Little finger is feeble!

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Hi,
I am a beginer on beginer course grade 2. Finding my little finger a pain in the butt…it wants to do its own thing and is weak. All the other pinkies do as they are asked most of the time. Anyone got any exersise tips to get it working better please !! Kind regards Carl

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You could jump ahead to Grade 3 and start working on the “Finger Gym” exercise.

That’s really helped my pinky. Took a few weeks to really see results, though.

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Hi Carl,

I can assure you, this is “normal” pinky behaviour for most of us. :joy:

As you are in Grade 2, did you already come across lessen “Pinky workout”? This is quite a good place to tart, else I would also recommend checking out the “Finger Gym” and taking it slow while practicing. The Pinky needs somehow more time to develop compared to the other fingers, at least for me.

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Finger gym and any similar exercises that involve the little finger. It also helped to purposefully practice cords that use the pinky more and with slow intent.

I think I may have started my second year with guitar before I stopped having to think specifically about my pinky when using it.

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I would suggest your technique is wildly incorrect.

:joy:

Cheers,

Keith

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+1 on this. Alternatively your guitar fretboard/neck might be an issue as well. Some “student” or beginner type guitars have a neck like a 2x4. That said, for the beginning stages of Justin’s courseware there shouldn’t be that much work for your pinky finger.

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oh my oh my…now my stomach hurt… I blame you if I don’t get any training done rest of the day… :rofl: :joy: :rofl: :joy: :rofl: :joy: :rofl:

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Thanks for the reply, i will keep up the suggested routines Justin does. And be more patient…lol and thanks for the technique suggestion…made me laugh actually out loud…:rofl::rofl:

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Hi Carl,

It is as Lisa says…I call it “the hysterical pinky syndrome”… :joy::wink:

Just do your practice, fingergym and pinky workout - also have a look at the C chord explorer lesson or try to switch from C to the weak G…and be more patient than you think you can be…you’re not alone! :blush:

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Thanks sylvia, great to have loads of different things to try. Appreciate the time taken to respond.

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You could also include a few minutes of scales (both major and minor) in your regular practice sessions. Don’t despair though, anyone who starts learning guitar will encounter the pinky problem. It just takes patients and practice.

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Oh, that damned pinky! Mine is curved towards the third finger, which himselves suffers from an old injury, so two fingers to get under control. Every chord with a stretch with pinky invoved is an enormous effort to play. And on top, my pinky has some flying tendencies… But it already got a lot better with finger stretching excercises and mostly with playing scales, as it forces me to place fingers precisely and to keep them close to the fretboard. Patience and perseverence in an endless loop will help :wink:

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Thank you Carl for asking the question and thank you all for your answers. I thought I was alone to have a dissident pinky. I learned I’m not alone and I learned that I do the right things to build it stronger. Scales, arpegios, pinky exercices, strenght exercises, hamer exercices. Etc. And practice all those with a good left hand position because, you know, practice makes permanent… :grinning: Thank you all and have a good day.

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