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pilmat
08-02-2011, 09:13 AM
While practicing the first 12 bars of Mid-Neck Blues (Lesson 4), I started to get a weird pain in my pinky. Of course I stopped right away, stretched and took a break, but it comes back after about 15-20 minutes of playing again.

What I mean is that my pinky second knuckle from the tip locked in the light arch I had it in. This is driven by the extra stretch getting to the 8th fret on the E string (we are quite a bit on 8 on the A too), remember that this whole part is played in the 5th position.

Again last night it happened, but with no warning of pain. After 15-20 minutes I had to carefully allow the knuckle to unlock, which in itself caused pain! Still more stretching and the pain and discomfort disappeared.

Has anyone else come across this? I'm thinking it is mearly building of finger stretch and strength, but I could be wrong.

Played for 10 minutes this morning and had no signs of it.

Elmeaux
08-02-2011, 10:09 AM
Ah, the dreaded pinky lock.

It's mostly a newbie problem - your fingers aren't strong enough yet to handle that pinky press.

Remedies:

Practice
Lower the action a bit so the strings are easier to press
Practice
Faithfully do your warm up exercises
Relax
Practice

Once you get some strength, it should calm down.

Because I have horrible problems with my fingers, I also use a technique suggested by (IIRC) Dave Marks, and that is to keep your ring finger down low alongside the pinky when the pinky is pressing a fret. Use it as a "splint" for support. Don't "claw" the ring finger UP while the pinky is DOWN.

If you just jam the pinky down head first onto the string, you can have trouble, but if you use a flatter pressing profile (press with more of the pad and less of the tip) and keep the ring finger nearby, there is less pain. I know there is for ME, anyway.

Anybody else have a special technique?

Patrick
08-02-2011, 03:43 PM
Danny told me to get a tennis ball as squeeze it to build finger strengt (it's cheaper than getting one of those training devices for building finger strenght).

Bassix
08-03-2011, 07:24 AM
Remedies:

Practice
Lower the action a bit so the strings are easier to press
Practice
Faithfully do your warm up exercises
Relax
Practice

Once you get some strength, it should calm down.

+1

Also do permutation exercises (e.g., 1-2-3-4, 1-2-4-3, 1-3-2-4, 1-3-4-2, etc.) at a slow enough tempo that you can fret without the pinky locking up.

kd7eir
11-11-2011, 01:01 AM
My pinky is my weakest point, of course. Thanks for the tips.

Alexer47
11-11-2011, 09:38 AM
Pilmat, if your pinky is hooking be careful. If it starts to occur without playing you might want to see a doctor. What you are describing sounds like trigger finger, When the tendon in your finger develops a bulge so it has a problem getting past the sheath. Just a guess though.