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  • Small and bent little finger

    Posted by Telboy on July 19, 2021 at 2:34 pm

    Hello, this may be an unusual question, after working through the fretboard pack I purchased and came across the CAGED system. I have identified that the pinkie is an important digit for this process, unfortunately I have what is called a clinodactyl little finger (bent and only half normal size). Is there any help or advice you can give me as I am not able to use this deformed finger. Do any of the members have similar problems and how do you manage to navigate the fretboard?.
    Thank you
    Terry

    Telboy replied 3 years, 6 months ago 6 Members · 9 Replies
  • 9 Replies
  • That_Guy

    Member
    July 19, 2021 at 4:51 pm

    Check out Django Reinhardt on youtube. Dude only had two working fingers on each hand.

    Also Tony had an Acoustic Tuesday show episode awhile ago about amazing world class players that overcame having less fingers

    https://youtu.be/S7WfOPeAMLc

    • This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by  That_Guy.

  • David_Leo

    Member
    July 20, 2021 at 4:36 am

    Met a guy at an open mike who played excellent blues, lead guitar using only two fingers on his fretting hand. Great thing about guitar: many different ways to achieve the same ends. Stay with it, you’ll get there 🙂

  • Marty73

    Member
    July 20, 2021 at 5:43 am

    👍

  • Telboy

    Member
    July 20, 2021 at 9:03 am

    Thank you for taking the time to respond and providing both helpful information and moral support 👏. I will have a look at the information provided over the coming days, thanks again

    Regards

    Terry

    • Bill_Brown

      Member
      July 20, 2021 at 11:14 am

      Hi Terry ( @Telboy ), let me start by saying welcome to TAC. I just want to give you my thoughts about the “CAGED” system – IMHO, the most important thing to take away from CAGED is the fact that each of those chord shapes have a “root string” and knowing which chord shape uses which string as the root, is key. Rarely (if ever) will you play a C shaped or G shaped barre chord. Most barre chords are played using either the E shape or A shape (including their respective minor and 7-chord shapes)👍 So for barre chords, your situation leaves you with with the index to barre and the middle and ring fingers to fret various notes (strings) – let’s call those fingers your “free fingers”. I may have a “work around” for barre chords that you could use. Let’s consider an E shaped barre chord for instance, you can use the mini F shape or do the full barre and fret the G and D strings with your free fingers (partial E chord) – either way you choose, you want to just strum the D, G, B and hi E strings only😱 My point is, you may only have 3 fingers to play part of a chord – just make sure that you only strum the strings contained in that part of the chord🤔

      Hope this makes sense to you – good luck Terry😎

      • Telboy

        Member
        July 21, 2021 at 10:34 am

        Hi Bill, I have read your detailed response and it is very much appreciated. The details you have included will help me immensely over the coming months/years. It is very kind of you to take the time and provide this information.

        Thank you

        Kind regards

        Terry

  • Ronlad

    Member
    July 20, 2021 at 10:55 am

    I can feel for you in terms on a bent little finger. I had a 16″ softball injury that happened probably now some close to 30 years ago. I went to catch a softball, and it jammed my left pinkie. I had ligament damage, but went to see my doctor way too late. So, now I have a bent finger especially after the knuckle. I try to take it slow, and make the best of having a bent finger. I can still use the finger, and it functions just fine. I do think as players that we find ways to compensate for bent fingers, etc. As the old saying goes, “There is more than one way to skin a cat”. Best of luck and let us know how things are going.

    • Telboy

      Member
      July 24, 2021 at 6:37 am

      Thank you, it does make sense to take things slowly, and yes there are many ways of achieving by compensating and also accepting that you have to do things differently than the conventional way.

      Kind regards

      Terry

  • That_Guy

    Member
    July 21, 2021 at 6:10 am

    “Is there really more than one way to skin a cat” was my favorite episode of Mythbusters

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