Frustrated with my 4th finger (pinky)

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DavidT

Posts: 181
Joined: Mar. 17 2005
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Frustrated with my 4th finger (pinky)

Hi all,

My learning flamenco guitar seems to progress slowly. That's ok for me, except one thing that frustrates me so much. That's the little 4th fretting finger.

I realize that the pinky is shorter than the other 3's but mine is much shorter.
Please take a look at the attached pictures. It's not only short but also curves in. Not over yet...the last join does not bend enough. As a result fretting notes is extremely limitted with this finger.

In the picture you can see that the seperation between the 4th and the 3rd fingers is not bad. The problem is the tip of the 4th finger curves way in toward the balm.

Does any one have similar problem and how do you solve it?

Thanks
Dave

Attachment (1)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 16:01:58

DavidT

Posts: 181
Joined: Mar. 17 2005
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

Here's more pictures

Attachment (1)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 16:04:58

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

ras,

Have a reputable plastic surgeon graft a prosthethic fingertip extension. It's what I did and works great. Here's a sample of what you too can have.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (1)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 16:40:56

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

Seriously though, I have this same problem man and although the difference between my a finger and m finger is not as much as yours, all I do is do the best I can with what God gave me. It can be difficult at times but as time goes on you learn how to adjust your hand position and playing style to make things easier for you. Grow your pink nail out a little longer. This will help with rasqueos.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 16:43:46

DavidT

Posts: 181
Joined: Mar. 17 2005
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to TANúñez)

Tom,

With your edited picture, I actually see Juan Martin's pinky as long as the 3rd one. The problem mainly the pinker curves so much.

If you start at early age, your fingers will adapt what needs to accomodate the environment you're in. Unfortunately it's not my case.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 16:51:36

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

Nor is it the case with me. I started playing guitar at 16. Throughout the years, my pinky has not straightened out. I'm 36 now so these are my hands for life. Don't feel bad though, a lot of guitarists have jacked up fingers and they do fine. You just have to adjust certain hand positions to allow your hands to do what they need to do.

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www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 17:04:03

DavidT

Posts: 181
Joined: Mar. 17 2005
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to TANúñez)

Tom,

At 16 your body has fully grown. You should have started around 10 or so.
Sorry, too late now. How about make your kids to start early.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 17:46:25

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

quote:

Tom,

At 16 your body has fully grown. You should have started around 10 or so.
Sorry, too late now. How about make your kids to start early.

Exactly! too late for me but not for my niño.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 17:47:43

Ricardo

Posts: 14828
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

Your pinky looks fine to me. Mine is much shorter. I have heard people say the reason I play well is because I have short fingers.

Many others say, how can you play with such short fingers????

Looking at your foto, I say you need to learn how to play more "on top" of the fingerboard, buy sticking your wrist out much more, and droping the thumb (behind the neck) much lower.

Ricardo

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 19:13:41

wiseguy493

Posts: 73
Joined: May 9 2007

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

I have quarter-webbed middle and ring fingers on both hands (and half-webbed same toes on my feet) and have considered having surgery to solve this issue, but have been rather content with how I've learned to play with them since I've been playing 18 years.

I think with enough training and determination, you can learn to do just about anything. It may not be the traditionally "correct" way, but you can still get it done.

I think the prosthetic extension is a good idea too and you might want to consider that if training and determination is still not getting the results you desire. Don't be impatient about it though, guitar is something that takes a long time to get really good at, and particularly when you're talking about flamenco!

I had played just about every other style for a long time before starting flamenco. I've been playing flamenco for about 4 years now and when I listen and see what the masters play it still astonishes me. I'm taking it one technique at a time and I think if I get there in 10 years, I'll be happy with it

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 19:17:02

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to wiseguy493)

quote:

I think the prosthetic extension is a good idea too and you might want to consider that if training and determination is still not getting the results you desire.

Wait a minute wiseguy. I'm going to sound like an idiot but what's new? Is this actually real??? I was totally joking and made this up. The photo is just a photoshop alteration of rasgueo's original photo. If this procedure is in fact real, I'm going to have the leg alterations so that I can get to 6'4" and try my hand at basketball.

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www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 19:22:35

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

Your pinky looks fine to me. Mine is much shorter. I have heard people say the reason I play well is because I have short fingers. Many others say, how can you play with such short fingers????

Ricardo,

I have to say the answer to these questions is that you started playing very young and had great teachers and a Father who was a guitarist as well no?

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www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 19:23:58

guitarbuddha

Posts: 2970
Joined: Jan. 4 2007

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

What's missing here is a discussion about how you have been trying to develop your pinky.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 21:01:37

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to TANúñez)

quote:

Nor is it the case with me. I started playing guitar at 16. Throughout the years, my pinky has not straightened out. I'm 36 now so these are my hands for life. Don't feel bad though, a lot of guitarists have jacked up fingers and they do fine. You just have to adjust certain hand positions to allow your hands to do what they need to do.

You've gotta be right here Tom,
One of the big things that really kills me is doing work with the 3rd and 4th fingers while holding a barre F shape with the 1st and 2nd fingers.
Yet Tomatito, Paco, Ramon de Algeciras...and a heap of other do it with ease.

I'm pretty small, at 5ft 9", but a LOT of Spanish players I've met are even smaller, with even smaller hands and have no problem.

The difference is that they had the same problem, but practised their way out of it IMO.

cheers,

Ron

(Hey...think of poor old Simon there, who is still finding it unusual to play an F shape without his thumb over the neck and gyrating his hips at the same time..

...only joking Simon..

)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 22 2007 21:56:11

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

Well, I started playing when I was 8. I´ve played for 37 years now, I´ve played classical violin for many years and you use your pinky a lot more playing the violin.
My pinky is not bad, but its a lot weaker than the rest of my fingers. Human hands are like that....... poor us

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 23 2007 9:44:20

wiseguy493

Posts: 73
Joined: May 9 2007

RE: Frustrated with my 4th finger (p... (in reply to DavidT)

Sure you could get prosthethic anything now if you pay the money for it. I've seen prosthethic fingers on people who had band saw accidents

How good they'd be for playing guitar, I dunno, that's why I was saying to practice hard and and try all the other options first =)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 23 2007 14:30:12