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Old 10-26-2020, 06:44 AM
euraquilo euraquilo is offline
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Default The fretting hand pinky finger

I've been working on harder finger-style arrangements that require stretches with my pinky finger. I noticed that I have a habit of retracting that finger most of the time. I've never taken guitar lessens, so I was wondering if it's a standard technique to train the little finger to stay in an extended position when not in use.

An illustration...
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File Type: jpg Fingerstyle - the pinky.jpg (32.8 KB, 120 views)
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Old 10-26-2020, 07:11 AM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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One trains to be as relaxed as possible. The position of the small finger in your first photo is not relaxed. In general, the fingers should all be close to the fingerboard, the knuckles parallel to the strings and fairly naturally spaced one finger per fret. Where possible, the fingers move/articulate while the hand, itself doesn’t not tilt side to side. There are many places where it is not possible to maintain the knuckles parallel to the strings, and the hand not rotated. The photos you’ve posted are not an example where one must rotate the hand. If the thumb is moved to the middle of the back of the neck, the fingers can naturally bend in a curve, as facilitated by dropping the wrist, and one can more easily make the stretch of the small finger, which should be just under the hand without rotating the wrist. To avoid excessively bending the wrist, the head of the guitar needs to higher, about shoulder height.

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Old 10-26-2020, 07:42 AM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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No problem curling the finger depending on what going on at the moment. Many time you have to
(for example when playing a G chord when the pinky is fretting the first string). You also can float
the pinky and/or retract it some when not using it (helps keeping it from interacting with the third
finger as much when that finger is busy fretting thing). Just be able to use the pinky quickly and
accurately if used. Unused fingers can be up off the fretboard somewhat in many cases.
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Last edited by rick-slo; 10-26-2020 at 11:23 AM.
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Old 10-26-2020, 10:54 AM
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ljguitar ljguitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by euraquilo View Post
…so I was wondering if it's a standard technique to train the little finger to stay in an extended position when not in use.
Hi e…

No, it's not standard to keep it extended. Just keep it relaxed and responsive no matter which position it's in.




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Old 10-26-2020, 02:17 PM
NormanKliman NormanKliman is offline
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Hi euraquilo,

Quote:
Originally Posted by euraquilo View Post
I've been working on harder finger-style arrangements that require stretches with my pinky finger.
That sounds good. It’s second nature for me now, but I had to work at it for years, and it does pay off.

Quote:
Originally Posted by euraquilo View Post
I was wondering if it's a standard technique to train the little finger to stay in an extended position when not in use.
That sounds bad. You don’t want any kind of unnatural strain. Quite a lot of correct posture may seem unnatural at first, but you’ll want to take it easy until you get stronger.

It looks like you could center your hand a little more, with your fingers more perpendicular to the strings and pressing straight down onto the fretboard.
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Old 10-27-2020, 05:07 AM
euraquilo euraquilo is offline
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I appreciate all the responses - I'll go with "relaxed".

Since I took those pictures for illustration purposes (I don't usually fret with one hand and take one-handed phone pics with the other), I went back and took a look at my hand position.

If I rest the guitar on my left knee rather than my right (that's the classical posture, init?) my hand tends to remain more perpendicular as was suggested. But I can see I still have a tendency to shift it in more toward my right side. Will work on that.

I'm regretting never having taken lessons. I had piano lessons in HS and college and I have much better technique there than I do on guitar (even though I've played guitar many years longer).
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