weezerboy Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 ello, i had lessons for about 3 years and gave up..this was about 2 years ago..at the time i couldn't be bothered with all the "blah-ness". but now i have the problem that my little finger is as weak as an old woman with alzheimers....and just as uncontrollable.....so does anyone have any tips for strenthening pinkys? thanks dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 Just playing more, consciously making the effort to use the pinky, will be the best but specifically do more pinky related stuff... like 3rd-4th (pinky) finger trills. Another exercise I used to recommend to students was to practice scales over-the-neck. In the traditional under-the-neck position, the first (index) finger is the anchor/pivot point of strength. Over-the-neck, the pinky becomes the anchor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roli Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 Dunno, I play a lot with pinky, 'cause I learned to play this way, someone who began without it, could play the same things, probably with a different flavor. But if you want to force that, keep playing those basic 4-notes-on-a-string scales and might add some arpeggios to get used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckguitarist Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 i don't use my pinky that much either. but i'd imagine one of these would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezerboy Posted November 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 thats just the climbers thing...thought about it before.. thanks to everyone else...i was planning on just doing 4 note chromatic scales.but boy is that boring....maybe i'll do the 1423 instead of the 1234 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 24, 2003 Report Share Posted November 24, 2003 2 words...kirk....hammett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushead Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 Just hack it off with a butcher's knife. It was just one of those things I had to teach myself to do. The harder part was training it to stay tucked in instead of flying free like snobby people drinking wine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 2 words...kirk....hammett ya..... do those 2 finger hammer on pull of things, lots of pinky taps, and try doing it on accoustic.... but don't over do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandro Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 i don't use my pinky that much either. but i'd imagine one of these would help. I have a Gripmaster. It's a neat little thingy but I'm not sure exactly how much it's helped me with guitar. Most of the time I still can't do a hammer-on with enough force to make it sound right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 I have a Gripmaster, too and I think it sucks...I've been playing for ten years and that thing hurts by fingers like hell when I try the grip exercise pictured. It makes you exert way too much force. Also, although the red one says "medium" it is apparently the strongest unit available, there are light and ultra light...how much sense does that make? Of course I walked into the shop macho like and didn't want to buy the "light" thing...now I don't use this thing at all. And forget about practicing scale patterns with the Gripmaster...too much resistance too little control. My advice: prctice cleanly and steadily...I'll post a couple exercises when I find the time to tab them. so long ace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylde1919 Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 The biggest problem I think you'll find isn't how to strengthen yor pinky. The suggestions given are great (I am going to go home and try the over the fretboard one myself, so cheers to whoever posted that ) I think the real key is going to be not giving up on it easily. I know when i first started learning sweeps, I didnt get it right away and gave up. I think playing with your pinky i sthe same in a way. Take any improvement you may get from the excersises as a positive. Dont try and and quantify how much you s hould improve. It'll just cause you to get frustrated. Hope that helps. If not like I said there is a great wealth of info given on this thread lready anyway. :end ramble now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylde1919 Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 The biggest problem I think you'll find isn't how to strengthen yor pinky. The suggestions given are great (I am going to go home and try the over the fretboard one myself, so cheers to whoever posted that ) I think the real key is going to be not giving up on it easily. I know when i first started learning sweeps, I didnt get it right away and gave up. I think playing with your pinky i sthe same in a way. Take any improvement you may get from the excersises as a positive. Dont try and and quantify how much you s hould improve. It'll just cause you to get frustrated. Hope that helps. If not like I said there is a great wealth of info given on this thread lready anyway. :end ramble now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted November 30, 2003 Report Share Posted November 30, 2003 gripmaster. it helps control. i recommend just using your pinky for an hour on it watching tv. I have horrible tremors and i used to never be able to control my left pinky. it really screwed my playing. but i used the gripmaster for an hour a day. made playing a bunch easier. i also recoment those "streches" that sites reccomend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted December 1, 2003 Report Share Posted December 1, 2003 Snork which strength Gripmaster do you have? so long ace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 2, 2003 Report Share Posted December 2, 2003 medium. da red one. why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 2, 2003 Report Share Posted December 2, 2003 medium. da red one. why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted December 3, 2003 Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 I have that one, too and I find it much too strong. I've been playing for 10 years and I can hardly bear pushing those things in normal grip (touching it with the fingertips of my left hand), let alone practice scale movements... Perhaps I'm doing it wrong...I'm always trying to push the buttons inward completely... so long ace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted December 4, 2003 Report Share Posted December 4, 2003 I think those Grip strengtheners will over exercise muscle you DON'T want for guitar playing, i.e., you don't want or need to press hard done when fretting. It's all about finesse... you don't want your hand "muscle-bound." Even with a guitar strung with 12's or 13's, you should try to get the most out of the least amount of effort. If you must use a device, I'd suggest a device more like this (linked from this page that list other practice devices.) Since this is a builder's forum, it should be easy enough to build something like that... but I think the design can be simplified to use ONE string (maybe the 3rd string) and weave it in a serpentine fashion, using only ONE tuner peg. 1 ________________________________@ <-- string end (__|____|____|____|____|____|__ __|____|____|____|____|____|__) (__|____|____|____|____|____|__ __|____|____|____|____|____|__) 6 (__|____|____|____|____|____|____O| <-- single tuner \____\____\____\____\____\_ | +--------- frets I think it can be made smaller, maybe 5 inches with only the fretboard portion. There still needs to be a way for it to be used single handed... maybe a strap to loop around the back of the hand... or some sort of thumb mount harness??? Hmm... I didn't like the way I explained the "finesse" above. Imagine 3-D space represented by the x,y and z axes. The up/down move (z-axis) would be the only thing that a GripMaster would exercise. There is a LOT of forward/backard (y-axis) and left/right (x-axis) movement involved in playing... the aformentioned finesse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 another good exercise that will give you benefits in scale usage and harmony as well is doing 3 note per string scales in 3rds. You have to use the pinky and it will get it used to moving in and out of the others in random combinations. Do the same sequence for all your modes: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, 4-6, 5-7,6-8 ,7-9, etc. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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