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Pinkie does not co-operate, and can’t even be forced!
I’m just starting to reload following a long hiatus. I DID one manage to play a bit. It is early days here and I’m not able to make the G chord as described. My problem is that my pinkie lays flat (pointing toward my other fingers). This isn’t a ‘lets get some strength’ problem. If I arch my fingers together in the air as they would be on the fret board, I can’t force my pinkie upright – even using my other hand. My joints just don’t move that way.
Any advice?
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14 Replies
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Would like to offer assistance but I can’t visualize the problem: “my pinkie lays flat (pointing toward my other fingers). Would you be able to snap a photo or take a short video?
I recall when I started out in TAC and was learning the G chord with the pinky on the #1 string and the ring on #6 and it was completely undoable. I pinky was on strike big time. For several weeks I was doing mostly MO – WE challenges because I was not able to do much of what was shown at the end of the week. I would go back and repeat the earlier stuff. But I kept trying to do that 3 finger G and a couple of months later I was able to do it
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In the skills courses, there is a 5 Day Pinkie Challenge. I haven’t done it, but perhaps going through that may help. The pinkie is definitely the black sheep of the fretting fingers !!
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Mike—- Do your stretching warmups!
Pinkies are not really independent little buggers- (but they are more than the darn ring-finger). Maybe play some chords to which you can “add your pinkie” to. Example- play a regular C chord…… but then add your pinkie onto the hi-E at that 3rd fret. Gives your C a new sound, but in the process, you are tricking/teaching your pinkie to act independently.
This can be done with several different chords…
Just a thought….
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Thanks for the advice. Here is a not-very-good image. It is just positioned this way, not a matter of flex n stretch. That said, I have managed to find a way that works at least for what I’ve tried so far. Basically, it won’t go straight but it is possible to push the tip up against my ring finger tip such that it has a smaller contact area.
Other tha that, it has been fun to see that feeling of not keeping up slowly start to dimiish.
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I’m seeing a similar thing but mine I think is realizing that my pinkie is quite short compared to my other fingers. I never really noticed it until trying to do some of the scales on the low E string and spanning 4 frets. I may have to just adapt? I can’t seem to straighten the pinkie out and wants to curve like in your picture Mike. We’ll see if time and exercises help these older fingers from years of keyboard smashing at work. CAD work can be brutal on your digits.
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I came looking for this exact post! My pinky finger does the same thing, like it is too busy watching all my other fingers instead of doing its job! Going to go and try to find the pinky challenge that was mentioned!
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Many moon’s ago, in my guitar journey, I began began using my pinky, instead of my ring finger when fingering the E, A, D and sometimes the Em and Am chords in the 1st position . This allows me to use the index finger when making almost any form of a barre chord. The other advantage is either the middle or index finger is left available to add other notes to the chord. It is just automatic now , to finger most of those chord shapes using the pinky and freeing up another finger to to add embellishments to your picking while still holding down the basic chord shape. Was it easy to do, no, but over time it became a natural movement.
My question would be how can you take this issue and add to your playing. what other strings can you fret, in that key you are playing in, that will fit into the chord you are trying to play? can you add a 9th or dominant 7th chord tone by using that pinky to hold down some other string?
Django Reinhart did just fine playing guitar with just to fingers making all of his chord shapes.
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BTW I make an G chord using my thumb over the 3rd fret of Bass E string and it is barely touching the 5th string to deaden it, so that a chord strum doesn’t activate a tone from the 5th string. My index and middle fingers hold down the 3rd fret of 1st and 2nd strings. It is my usual go to G chord when playing rhythm guitar.
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<div>Oh I share your pinky conundrum – so much I wrote a song about it !</div>
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Love it, Terry! 🙂
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What a great tune, thanks for that.
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“My joints just don’t move that way.”
Mike, I feel your pain. I too have curved fingers, they look almost like a couple of sets of parentheses … ( ( ) ). I have found that some stretches will help, but mostly in the spaces between the knuckles so there can be more “spread” in that area. That said, I believe you are talking about a pinky that angles inward rather than being vertical/parallel to the other fingers.
So, for the G, I do it like @jorgemac described above, only I use my ring finger and pinky on the high e and B strings third fret. (If your middle finger can fold up that much–mine doesn’t–you can do it with your index and middle, like @jorgemac.) If the pinky is still an issue doing it that way, you can use your ring to bar the top 2 strings at the third fret, maybe the pinky can “help” the ring finger. See if that works for you!
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I have learned here that when I think it is one thing, it may actually be another. The pinky problem as described…(great photo btw to see what is going on)….assuming there is not trauma that caused this….the problem is not the pinky it is the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand alignment. Few years ago I learned how to turn my arms inside out (seemingly). Two bouts of frozen shoulder and a surgery later and I figured it out….stretch not just your fingers but your whole side including neck and back…..you will be amazed if you carry this practice forward for a good solid period of time. At least I was amazed and I am the biggest jaded skeptic on the planet. And don’t get me started on how to stretch for guitar. : ) You have a good chance of bringing that pinky into the fold but you do have to make a practice of aligning.
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Another pinky friend! There are times when I cannot do the lesson as my pinky does not bend. When I make a fist my pinky sticks almost straight out with just a slight bend (osteo arthritis). I’ve tried many methods to try and get it to bend but nothing has worked, and surgery is not an option, not now at 73. Anyway what I can offer is do what you can do and try to find other options, and don’t fret,,,lol
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