Rare problem with my fingering. (1-2-4 pattern)

Playing Technique
#1

Hi :slight_smile:
After playing for many years to now, I’ve developed pure alternate picking speed very cleanly in PG’s 3nps patterns, malmsteen, pentatonics… In this time i’ve seen that a lot of peopla say the the most difficult pattern to play is the 1-3-4 (fingering) in tone-tone or tone-half patterns on 3nps scales.
I can play very acurately at 144bpm 16th triplets with 1-3-4 patterns but not so much accurate at 1-2-4. I cannot pass the barrier of the 100-105 bpm 16th triplets with that one (1-2-4)… Im so afraid because Im working so hard on drilling that one, between 2 strings, classical PG’s patterns… And I see like my middle finger doesn’t move so much at high speeds. The problem cannot be the pinky because it works pretty well al 1-3-4 and other legato patterns.

I’ve observed too, that in the most thin strings (E an B), im naturally turning a little bit making my fingertips look to my guitar bridge and I play more confortable in this fashion. I worked very hard on independence/dexterity excercises chromatic/boring ones and don’t get results…
What do you think? Is it normal?

Best regards :smiley:

1 Like
#2

How does your 2nd finger work in other combinations such as just 12 or 123?

Tilting your left hand the way you described is perfectly fine and natural and I find most guitarists I’ve observed with great left hand technique do this (Yngwie comes to mind). I’ll refer to this as “violin” grip. Keeping your hand this way, with the thumb on the edge of the neck instead of behind it, keeps your wrist and fingers in a more neutral position and affords the easiest movements, plus it makes it easier to bend and do vibrato. Of course you can’t use this grip for everything, but I recommend it as a sort of “default” to all my students.

If I were you, I would take a break from forcing a fingering combination that isn’t naturally working for you. The shred police aren’t going to come after you if you can’t play something carbon copy to someone else.

I believe stuff like that is what can cause hand injuries. I would work within the positions and fingerings that work naturally well for you and cultivate that. Everyone has different bodies, their hands, ligaments, tendons etc are all different. Listen to what your hands are telling you feels natural.

2 Likes
#3

@BlackInMind
Love your reply so much!
By parts…
This grip makes sense as you say, but its unusable for me on the low/thick strings because I can’t make that angle in that height.

How does your 2nd finger work in other combinations such as just 12 or 123?

I’ve started practicing pentatonics with only 1 and 2. I feel that if I make a trine between 1 and 2, its more difficult than the other fingers… Someone said me that this is impossible :confused:

When I play chromatically as you said, for example with 123 in 3 consecutive frets, doesn’t makes the issue.

Im feeling so frustrated because I think that in some moment in the past (about 1 or 1 and half years) I can play that easyly… Or maybe in that moment im not so “perfectionist” than now? :confused:

Thank you, for your time and your wiseman words :smiley: