I’ve recently tried to analyze my fretting hand more closely after finally getting my picking up to a level where I can just polish my current mechanically-correct techniques for more speed. What I’ve struggled with is pinky endurance. The first knuckle, about 1/3 of the way up the pinky sort of “locks” or snaps ever so often; this results in dull and mild pain and a general feel of losing speed.
I can use my pinky somewhat in licks, but the problems start occurring when using my pinky for trills or Yngwie-style licks, like the harpsichord intro to the solo in I’ll See The Light Tonight. I think I’ve narrowed the solution down, and it’s focusing on the part of the pinky which I use for actual fretting. I’ve mostly used the soft pad of the pinky instead of the tip, so now I’m trying to focus on curling the pinky more and using the finger tip.
The reason for this post was to ask for how you guys use your pinky when fretting: do you use only the tip, the pad, or both?
The pad. I can’t think of a situation where I’d use the tip (I would try to avoid this situation!)
Mostly the tips on all fingers, but in some cases I’ll use the pad too. Like a situation that requires barring, or something like that.
Although where the pad ends and where the tip starts may be up for debate…? It lands in different spots depending on what I’m playing.
Why not post some video?
Tried recording one, sadly the result was less than ideal at showing the differences in fretting style due to the camera angle. No matter though since I figured out what was wrong with my pinky: I wasn’t curling it enough. The straight pinky would just sort of flop around when trying to go for high speed playing which means a less efficient motion = less speed and more tension. When it’s curled (so using more of the tip part of the finger) I can keep it always within about a centimeter of the string consistently. Now to get my hand synchronization up to par with the I’ll See The Light Tonight lick.