The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #16  
Old 10-05-2017, 07:10 PM
Riverwolf Riverwolf is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: OREGON
Posts: 4,277
Default

Sometimes there are things that your body just will not do, we all have different hands for example.
I had a similar post a few years ago.
My fretting pinkie wants to curl inward and almost under my ring finger.
No amount of practice will correct this.

I am not sure if this link is correct but there is a medical condition similar to what you describe.
Like anything else this condition can exist in many different levels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinodactyly
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 10-06-2017, 04:58 AM
SunnyDee SunnyDee is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1,031
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n View Post
I get it now. There is a place in the song where you have to play the G string open. I will try this later but I wonder how that might be... I suppose you will have to release the barre on the G then. I will keep your suggestion in my back pocket. For now, I am inclined to keep at the way it is done in the video.
I use the mini-barre for D a great deal, especially when playing other chords on the second fret. I also second the "people's hands are different" thing. But when I tried this, and I know this will sound weird, but when I thought of it as "hold a D," it was challenging, but when I thought of it only as hold down the middle and ring fingers (like the shape I use for open Em) keeping both my index and pinky free and wiggling around, it was easy. I'm just a beginner, so grain of salt and all that, but I find it matters which fingers I think of as having "weight" (like which foot you're standing on). Sometimes a shift of weight is all that it takes to make something work. YMMV
__________________
"Militantly left-handed."

Lefty Acoustics

Martin 00-15M
Taylor 320e Baritone

Cheap Righty Classical (played upside down ala Elizabeth Cotten)
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 10-10-2017, 07:46 PM
RockyRacc00n RockyRacc00n is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 576
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Riverwolf View Post
Sometimes there are things that your body just will not do, we all have different hands for example.

I had a similar post a few years ago.

My fretting pinkie wants to curl inward and almost under my ring finger.

No amount of practice will correct this.



I am not sure if this link is correct but there is a medical condition similar to what you describe.

Like anything else this condition can exist in many different levels.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinodactyly


Oh wow. That’s freaky. I think it normal for the pinky to have a slight bend towards the ring finger but I don’t think I have that condition. At least hope not.

Also just want to followup on the few folks that recommended the barre method on the open D. I tried and indeed, the stretch on the pinky is easier.

But I think I am making progress with the regular way, although very slowly.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 10-10-2017, 08:18 PM
BFD BFD is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Vermont
Posts: 809
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n View Post
...Also just want to followup on the few folks that recommended the barre method on the open D. I tried and indeed, the stretch on the pinky is easier....But I think I am making progress with the regular way, although very slowly.
Way to channel your inner ninja RR. For lots of folks, the fretting hand pinkie is very under-utilized; largely cuz it's pretty weak. You WILL reap benefits if you train its strength and flexibility.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 10-11-2017, 11:27 AM
RockyRacc00n RockyRacc00n is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 576
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BFD View Post
Way to channel your inner ninja RR. For lots of folks, the fretting hand pinkie is very under-utilized; largely cuz it's pretty weak. You WILL reap benefits if you train its strength and flexibility.
Ha! Thanks for that encouragement. I had given up on this for about 2 months, but after posting this, I picked up practicing this again.

You said, pinky strength.... but I think it's also strength in your middle and ring finger so that I can have them pressed down hard enough in their positions so as to not be dragged along by the pinky.
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 10-11-2017, 12:12 PM
Gitfiddlemann Gitfiddlemann is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,368
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n View Post
....but I think it's also strength in your middle and ring finger so that I can have them pressed down hard enough in their positions so as to not be dragged along by the pinky.
Be careful about that.
That might be the way you are making some headway at this moment, with your overly dependent pinky situation, and that's fine for now if you feel it is helping, but keep in mind that pressing fingers down hard for this particular chord shape (D) and pinky movement, and so many other positions, is not necessary, and just creates needless muscle tension in your fingers, hand, arm even, which is never good in the long run.
I'll think you'll figure that out on your own once your pinky develops better independent range, but be mindful of that.
Finger strength is a good thing, but it shouldn't be used to press down overly hard.
Work on some finger independence drills in general, in addition to this particular challenge. That will speed up your pinky independent motion progress.
__________________
Best regards,
Andre

Golf is pretty simple. It's just not that easy.
- Paul Azinger

"It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so."
– Mark Twain

http://www.youtube.com/user/Gitfiddlemann
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 10-11-2017, 12:24 PM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Chicago- North Burbs, via Mexico City
Posts: 5,219
Default

Don't give up. There are lots of things someone's hands can't do today that with some effort, repetition and persistence will be able to do tomorrow. Your hands will, over time, begin to conform to the demands of playing.

As an example, I'd been working on Tommy E's "Mombasa" for some time. When I began there were two things my hands would not to; do a 6 fret stretch with pinky on the 1st string and index on the 6th. In about a month my hand started to conform and I could do it reasonably comfortably. Took a bit longer to get there in tempo. Similary another position in that same tune was to get my thumb to wrap around the 6th string relatively in line with my third finger and pinky. That took less time, but again my hand had to stretch out. (see photos).

That pinky on the F# is tough because our hands are mostly trained for the pinky to go on the higher strings not the lower. But stay after it. You'll get it.

__________________
Assuming is not knowing. Knowing is NOT the same as understanding. There is a difference between compassion and wisdom, however compassion cannot supplant wisdom, and wisdom can not occur without understanding. facts don't care about your feelings and FEELINGS ALONE MAKE FOR TERRIBLE, often irreversible DECISIONS
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 10-11-2017, 12:29 PM
RockyRacc00n RockyRacc00n is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 576
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreF View Post
Be careful about that.
That might be the way you are making some headway at this moment, with your overly dependent pinky situation, and that's fine for now if you feel it is helping, but keep in mind that pressing fingers down hard for this particular chord shape (D) and pinky movement, and so many other positions, is not necessary, and just creates needless muscle tension in your fingers, hand, arm even, which is never good in the long run.
I'll think you'll figure that out on your own once your pinky develops better independent range, but be mindful of that.
Finger strength is a good thing, but it shouldn't be used to press down overly hard.
Work on some finger independence drills in general, in addition to this particular challenge. That will speed up your pinky independent motion progress.
Point taken. I am mindful of unnecessary pressure when holding down chords. But in this case, I feel this is what I have to do to keep my middle and ring in place while reaching over with the pinky. But hopefully, as my hand adapts, this added pressure will be required less.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 11-27-2017, 10:43 AM
RockyRacc00n RockyRacc00n is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 576
Default

Happy to report back, after many weeks of consistent practice on this, I am now able to move the pinky this way and play through the entire song somewhat decent.
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 11-27-2017, 02:58 PM
s0cks s0cks is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 213
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreF View Post
Finger strength is a good thing, but it shouldn't be used to press down overly hard.
This is why I dislike the term "finger strength". We all have ample strength to push a string down a few mm to a fret (even the pinky) - pushing harder is a fools way of correcting bad finger positioning. Really it's about independence. We aren't able to channel the strength we already possess, because we haven't developed the independence yet.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 01-04-2018, 11:41 PM
kitarkus kitarkus is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 51
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n View Post
Happy to report back, after many weeks of consistent practice on this, I am now able to move the pinky this way and play through the entire song somewhat decent.
Believe it or not...I searched "Norwegian Wood guitar pinky" because I am having the same issue. So glad you posted your follow-up....as it provides the encouragement to keep practicing. I had a much easier time learning "Here Comes the Sun"....all because of the pinky motion required for "Norwegian Wood". Oh well...I guess I'll have to spend more time with my guitar
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:07 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=