Pinky Thread Part Deux

[AngryHatter]

I was thinking when I saw how many people posted they use their pinkies playing.
And then I watched some youtubes and had a thought - yeah, it does happen.

How many of you will play a riff using 1-3-4 for your fingers as opposed to 1 -2 - 4?
I am willing to bet the usage is tied to first to third fingers in most people. The pinky is thrown in as an afterthought.

Playing a major scale, say A - fifth fret, place your middle finger on the A and play the scale without sliding up or down to notes, i.e.don't move your hand at all - third finger is over the fifth fret throughout.
Is this Greek?

So, there are two ways in which you can use your pinky, as an "extra" or as an integral.

Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry Cover - YouTube

Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry Cover - YouTube

AT 4:50 on - watch how he uses his inky - and he slides up and down to reach the notes - a couple of frets higher, and using the pinky as an integral finger there is no moving up and down the neck, just the fretboard.

oops left out the second link.

You Tube

You Tube

[moodyedge]

If I was going to lose a finger it would be the pinky.....I mainly use the other 3, I have the reach to get away with playing like that anyway,

It gets used now and then for bending two strings together but little else....

From 4mins52 shows the 3 fingers in action

Gary Moore - Live Blues (1993) #8 "Still Got The Blues" - YouTube

Gary Moore - Live Blues (1993) #8 "Still Got The Blues" - YouTube

What a sound

[marson]

Originally Posted by moodyedge

If I was going to lose a finger it would be the pinky.....I mainly use the other 3, I have the reach to get away with playing like that anyway,

It gets used now and then for bending two strings together but little else....

From 4mins52 shows the 3 fingers in action

Gary Moore - Live Blues (1993) #8 "Still Got The Blues" - YouTube


What a sound

holy S#@T unrelated but how does he get that tone?

[Midnight Blues]

I will and I'll even bend with mine. That's the way I was taught. I was also taught not to wrap my thumb over the neck to play a note on the low E string.

[moodyedge]

Originally Posted by marson

holy S#@T unrelated but how does he get that tone?

I managed to get pretty close with my stuff, Ive been playing to this for a bit trying to learn it as Im hoping to put another cover band together and want to play this song............It's awesome isnt it....that 59 LP sounds amazing

[Dustinp]

Same here midnight. I won't use my thumb. Part of that is my fingers are very long. My 7 strings feel like 6 strings do to most.

[hudpucker]

I use my pinky to slide up to and down from notes all the time. Use it to hammer on and pull off as well. 1-3-4 or 1-2-4...doesn't matter.

Exercises can help with pinky dexterity.

Can't use your pinky effectively?


Here's a great exercise that will underscore how weak (or strong) your pinky is; place all four fingers down on consecutive notes on the same string. Now try to cleanly fret the note with your pinky. If you can do this, then try to hammer-on the note (while keeping third finger anchored), then try to do pull offs (4-3, 4-3) with, again, the third finger anchored.