Using your pinky while playing guitar?

Question:is it hard for anyone else? im gaining some sort of control, but sometimes it feels like it has a mind of its own. can this be fixed with alot of practice? i mean most likely yes.. but how loooong will it take before i get used to it? is it possible to be an awesome guitar player and never use your pinky?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: is it hard for anyone else? im gaining some sort of control, but sometimes it feels like it has a mind of its own. can this be fixed with alot of practice? i mean most likely yes.. but how loooong will it take before i get used to it? is it possible to be an awesome guitar player and never use your pinky?

It is possible to gain facility with the guitar without using your pinky, but why bother? Django Reinhardt was a superb Gypsy Jazz guitar player who cut off part of his hand in an accident. He went on to play some amazing guitar, but even he wouldn't recommend that anyone else go through what he went through. The main reason that you want to develop your fourth finger (on both hands) is that it adds to the kinesthetic health of your whole body. The small muscles in your fourth finger influence the larger muscles in your arm. If you develop the coordination in that finger, your whole arm benefits!

Weight trainers used to work on the area that they wanted to develop. You used to see muscle bound arms attached to skinny legs. These people discovered that this was not a healthy way to train and went on to develop a holistic approach to training that increased flexibility and overall strength. It's the same with guitar. Anything you do for your fourth finger, will cause you to reap rewards for your whole hand. It's worth the extra effort and besides, why stoop to being awesome if you can be a "Guitar Hero?"

took me a couple of months when i started, just make sure you practise each day for at least half an hour and move to faster songs as you play

well sometimes its just difficult to play guitar using just 3 fingers. But you can fix it with lot of practise and concentration. Even i went through this problem and i just concentrated on using my pinky the right way while playing, it took me almost a month to gain control on that, but keep practising and it will be ok in a month or 2.

uh yeah... practice time depends on the form of your hand

Yes, you can get by without using your pinky if you want. I've been playing for many years and there are several chords where you do not have to use the pinky. The pinky being the smallest finger is also the weakest when it comes to control and muscle tone. If you practice daily, your pinky can get more flexible and stronger and you will be able to stretch it to reach other frets. It is up to you but I would try to practice on a few chords just to limber the pinky up a bit. You might want to use it more after that.

The only time you really need your pinky is finger picking. Most chords that are used have some sort of modified version where you can bar one of the other fingers so you don't have to use your pinky on the neck. They are easy to find, but if you continue using your pinky it will get easier anyways.

when i first played the guitar i used only my pinky for struming. I thought i would never learn to play guitar better with better sound, but then i practiced and first started out by using a pick then with my finger then i became a great guitar player. it took me about 1 month or so. practice my friend and you will be rewarded.

I use my left little finger constantly while chording and leading--sliding and hammering strings as I go. With my right hand, my little finger is used while playing Flamenco or any other fingerstyle song or melody.

Concentrate first on your left little finger and you'll soon increase the dexterity and ease. If you use a straight pick you might be at a small disadvantage to use your right little finger, but it can be done.

Practice slow and maintain control.

Pinky is not easy

Mine got stronger doing butterflies (octaves) for disco songs on Bass.