Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

TimmyPage

TimmyPage

New member
Nah, not really, I just hate it, alot. It moves fine compared to the rest of my fingers, but its comparatively short, and impossible to do like.. drop D chords with it for some songs that certain people I know like to jam to. Also anything that requires my pinky, I basically have to arch my hand over very uncomfortably because its so short.

Mind you, it isnt short, its as big as everyone elses, just the rest of my fingers are long..

Any tips on how to make it more useful, or supliments/ replacements to do instead?
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

dont know weather your new to guitar or not.. but dont make your wrist connected to the back of your neck and have all your fingers crammed together.. try lowering your wrist

your pinky does look rather small in that picture there of yours.. hah
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

As far as I'm concerned, it's just one of those things that takes practice. Shifting your wrist forward under the neck should facilitate more of a reach for you, assuming that you are grabbing it somewhat tightly.
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

my pinky is short too.. comparing it to steve vai or paul gilbert, its an inch shorter.. theirs is as long as the ring finger =/
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

The more you use it, the more limber and useful it will become. Rob is right, correct left hand playing position will be a great help in getting your pinky in shape.
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

Well, as with positionings, along with the pinky, I am extremely double jointed, posing two problems.

My hand goes into classical position, but then my thumb bends 90 degrees back, so my fingers are rather flat to the fretboard anyway. Also, for my first year playing, I used almost exlusively my first three fingers, and in the second year I got my pinky up (im not a beginner, I just am getting really annoyed with it now, seeing all these players without my physical limitation).

Ah, and the other pinky issue that I forgot to mention. It deals also with double jointed ness, if I play fast with it, it snaps and locks into what looks like, but doesnt feel like an extremely painful position (bent 90 degrees on both joints, in opposite directions).

like..
Fingertip
/
\
/
Palm

Its like that dude.. who said his was a full inch shorter, same. It's really starting to annoy me, like, I know that players like clapton and Moore are cool without their pinkys except in chords, but like.. yeah..

And to see my hand positions, and give me some tips.. here are two pictures (which my aunt, who took them, 'lovingly' framed in paintshop..)

My Chordy
1002.jpg


My chordy position (im yelling to the drummer, my mouth isnt hanging in stupor)
1003.jpg
 
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Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

Uck, that's just disturbing. :laugh2:

My thumb bends back maybe 10 degrees, bringing my fingers round a lot more, and giving my pinky similar access as the other three. The catch is you'll probably have to raise that guitar and look stupid - I'm yet to see a guitarist who can use his pinky as effectively as the other three fingers but with a low-slung guitar.

That said, yours doesn't look all that low in the photos, but my wrist bends far less than yours, even with my fingers bought right around. Arm length, etc, play a part. Take the guitar up and down and see what works for you.
 
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Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

Unfortunately, I can't see your pinky in either of the pictures, but...

Don't get discouraged. It just take practice. I'm faster than some, slower than others, and my thumb and pinky do exactly the same things that yours do.

SV has a good point in suggesting experimentation with positioning of the guitar on your strap. I tend to play with mine higher up on my body. I never really cared about that whole "but I look really cool if it's smacking me in the ankles" thing. I'd much rather be comfortable.

I hope some of this helps, little brutha.
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

practice chromatic patterns. not as much ascending ones, but descending. they're harder to do imo.

force yourself using the pinky, even if it slows you way down
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

Davey said:
practice chromatic patterns. not as much ascending ones, but descending. they're harder to do imo.

force yourself using the pinky, even if it slows you way down
Click to expand...

Well, it doesnt slow me down much in soloing, or chromatic runs, or any kind of scales, just when I do clapton style hammer-ons. Ill see if I can get a picture later so you can see where my main problem is though.
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

practice the things you are not good at a lot more than others.


all i can say realy
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

TimmyPage said:
Well, it doesnt slow me down much in soloing, or chromatic runs, or any kind of scales, just when I do clapton style hammer-ons. Ill see if I can get a picture later so you can see where my main problem is though.
Click to expand...

At the risk of sounding stupid - what are Clapton style hammer-ons, relative to, uh... normal hammer-ons?
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

Well, its basically a very, very, very quick hammeron and pull off, then usually a quick tap on the pentatonic string below.. so like 12 on e, hammer 15, pull off, pick 15 on b, go back up to E.

It's a very general pattern, I just notice he uses it a heck of alot, but its just a very quick hammeron and pull off.
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

One word ETUDES!... IMO there's no better pinky buster than a good etude and classical music in general for that matter. Like the others have said start slow. After you gain control, try some stretch 3 note per string diminished scales to really get your index, middle, and pinky to seperate and stretch. It'll hurt, it'll be uncomfortable but if you stick to it you'll notice a big difference with your reach across frets.
 
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Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

Hm.. alot of people are interpreting my originalist problem. Its not stretch, or speed (though mass speed, hammering tends to lock it but..)

Its for like.. any time it's holding two strings on a fret, meaning I cant do Drop D pinky stuff, nor doublestops.. Its just.. a real pain.
 
Re: Thinking of cutting my pinky off..

In other words, a pattern like

A-1-2-3-4
E-1-2-3-4

Making use of all fingers, would pose a problem for your pinky?

TimmyPage said:
Well, its basically a very, very, very quick hammeron and pull off, then usually a quick tap on the pentatonic string below.. so like 12 on e, hammer 15, pull off, pick 15 on b, go back up to E.

It's a very general pattern, I just notice he uses it a heck of alot, but its just a very quick hammeron and pull off.
Click to expand...

Interesting... Clapton isn't my thing, so I haven't heard much of him, but I use that pattern an awful lot... heh.
 
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