Noticed something about Joe's playing... (Page 1 of 2)

I don't know many guitarists who do use their pinkie soloing.  I only use mine if I'm bending say the B string a full step at the 12th fret and then playing the (high) E string at the 12th fret and sometimes for fast chromatic pull-offs using four notes.  I was surprised to see in a method book that Greg Koch (who by the way I think is amazing) wrote in which he teaches the G form minor pentatonic scale using the pinkie--but I never learned it that way.  I always use my ring finger for the higher notes.

I use my pinky more and more.  It really comes in handy for chromatic lines, intervalic leaps, sweep lines, streached chord voicings and more.  But in the blues world, the pinky isn't as crucial.  For the longest time I NEVER used it.

Roy,
You crack me up!

I have never seen Greg perform live, but I'll catch him one of these days.  I had to teach once when he was doing a clinic a floor below me and it killed me not to ditch my students and go watch him.  The guy is hilarious too.  I love funny guys--that's why I married Craig.

I thought for sure you would be at the BB King show in Appleton this Friday.  Santa left me tickets on my tree.

Sometimes my reading comprehension is so random. This whole thread I thought you were talking about using your pinky on your picking hand (for hybrid picking). The whole time I'm thinking, "Man, I have to start trying to use my pinky for picking, there must be some advantage to it!"...Anyway...

I use my pinky all the time for fretting. I don't see how it would hurt being fluid with your pinky, and getting it as independent as possible. Seems like the more tools the better. I do notice a lot of players who do wide streches don't use their pinky for anything but the wider intervals (Joe included), and I've been starting to incorporating playing more with the ring finger for that purpose.

It's like my guitar teacher said: "What we do is teach you the fundamentals, then it's up to you to develop your own style." Part of that is what fingers you use to make different notes. If I use my ring finger to make a note while another guy uses his pinkie, it's going to sound a lot different. The one finger one fret is the proper technique, but where you deviate from that is where you pick up your own style.

Me? I use my pinkie a little bit, only because my hands are smaller and for speed purposes I need to use it. Especially on the top strings, I just can't reach. I noticed guys like Stevie will also use their pinkie if they're going to play on the low e or a strings. Again, it's all in how it's done.

for bending - i've always used three fingers at once...for power. When I started playing, my fingers weren't strong enough to bend with one finger.

I can use my pinky for notes, but its the 'lame' finger of the bunch.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping.

I do use my pinkie on the lower strings when soloing--guess I just never realized it.  I guess I was just thinking more in terms of bending the higher notes.  As far as chords, blues comping, bass runs, boogie patterns, etc., I use my pinkie constantly.  I must have "man hands".   Just ask Bluesman.  When we met in Wausau, I crushed his hand when I shook it!

As far as the pinkie on the picking hand goes, I encourage students to anchor that to the high E string when reaching to the 4th, 5th and 6th strings for reference.  Otherwise, they have a tendency to "float" and have to stare at their hands.  Obviously, if you are strumming this won't work.

NPB, what you are referring to is called a reinforced bend.  That also includes the thumb over the top.  Watch most guitarists solo and you will see that the index, middle and ring all move in unison like one big finger.

gsj, I love it.  "Two were enough for Django"--it's so true though.  Django was amazing.  Did you happen to catch "Django Mania"?  Some of those people went to such extremes to play like him, even taping their fingers!

Bluesman,
Are . . . you . . . sayin' there's no . . . Santa?

No, I haven't watched the video yet.  I have a very slow computer and it takes me like five hours to download five minutes of video.  Maybe on Friday, I'll check it out.

I thought your pinky was for your nose.

ohwell
jeff