When i am playing, say a chromatic scale, my little finger bows out involutarily, like a danty lady sipping a cup of tea...it slows my playing down and hinders my fretting...i have been feverishly slaving over scale patterns, etc., trying to correct this problem...anyone else out there have this problem and what can i do to tackle it?? :blackeye:
How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
- Thread starter bellicose
- Start date
JammerMatt
New member
Re: How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
Slow, methodical practice for awhile. Concentrate on keeping it low and relax. Mine still pops up alot but it's better that it used to be.
What's wrong with tea, anyway?
Slow, methodical practice for awhile. Concentrate on keeping it low and relax. Mine still pops up alot but it's better that it used to be.
What's wrong with tea, anyway?
Lee
New member
Re: How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
It's one of those age old problems for guitar players. I've been trying to train mine for decades. If I'm playing something when I know I will be using it, I can keep it in line with the rest of them about 10cm off the strings, but if I play something a bit more bluesy and i know I won't be using it so much - it still does what yours does.
Take a look at famous players - you'll find they nearly all have the same problem. Apart from Eric Clapton who could have his little pinky cut off and never notice it was gone.
Lee
It's one of those age old problems for guitar players. I've been trying to train mine for decades. If I'm playing something when I know I will be using it, I can keep it in line with the rest of them about 10cm off the strings, but if I play something a bit more bluesy and i know I won't be using it so much - it still does what yours does.
Take a look at famous players - you'll find they nearly all have the same problem. Apart from Eric Clapton who could have his little pinky cut off and never notice it was gone.
Lee
Last edited:
rraawwrr
New member
Re: How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
LOL danty lady sipping a cup of tea!
Anyways, I think this is happening because of a lack of strength in that finger(s). A way to correct it is to go REALLY slow, 40 bpm if you have to, just so you can consciously control its motions. Then, after a while, it will become stronger, and you can then be able to work it at higher speeds, eventually becoming a shred-master (hopefully)
Good luck!
bellicose said:
LOL danty lady sipping a cup of tea!
Anyways, I think this is happening because of a lack of strength in that finger(s). A way to correct it is to go REALLY slow, 40 bpm if you have to, just so you can consciously control its motions. Then, after a while, it will become stronger, and you can then be able to work it at higher speeds, eventually becoming a shred-master (hopefully)
Good luck!
Ocifer
New member
Re: How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
I find different thumb positions on the back of the neck help. Try different places to keep your thumb in relation to the rest of your hand. Also, just practice chromatic runs starting with the pinky such as:
4321 or 4132
Just different combos starting with the pinky, it'll help keep it in line. The whole point is to try to train yourself to not let your pinky fly about. It's easier to practice and not make the mistake than having to recover in the middle of a solo when your pinky crapped out on you. Take it as slow as you have to. That little pinky bitch will do what you want, as long as you train it.
I find different thumb positions on the back of the neck help. Try different places to keep your thumb in relation to the rest of your hand. Also, just practice chromatic runs starting with the pinky such as:
4321 or 4132
Just different combos starting with the pinky, it'll help keep it in line. The whole point is to try to train yourself to not let your pinky fly about. It's easier to practice and not make the mistake than having to recover in the middle of a solo when your pinky crapped out on you. Take it as slow as you have to. That little pinky bitch will do what you want, as long as you train it.
presa_tito
New member
Re: How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
This is actually to do with how the hand and forearm's tendons and whatnot are connected. I can't give the exact explanation because I forget, but a guitar teacher told me a little while ago that your pinky is connected to another fingers tendons and it will come up when using another finger. Something along those lines anyway. He even had like a medical diagram of the hand to show me.
This is actually to do with how the hand and forearm's tendons and whatnot are connected. I can't give the exact explanation because I forget, but a guitar teacher told me a little while ago that your pinky is connected to another fingers tendons and it will come up when using another finger. Something along those lines anyway. He even had like a medical diagram of the hand to show me.
italic zero
New member
Re: How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
Practice with something right in front of the fretboad so that if your pinky goes up it will hit this like a wall. Then concentrate on never letting it touch. I find that easier than just concentrating really hard.
Practice with something right in front of the fretboad so that if your pinky goes up it will hit this like a wall. Then concentrate on never letting it touch. I find that easier than just concentrating really hard.
Cory_Dylan
New member
Re: How can i train my wondering little finger!? Please Help!!
this is what i do every once in awhile: (il try to work this the best i can)
put your first finger on one fret, then take your little finger and hammer on n pull off the fret in front of that, then the next one and the next and so on until your little finger stretches out as far as it can go, then go backwards until you get back to your first finger. do this first on the 6th string, then 5th, until you get the the first, then go back down to the 6th. do it slow at first then once you get practice speed it up.
this does hurt a little by the way, but believe me it works. lemme no if you don't get it
you can do this with your other fingers also
this is what i do every once in awhile: (il try to work this the best i can)
put your first finger on one fret, then take your little finger and hammer on n pull off the fret in front of that, then the next one and the next and so on until your little finger stretches out as far as it can go, then go backwards until you get back to your first finger. do this first on the 6th string, then 5th, until you get the the first, then go back down to the 6th. do it slow at first then once you get practice speed it up.
this does hurt a little by the way, but believe me it works. lemme no if you don't get it
you can do this with your other fingers also