greatly, and middle, ring and pinky started to have a much bigger role. This led to that I had a wider techniques to choose from, and learned some onortodox moves that I wouldn't normally do. So even if your picking hand pinky is a bit difficult to control, this could make you develop technique that is original to you, and that can be a good thing.

oh my god i would have seriously cried if it were any other finger. It sounds like you recovered fully though... I'm gonna live with this for the rest of my life... it's not a big deal at all, it only matters a little bit as far as guitar playing. but I use every other finger...

I really upsetwhile because for the 2 weeks after I injured it I couldnt play at all, and It was then that I realized how much I loved playing.

but I guess a injury that is temporary isnt a terrible thing... as you said it made you walk through doors that you normally wouldnt have ever thought of opening

but I'm just mainly upset because the doctor said "you should have seen me 3 weeks ago!! then I could fix it for you! now I cant do anything."

I'm stupid for not going I know... I'll post a pic of it as soon as I can... I don't own a camera...

but its quite cool to look at, and I can make up some awesome stories to tell about it,

like how I was fending off several armed thugs while I helped an old lady cross the street, and then I stopped a bullet with my pinky, and now it is slightly damaged... something like that

[Eat-Sleep-andJam]

You dont even need your pinky for alot for alot of those fast 3nps runs.

Take Dimebag as an example, doesnt use his pinky that frequent, still a great player.

[Gerardo Siere]

You still can do the 5 notes tremolo with 3 fingers. p-a-m-i-m si the formula.

[Gerardo Siere]

I forgot, as something strang, you can check Ana Vidovic in youtube, this lady plays tremolo with this formula: p-m-i-m while anchoring the ring finger.