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Post by thenotshredder on Jun 19, 2007 18:54:47 GMT -5
This has only recently started bothering me, or at least I only recently noticed it. My left pinky has a tendency to collapse -- sideways. That is to say, it turns where the finger means the hand, and suddenly I'm playing on the side of that finger, which is inefficient and obnoxious. This is fucking pissing me off, because I can't seem to get rid of the problem.
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Post by jazziiiguy on Jun 19, 2007 23:15:43 GMT -5
Well, that's weird...
Try angling your arm and hand differently to place your fingers in a position more directly above the frets. If that doesn't work, you may just have to slow down to the point where you have absolute control of your movements, and re-train your pinky.
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Post by thenotshredder on Jun 20, 2007 5:48:44 GMT -5
I think there might be a problem with the joint. I'm going to start on this pretty soon.
I should also clarify that this happens most often with classical guitar (four-fret stretches + supportive fingering == lame) and when I'm chording things and trying to let strings /higher/ than the ones I'm playing ring out uninhibited. It's still obnoxious for shredding, though. I think it's physicall impossible to change with only muscle power (i.e., the joint's kinda funky).
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Post by jazziiiguy on Jun 20, 2007 16:24:08 GMT -5
I think I know what you're talking about. Kinda like your index and pinky point inward, toward each other? I had that problem for a while. It's not a problem in the joint so much as just the way the hand is shaped. It's natural.
The best thing to solve the problem while shredding is to angle your hand differently, with the thumb on the back of the neck instead of over the top of it, and try to avoid really insanely wide stretches by finding a more efficient route. If your finger still does what you've described, move your thumb down even farther, below the middle of the neck, which will put your hand in a better plain for more even pressure distribution, and try holding your guitar differently, too. Holding the guitar really low puts your hand in an unnatural position. Raise it up a little.
For classical guitar, I'm assuming you play in a sitting position. Buy a foot stool, or find something to prop your foot on. Also, try switching which leg you rest the guitar on when you play classical. If you play with the guitar resting on your right leg, try your left leg, or vice versa. It takes some getting used to with the new position, so don't flip out.
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Post by thenotshredder on Jun 20, 2007 17:01:05 GMT -5
I already do all the things you've described with hand position and sitting position, simply because it's basically impossible for me to play at all otherwise. (I also had lessons for classical, so I know that stuff. But thanks.)
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Post by mattjem7vwh on Jun 21, 2007 2:42:34 GMT -5
yeah my pinky does that... not really a problem unless you think about it so much that it puts you off
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Post by thenotshredder on Jun 21, 2007 7:47:05 GMT -5
Bah fuck. You're right, of course: it's probably always been there, and never bothered me until I started thinking about it.
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Post by mattjem7vwh on Jun 22, 2007 2:42:43 GMT -5
hah always the way fella.... like i always say, the best way of coping with pain is to hurt yourself 10 times worse ie find something else that pisses you off about your playing and work on that a while.. you'll soon forget that your finger is special needs...
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Post by thenotshredder on Jun 22, 2007 6:53:41 GMT -5
Well, the fact that I can't tell whether my alternate picking is good enough or whether I'm just playing legato and shaking my right hand over the strings when I play fast is a good starting point.
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