Instead of taping it up, learn to support pinky bends with your ring finger if you have to. Eventually, it will get strong enough, and precise enough, to do it on it's own, but you'll probably still end up using the second finger anyway much of the time because it's more comfortable.Even when you don't "have" to? I started with a classical teacher that insisted on using the pinky and NO thumb wrap! Doing more bending now, so trying to not use it as much, but old habits die hard. I've actually thought of taping it up!
He's saying that for a great reason - playing classical without the pinky and having your thumb up over the edge will make it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to execute things the way they need to beI started with a classical teacher that insisted on using the pinky and NO thumb wrap!
And that EJ guy..his pinky is flapping around in the breeze a lot.Remember that technique is important but music is more so. Look at Pat Metheny's L hand and how he uses his pinky. Often looks clumsy to me but boy that dude can still play.
Just hold the note with the pinky and let the ring finger behind it do the heavy lifting when bending with it.I had to force myself to start using mine by re-learning old licks, but I've been really pleased since I added it. For my particular hand, it has more mobility (though less strength for bending etc) than my ring finger.
Pertains to my picking hand, but when I learned fingerpicking in my teens I learned a lot of Rev Gary Davis tunes, and like most teenagers I wanted to imitate my hero, who picked with only his thumb and index finger. Works OK for me for guitar, but I've been trying to learn Dobro--tough to learn anything in your 60's, and I'm having to try to relearn the use of the other fingers. And hybrid picking on guitar-fuggedaboutit.I really can't imagine why someone would choose to limit themselves by not using one of their fingers. I have enough problems playing the way I want to without taking one of my fingers away!
This.Yes.