The Right Hand 4th Finger (pinky)

[TGNeil]

Hi guys,

From time to time when I'm fingerpicking, I find that my pinky (my little finger) comes into play by itself without me thinking about it. It doesn't happen very often and generally only when I am doing arpeggios or picking patterns where each finger follows the other in succession.

I assume that being able to control all 4 fingers and the thumb on your right hand would be a good thing and would give you more control and flexibility.

But, is pinky control something I should try to develop or is it a waste of time and even something that is only worth working on once you've got the other fingers working well?

What are your experiences and thoughts??

If you can do it, how long did it take you to get control of your pinky and at what stage in your development did you start? And how did you do it?

I'm assuming that it's best to develop a bit more first before trying anything that fancy, but I'd love to know what you think.

ta

Michele

Link to the Original Thread

[michelew]

Thanks Neil! It was so cool to wake up and find a video response to that question. And to get confirmation that there aren't many times that I'll need to use the little finger so I don't need to worry about developing it.

The use in the roll was interesting. I never thought about the fact that it might be useful on a guitar with more than 6 strings - either.

By the way - That was a fast come back with the response too.

Thanks again.

Michele