| Title: | GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion |
| Notice: | Discussion of the finer stringed instruments |
| Moderator: | KDX200::COOPER |
| Created: | Thu Aug 14 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 3280 |
| Total number of notes: | 61432 |
This may seem like a minor narrow question on technique but I will
ask it just the same:
Do you always curve your (fretting hand) pinky when it isn't playing
a barre?
Take for example a fifth position Dmin7 with a doubled 7th on the
high E string played with the pinky. Is your pinky curved or flat?
X 1 3 1 2 4
----================= barre on 5th fret
| | | | | |
| | | | X |
---------------------
| | | | | |
| | X | | |
---------------------
| | | | | |
| | | | | X
Reason why I ask is I've been studying a fingerstyle ragtime piece
for classical guitar and was having problems getting certain kinds
of chords to play cleanly. I discovered the all the chords I was
having problem with used the pinky which I was flattenning out.
When I tried curving the pinky I found I could play the chords not
only a LOT cleaner, but with a lot less tension. This minor thing
seems to make a pretty big difference.
This flattening of the pinky seems to be a pervasive habit in my
technique. I've developed some exercises to drop that habit but
it is pretty hard to shake.
I'm wondering if anyone else plays like that and, in general, how
people use their pinkies (if at all as many people often don't).
db
P.S., back when I was studying classical piano I remember that the
flat vs. curved pinky debate was an moderately hot topic with the
flat pinky contingent being in the minority. Unfortunately
my last piano teacher was one of them and I just wonder if that
isn't why I've carried it over to guitar.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55.1 | JELLO::CONROY | Mon Sep 29 1986 18:19 | 15 | ||
I use my pinkie a lot and think you will find that you get a cleaner
sound on chords and runs. You will also be more accurate. I think
the only time you would want to flatten your pinkie is if you're
playing a chord that requires a bar on the first 2 strings and you
can't get it any other way.
A simple exercise that will help is doing a chromatic scale up
any string with your thumb in the back of the neck and your
knuckles parellel with the fretboard and your pinkie curved
slightly in.
Just noticed, that first sentence should end.. if you don't flatten
your pinkie.
Bob c.
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| 55.2 | `ole crooked fingers | INK::MWHITE | Mon Sep 29 1986 19:58 | 25 | |
Re -1: Yeah Bob, that's a good exercize...I call that one my `spider'
exercize `cuz I start on the low e and go up by 1 fret a 1 string
with each new fingering. Keep going but reverse direction when you
hit the high e.
Anyway, I always make sure the TIPS of my fingers are playing the
notes in a chord for cleaness. If you keep your tips up, you will
get the technique discussed in .1, same thing.
Here's a technique you can do with you first finger for certain
chords, like this one.
x Maj 7 w/ b6th in the bass.
=====================
! ! ! ! ! 1
---------------------
! ! ! ! 1 !
--------------------- ...You turn your 1st finger on it's side
! ! ! 2 ! ! so it lays across the fret and frets
--------------------- both notes...bending at the knuckle
! ! 3 ! ! ! helps out a lot.
---------------------
! 4 ! ! ! !
---------------------
-WJB
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| 55.3 | thanks | DREGS::BLICKSTEIN | Dave | Mon Sep 29 1986 20:21 | 13 |
re: .1
That exercise is part of my standard warm-up routine. It seems
to be commonly referred to as the "four finger exercise" FYI.
I think that in general when I'm not playing chords, I play with
finger tips, but I'm going to concentrate on this in the future.
I think that I have a general problem in the area of playing flat
instead of with my tips, but it's most acute with my pinky. I'm
rapidly coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to devote
some time to working on this.
db
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