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middlerelief
06-09-2012, 07:39 PM
As I continue to work on things, an area of continued weakness for me is during a tune or some drills is the transition from my fourth to fifth finger.

anyone have a technique they used to build strength or agility between the little and ring finger that they'd be willing to share?

Thanks

Mid

Elmeaux
06-09-2012, 07:59 PM
As I continue to work on things, an area of continued weakness for me is during a tune or some drills is the transition from my fourth to fifth finger.

anyone have a technique they used to build strength or agility between the little and ring finger that they'd be willing to share?

Thanks

Mid


This is a great little tool for building up those fingers. Since I bought one, I have become more adept in all finger movements, even that dreaded move from the ring finger to the pinky.

http://www.thunderrow.com/content.php?1230-Keep-Those-Fingers-Working

Anybody else have a special technique that doesn't involve using an external aid?

TobiasMan
06-09-2012, 08:38 PM
Ah, a very ingenious device!

I have some stretching exercises that I learned from Norm Stockton, that provide similar effects, but they are hard to describe in written form.

One is to press your fingertip(s) against your thumb in sequence from pointer to pinky and back from pinky to pointer, and then in other order (1-3-2-4) or totally random order. You can, of course, vary the pressure you apply infinitely. This routine I can do while driving to the gig and be warmed up when I get there.

A second part of this is also stretching your fingers. This is simply doing the "spider doing pushups on a mirror" routine. Press the fingertips (and thumb) together and against resistance from your fingers, press your hands together until the palms touch.

I also loosen up my fingers after I have been playing for a while by, in somewhat random order, placing the fingernail of each finger under my thumb and pressing outward with the finger (something like the motion you would make if you were to flick a crumb off the counter with each finger). If you are tight, you will feel it when applying any kind of pressure between the pinky and the thumb! Don't actually flick you finger(s), just put pressure on them to tighten the muscles on the back of the hand. I also use this as part of my warmup and do this on the way to the venue. You can also exercise combinations of fingers by placing fingers 1 and 3 and then 2 and 4 together and putting pressure on them the same way. Alternating between these two sets of fingers can be a real workout in coordination.

Been playing for a long time so really don't have much trouble with the pinky finger. I suspect that some folks may also experience a fairly common problem, getting the pinky to move independently from the ring (3d) finger. These two exercises may help get the strength up as well as the flexibility and independence of movement.

middlerelief
06-10-2012, 11:56 AM
good stuff thanks guys!