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Pinky Finger Strengthening

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:38 am
by Metal66
Anyone know any good exercises to strengthen the pinky? It's really holding me back I think and I want to know ways to make it stick when it place it on a string. Thanks.

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:56 pm
by Gnarkiller
put yir legs up on ur computer desk stik pinky up butthole and if ur not gay it should be a pretty tight fit strengthening pinky as u move it around up in ur cavity

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:16 pm
by Metal66
I did that and all I got was a shitty finger.

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:43 pm
by Gor-Gor
jack off more. tighten the pinky while jacking off and keep it flexed.

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:04 pm
by Dawdy
just keeping playing shit where you need to use it. eventually it'll start to work the way you want it to

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:57 pm
by CliffandJason-BASS
ok i'll keep trying that

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:15 am
by Lord of This World
finger girls at your middle school

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:14 am
by RandomRussianDude
play hammer ons and pull offs with it. for eg. ----5h8p5h8p5h8p5h8---

just keep doing it till your pinky starts going numb. then move on to the lower/upper string. do this across the entire (bottom to topmost strings and vs.) fretboard till you can do it no more, then do it again and again.

then you can start stretching the pinky further down the fretboard.

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:52 pm
by UNGODLIKE
if u just keep your pinky anchored down on one fret, and you keep all the other fingers moving on the same string, you'll notice that you're still playing the same note, hence, working out your pinky fretting!

normally, i would get bored of doing something like that i just mentioned^ and that's when i go "ballz out" experimental and start slammin the strings at the bridge w/my nutsack creating all kinds of unworldly noise effects while simultaneously fingering the fretboard and flicking the pick-up selector toggle switch.

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 6:15 am
by CliffandJason-BASS
RandomRussianDude wrote:play hammer ons and pull offs with it. for eg. ----5h8p5h8p5h8p5h8---

just keep doing it till your pinky starts going numb. then move on to the lower/upper string. do this across the entire (bottom to topmost strings and vs.) fretboard till you can do it no more, then do it again and again.

then you can start stretching the pinky further down the fretboard.
helps me :tup:

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:09 am
by The Doctor
Just make yourself use it. That's really the only way.

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:38 pm
by triple5
UNGODLIKE wrote:if u just keep your pinky anchored down on one fret, and you keep all the other fingers moving on the same string, you'll notice that you're still playing the same note, hence, working out your pinky fretting!

normally, i would get bored of doing something like that i just mentioned^ and that's when i go "ballz out" experimental and start slammin the strings at the bridge w/my nutsack creating all kinds of unworldly noise effects while simultaneously fingering the fretboard and flicking the pick-up selector toggle switch.
that shit is funny, ballz out guitar noise!

Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 3:01 pm
by warhead dime
Just use it

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:42 pm
by BassPhemy
Play power chords with your index and pinky fingers. Not your index and ring fingers.

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 1:59 pm
by 7Dime7MetalMassacre
I never used my pinky much for the first couple of years that i played guitar. I started using it when i was watching videos of pantera and dime was doing those wide pinky streatches. I started trying to do them and practiced them over and over and after a few weeks i was able to integrate my pinky into my playing style a lot more. No i try to use it as much as possible when playing with an economy playing approach.

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:59 am
by Lord of This World
BassPhemy wrote:Play power chords with your index and pinky fingers. Not your index and ring fingers.
yes. people have always thought i was weird for doing this. they don't understand that using your index and pinky for power chords is easier on the hand and allows more accurate movement at high speeds, especially with metal.

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:13 am
by RandomRussianDude
Lord of This World wrote:
BassPhemy wrote:Play power chords with your index and pinky fingers. Not your index and ring fingers.
yes. people have always thought i was weird for doing this. they don't understand that using your index and pinky for power chords is easier on the hand and allows more accurate movement at high speeds, especially with metal.
i was under the impression everyone used their pinky for power chords. i guess not. also i do bends using the pinky, just something i've done from the beginning.

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:02 pm
by croninburg
I only use my "pinky" to play the octave, I don't use it if I'm just playing the root and fifth (in case you were wondering :lol: )

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:41 pm
by Lord of This World
part of it is the "ultra super extra jumbo" frets they slap on all the guitars now. :tdown:

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:59 pm
by Kellan
Well when you play actual, real chord voicings you're going to want to have your ring finger on the 5th so you can change the chord voicing with your pinky finger. I mean even an add9 chord tells you this (1-5-9), much less other chord voicings that start to stray from the stereotypical fingering of a simple power chord shape with the 1-5-octave scheme.
But if all you want to play is power chords, by all means, just use your pinky for the 5th.
If ever you start playing jazz or different chord voicings in general, you're going to find out that having your pinky finger available to you is probably the most crucial part of the chord. The more fretboard surface area you can cover with your hand, you're going to be better off with.

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:43 pm
by BassPhemy
Well the index/pinky power chord is a start. After a while you should gain enough strength and dexterity to be able to cleanly fret a span of 5 frets as well as the 5th.

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:26 pm
by Pfl?yd
I'm pretty much addicted to 9ths and the pinky is pretty crucial in that sense.

Also, don't blame fret size, bassists have managed for years. :PP:

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:35 am
by Lord of This World
Pfl?yd wrote:I'm pretty much addicted to 9ths and the pinky is pretty crucial in that sense.

Also, don't blame fret size, bassists have managed for years. :PP:
i have no problems on bass. i just don't like super big frets on guitars for some reason. of course, when i play bass i'm in a totally different mindset than on guitar.

i should have also said that i never play power chords anymore and so i am mostly playing fifths with ring finger, especially since i mostly use thumb-over style for barre chords. it really does give you a lot more freedom to play around with chord voicing and fills.

i loves 9ths too. :aargh: :tup:

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:29 am
by Pfl?yd
Lord of This World wrote:
Pfl?yd wrote:I'm pretty much addicted to 9ths and the pinky is pretty crucial in that sense.

Also, don't blame fret size, bassists have managed for years. :PP:
i have no problems on bass. i just don't like super big frets on guitars for some reason. of course, when i play bass i'm in a totally different mindset than on guitar.

i should have also said that i never play power chords anymore and so i am mostly playing fifths with ring finger, especially since i mostly use thumb-over style for barre chords. it really does give you a lot more freedom to play around with chord voicing and fills.

i loves 9ths too. :aargh: :tup:
I play octaves on the bass entirely with the pinky unless I'm adding chord tones above that. Slapping octaves while holding down the "pop" string with the pinky is an excellent pinky workout!

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:19 am
by The Doctor
Lord of This World wrote:part of it is the "ultra super extra jumbo" frets they slap on all the guitars now. :tdown:
Meh. I can sprawl my fingers pretty far. I'm not bothered. :lol:

Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:32 am
by Pfl?yd
Truth me told, I like small frets on guitar. After playing a jumbo-fret five-string bass, picking up a small-fretted guitar is like Stephen Hawking doing times-tables.