Finger Positions Options

[ExPatTommo]

When practicing each of the pentatonic positions on the fret board , should I be concentrating on using all my fingers ( index, middle, ring and pinky ) in each pentatonic box. I have noticed that Kris often only uses the first three fingers ( index, middle and ring ) rather than all four??

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[Andrew Cockburn]

When practicing each of the pentatonic positions on the fret board , should I be concentrating on using all my fingers ( index, middle, ring and pinky ) in each pentatonic box. I have noticed that Kris often only uses the first three fingers ( index, middle and ring ) rather than all four??

The danger here is that you use 1st and 3rd and neglect your pinky - you must have a well oiled smooth and strong pinky to succeed as a guitar player! Most people start out with pentatonics using the pinky, and that is great and important practice. Later on as you progress, you may move onto wider stretches for various scales and techniques, an if for instance you use your 3rd finger for those pentatonics, it gives you the option of easily moving up another 2 - 3 frets on the string if you need to, I suspect that would be why Kris does it.

Another reason I use my 1st and 3rd is on the really high frets where there is less space and my fingers get crowded - kind of the opposite of stretching.

So the answer would be, yes you can use your 1st a nd 3rd in pentatonics but don't do it because you can't use your pinky, do it because you are stretching and keeping your options open!

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This post has been edited by Andrew Cockburn: Apr 11 2007, 02:36 PM

[Bitey]

The danger here is that you use 1st and 3rd and neglect your pinky - you must have a well oiled smooth and strong pinky to succeed as a guitar player! Most people start out with pentatonics using the pinky, and that is great and important practice. Later on as you progress, you may move onto wider stretches for various scales and techniques, an if for instance you use your 3rd finger for those pentatonics, it gives you the option of easily moving up another 2 - 3 frets on the string if you need to, I suspect that would be why Kris does it.

Another reason I use my 1st and 3rd is on the really high frets where there is less space and my fingers get crowded - kind of the opposite of stretching.

So the answer would be, yes you can use your 1st a nd 3rd in pentatonics but don't do it because you can't use your pinky, do it because you are stretching and keeping your options open!

All I usually do is do different variations like lets say for example I will hit the 1, 2, 4 on the frets work that for awhile then go and do like 1, 2, 3 frets so I am working both my ring and pinky then I will switch up the variation and do like -1-3-4-1-2-3-4-2-1-2-4-1-2-3-4-- etc. I do it on a metornome around 50-70 bmps in six notes per beat for a warm up then I go up and down the fret board like that to get them streched out and get my picking down and that is how I get my fingers stronger and some more control. After that I do exercises with penatonic scales, CAGED, etc.

That is just what I do, I don't know if it is the perfect practice but I have gotten a lot more control and speed.

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