The claw

[Clint 55]

My left hand is permanently clawed from bass being my 1st instrument and getting taught to use fingers 1, 2, and 4 when playing in the open position near the nut. Wtf? I've even been trying to correct it for years by working technique between those fingers. And guitar has been my main instrument for 5 years lol!

[Chistopher]

Re: The claw

What do you mean? The natural relaxed shape of a hand is a claw of sorts, or do you mean it's exaggerated as you're playing?

[Clint 55]

Re: The claw

The look of it in the relaxed position with the ring finger constantly accompanying next to the middle finger is the most exaggerated thing. But also that area of my hand doesn't respond as well for a pattern focusing on the ring finger and its neighboring fingers. Could be cuz the ring finger is naturally the weakest or it could be exaggerated by claw lol!

[solspirit]

Re: The claw

Pfft... Kids

[Clint 55]

Re: The claw

What, thinking that we're beat up?

[solspirit]

Re: The claw

What, thinking that we're beat up?

I get it man, you are... but you haven't experienced anything yet.

[Clint 55]

Re: The claw

Nah, I wasn't saying that. I just posted it cuz it's funny.

[PFDarkside]

Re: The claw

My left thumb’s first joint bends further back than my right, from thumb-behind playing.

[beaubrummels]

Re: The claw

Clint, you know that party trick that uses the fact that your ring finger is connected to your middle finger? Basically, you have your friend put their hand on a table and one by one have them fold back 1 finger to their palm and try to lift the others off the table. For each one, you bet them a smalll amount they can't, but when they get to the ring finger folded back, you bet them a huge amount they can't lift their middle finger while the ring finger is folded back and tucked under their palm. Try it. The net net is your hand is normal.

But there are also some classical guitar hand exercises that will help with finger independence during playing. Like placing all 4 fingers down on the neck on one string, each to it's own fret, then lifting only 1 finger at a time and moving across to the next string. Then move the next finger to the next string. (If you're doing it right, it will look like a spider walking across the strings of the neck.). The key is not speed, but independence. Make sure there is never more than 1 finger off the fretboard at any time. Walk from the high E down to the low E and back. Start with a high fret position and work your way down to a lower fret position (which is harder.). E.g. start at the 12th fret position, then try the 7th fret position, then the 5th, then the 2nd.

[solspirit]

Re: The claw

Clint, you know that party trick that uses the fact that your ring finger is connected to your middle finger? Basically, you have your friend put their hand on a table and one by one have them fold back 1 finger to their palm and try to lift the others off the table. For each one, you bet them a smalll amount they can't, but when they get to the ring finger folded back, you bet them a huge amount they can't lift their middle finger while the ring finger is folded back and tucked under their palm. Try it. The net net is your hand is normal.

But there are also some classical guitar hand exercises that will help with finger independence during playing. Like placing all 4 fingers down on the neck on one string, each to it's own fret, then lifting only 1 finger at a time and moving across to the next string. Then move the next finger to the next string. (If you're doing it right, it will look like a spider walking across the strings of the neck.). The key is not speed, but independence. Make sure there is never more than 1 finger off the fretboard at any time. Walk from the high E down to the low E and back. Start with a high fret position and work your way down to a lower fret position (which is harder.). E.g. start at the 12th fret position, then try the 7th fret position, then the 5th, then the 2nd.

I can do it,.. I've done just about every hand exercise known to man.

[Clint 55]

Re: The claw

I've done the spider exercises and also trills and hammer on patterns. It's clawed for life since it developed in college!

[DavidRavenMoon]

The claw

I’ve always played bass that way. My hand isn’t clawed after 50 years.

Can you not straighten your fingers? All hands look like that relaxed.

You likely have something else going on. Have you seen a doctor?


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[Clint 55]

Re: The claw

I'm referring to the ring finger naturally pairing with the middle finger when the hand is relaxed. I don't have any problems with the use of my fingers. Except for the usual clumsiness.

[Demanic]

Re: The claw

I'm referring to the ring finger naturally pairing with the middle finger when the hand is relaxed. I don't have any problems with the use of my fingers. Execpt for the usual clumsiness.

Why is this an issue? Can't you just switch to the Vulcan greeting when needed?
Great, now you've gotten me working on left hand exercises (that's coming from someone who suffers from right hand privilege)

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[Clint 55]

Re: The claw

I'm left hand exercising up a ****ing storm with all this harmonizing every other ****ing melody note in my jazz tunes to not sound like a hack.