Fingering

[LuisSavesTheDay]

Ia dont know how to finger properly. I read somewhere in IBM that Eric Clapton doesnt use his pinky; wellneither do i. Is the pinky finger REALLY neessary? I think my fingering is VERY off. I took my fist lesson last week, and my teacher is getting after mewith my fingering.

Its hard to break a habit youve had since day one of music.

Can someone please post a nice good reply?

[oRg]

Do you mean using the pinkie to pick or to fret?

[Bizarro]

You have to use your pinky for playing chords... but soloing can be done without it, especially if you stick to the standard pentatonic licks.

Do you really mean that you don't bend or vibrato with your pinky? As an experiment try putting a piece of tape over your pinky and play all the stuff you normally play, including rhythm. You'll probably notice it gets used more than you thought it did!

There's no reason to limit yourself to 3 fingers. You need to expand your guitar vocabulary and find places where your pinky gets used. :)

[szulc]

You already know the answer to this. If you wan to limit your playing severely don't use it, heck don't use your index finger either.

[LuisSavesTheDay]

of course i use my pinky for chords. Im just talkin about soloing. i dont use my pinky for solos

[LuisSavesTheDay]

For example.

12p10p8h12p8h10h12 On this example, i dont use my pinky. I use my index finger, middle finger, and ring finger. Is that okay, or right?

[Metalliska]

For example.

12p10p8h12p8h10h12 On this example, i dont use my pinky. I use my index finger, middle finger, and ring finger. Is that okay, or right?
I bet you have to roll your hand along the finger board and move your thumb to reach the 10 and 12. I don't think that as long as it sounds okay that there is anything wrong with it. Personally though I would use my little finger to fret the 12 and my first and second to fret the 8 and 10, that way my hand and thumb could hold position and I could let my fingers do the talking. I have always strived to use my fourth finger in soloing, for example to get different sounds like 17p12 or something along those lines, as sculz said not using that extra finger just limits you capabilities in the long run, it can make you playing more sloppy too, stretching out your ring finger can cause muting of other strings and just seems plain illogical when you have a pinky. Its hell to train you pinky to play fluently but in the long run it's gotta be worth it.

[LuisSavesTheDay]

thanks metalliska. I really need to work on my pinky... Damni... Is like day one. I figure i can have it goin like my other fingers over summer break. Thanks again.

[Metalliska]

That's okay man, took me bloody ages to get my pinky playing well, but just keep at it and discipline yourself, resist stretching your ring finger and force yourself to use the pinky.

[Bizarro]

Szulc... "don't use your index finger either" LMAO!! :) he he he :eek: Doh! ;)

[oRg]

Well playing a small relatively close lick like that you would need your pinkie. Let's put it this way if you wanted to play 12h16h19p16p12 you'd need to use you pinkie. i wouldn't see any way around it.