Flying Pinky disease....

[TBman]

My fretting hand pinky is still with a mind of its own. If I play the chromatic scale up and down, 1st fret to 4th, my pinky lifts up off the fretboard an unusual amount. My efforts to tame it are short lived as I lose my patience with it and want to work on something more rewarding. Any one else dealing with this minor. first world problem?

[Gitfiddlemann]

Hi Barry,
I can fully empathize. The pinky can definitely misbehave.
Here's how I deal with that, when playing the chromatic scales you were mentioning:
Once you fret the pinky, keep it down until you need it for the next string. So, for example:
6th string: Play 1-2-3-4, but after playing 4 (pinky), keep it down until you've played 3 on the 5th string and it's time for the C# or 4th fret note.
And so on with every string. In other words, don't lift the pinky until it's time.
It's easier said than done if you've never tried that, but once you get the hang of it, it's helpful to keep that pinky "grounded" and not flying around so much.
Sometimes, when I look at myself on video, I always notice how undisciplined my pinky can be. A work in progress, but, with mindful practice, it can be tamed! Good luck.

[rick-slo]

Here ya go (not easy)

[Su_H.]

The chromatic scale is a great exercise. Practice it the way Andre explained it and you'll be good to go.

[M Hayden]

Practice.
More practice.
Keep going until you get there.
It took me years but eventually my hands started doing what i wanted including the pinky.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Here ya go (not easy)

Thanks Rick, I'll try that.

Thanks to everyone else for your suggestions!

[acoustigoat]

I am working away at pinky taming as well. What I have found more motivating than exercises is finding a song that forces me to play in position with lots of pinky action.

Not sure if you like bluegrass or not, but I love Molly Tuttle and her song Super Moon fits the bill. If you subscribe to Acoustic Guitar magazine, there is a full transcription in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue. If you don't, Lessons with Marcel did the video below and you can get his transcription for free at his website. In the screenshot for the video you can see the runs on the A string at frets 4, 5, and 7. Note that it's in dropped D, not standard tuning. In the video, the breakdown of the song starts at 3:26.

[Chipotle]

Argh! You know those things where you never cared or even noticed, because everything works fine, and somebody points them out and all of a sudden you notice it and it drives you crazy?

So now I'm wondering how that raised pinky--yes, mine does it too, though not to an extreme degree--is a problem, assuming it's not preventing you from playing what you want. I've never had issues with my pinky not doing what I want, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.

TBman, is there a particular reason you want or need to work on that pinky position. (Which heads to the question, should I want or need to work on that pinky position?)

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

Argh! You know those things where you never cared or even noticed, because everything works fine, and somebody points them out and all of a sudden you notice it and it drives you crazy?

So now I'm wondering how that raised pinky--yes, mine does it too, though not to an extreme degree--is a problem, assuming it's not preventing you from playing what you want. I've never had issues with my pinky not doing what I want, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.

TBman, is there a particular reason you want or need to work on that pinky position. (Which heads to the question, should I want or need to work on that pinky position?)

Well, mostly because the pinky is telling me I don't have full control over it, which is annoying to my ego,

I think it would help me play a bit smoother and quieter if I get that pinky tamed a bit.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

So now I'm wondering how that raised pinky--yes, mine does it too, though not to an extreme degree--is a problem, assuming it's not preventing you from playing what you want. I've never had issues with my pinky not doing what I want, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.

No need to worry if it's not a big issue with you.
That said, all fingers need to be coordinated with the right or picking hand for spot on articulation and timing. And speed. If the pinky needs to travel a greater distance than the other fingers do, then something has to give. The other three fingers, and the picking hand, might need to "slow down" to accommodate the pinky's unruly behavior, so that they all coordinate in proper fashion.
Or, they don't, and the result is less than stellar timing and sloppiness.
You can really tell with scales. The more behaved the pinky is, the smoother they will be, as you notch up the tempo. But it also extends to playing.
It depends too what kind of music you're playing. I don't think I've ever seen Eric Clapton use his pinky at all, and it's not ever bothered him too much.
But if you play material where all fingers share equal duties and responsibilities, like classical and solo acoustic fingerstyle for example, then it makes sense to rein in an unruly pinky.
But regardless, incorporating these types of above mentioned drills is never a waste of time, if done correctly. And they don't take a lot of time.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by TBman

My fretting hand pinky is still with a mind of its own. If I play the chromatic scale up and down, 1st fret to 4th, my pinky lifts up off the fretboard an unusual amount. My efforts to tame it are short lived as I lose my patience with it and want to work on something more rewarding. Any one else dealing with this minor. first world problem?

Hi Barry

The busier you keep your pinky when playing, the less you have to worry about it.

[Pitar]

I think some people have uncooperative hands. I've read innumerable threads/posts about it so at some point I have to make that assumption. My hands never did challenge me with regard to picking, chording or runs. Lucky? I guess so.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Pitar

I think some people have uncooperative hands. I've read innumerable threads/posts about it so at some point I have to make that assumption. My hands never did challenge me with regard to picking, chording or runs. Lucky? I guess so.

Hi Pitar
I play keys, brass and guitar. I started with keyboards and then added a trumpet to the mix, and last was the guitar.

From the keyboards I already had worked on the dexterity of the pinky (both hands). So involving it often with guitar seemed natural. I also followed classical training for both keys and brass, so did endless exercises which involved about every facet of the brain and the hands…often in 11 keys (more if the exercise was repeated in minor keys).

While teaching, I discovered that players with little/no previous instrumental training often have to be given more specific direction and more exercises to develop both musical thoughts and skills. Underusing any digit not a fault, but it may limit one's playing. For novice players sometimes it has to do with never having learned anything complicated enough to involve the fretting pinky in a regular or diverse manner.

I imagine there could be other reasons as well.