i have problem using my little finger for playing some chords ... ( some times tabs too .... but i kinda manage tabs without using it) .... there are two things associated with it... one is movement ( how fast can u move it) and other is pressure .... i had problem in both, i kinda practiced a lot, and now movement is no more problem ... but somehow my chords mute out when i use little finger ..... do you guys / girls have any tips and experiences to share??? I once tried taping my finger tip but in vain .... my fingers are not nice and long
Applying pressure with the pinky is just a matter of practice. You have to consistently make an effort to use it in songs. As you mentioned you manage tabs without it.....make an effort to use the pinky wherever possible. If you find any pattern with a note that's 2 frets away from a note you're playing try using the pinky instead of your ring finger as an alternative while practicing. I'd still suggest that while playing normally you stick to the "1-finger-per-fret" rule. Taping any finger tip is a bad idea because playing guitar (especially acoustic guitar) consistently is necessary to strengthen the finger tip. Taping the tip of the finger will just delay the time required to make your fingers strong. As for the pinky muting other notes, try curving your hand more. It will strain your hand for a while but with some practice it will seem natural. I have tutored people and many face this problem when they move from playing while sitting to standing up. Your hand just needs to adjust to that position. Also you can try playing ascending and descending scales regularly to build up finger strength.
thanks death_metal _fan for your advice ... i have one more issue .... when i said, notes were muted i mean the note which was played by little finger ....other notes sounds perfect .... but the note played by pinky sounds very mute or "Dabb" ... and if i adjust my hand, so that that note will sound good ..... i cant reach other notes with other fingers ....so its like ... either all notes sound good except the one with pinky or pinky sounds good but all other notes wont ..... well i'll try more this weekend ..... thanks though
Madhura, I'd recommend you to practice spiders. And as far as chords requiring the pinky are concerned try playing songs which use chords like F and second position G, or Cm, the chords may sound muted at first because the pinky is not yet developed but soon they'll start ringing loud and clear.
U cud try the basic 1234 chromatic runs with a metronome..itll increase ur speed and strengthen ur pinkie BTW..satch/vai dont use their pinkies too often..they prefer to slide around..so u dont need to get too worried..
Practice madhura. I had this problem a long time ago, and i never bothered to clear it up. Then i tried to play the Fade to black solo and that's where my problem caught up with me. So see, dont ignore it, and keep on practicing, as you do, you'll get better and the strength and speed will come automatically.
No..i read it somewhere...i could be wrong..but i distinctly remember reading this..cuz i had the same problem
