Here are two more interesting emails I have got lately.
I hope you find the emails and my thoughts useful…
Email #1
“My pinky has a mind of its own. Maybe muscle memory will help the pinky issue?”
Diane
Muscle memory is actually a big cause of all pinkie problems, but it can also help fix it.
The problem is, like all fingers, the pinkie does what it feels most comfortable doing.
(…But as the pinkie doesn’t get used that much, you can pretty much increase this 10x.)
I think of the pinkie as the dorky guy trying to hang around with the cool kids.
The cool kids being the index, middle, and ring finger (kind of like Danny Zuko and his T-bird pals in Grease).
A way to train up the pinkie is to give it a mini boot camp, and do this:
- Play a super simple scale very slowly.
- Keep a close eye on the pinkie and, when not in use, ensure it stays relaxed.
- If the pinkie starts to stick out ramrod straight (it may at first), then…
- Freeze, take a deep breath, and try to relax it.
- You can reach across with your picking hand to “wiggle” the pinkie and help it relax.
Repeat the above until the pinkie starts to behave.
It takes time to retrain the pinkie, but it’s well worth it for the control you will get.
Plus, if you have any other pesky fingers, you can apply this method to that finger too.
Okay, onto Email #2
“Hey Dan, thanks for putting together this group, looking forward to the emails.
Stumbled across your website when (after 15+ years of casually playing) I finally decided I should learn to play the F chord cleanly instead of avoiding it.
Your whole page on the topic was exactly what I was looking for and I found a technique to play it that works better with my style of playing, so you’ve already helped me.
Thanks for all the info and keep up the great work!”
Dave
It’s my pleasure, and what Dave mentioned brings me on to something else…
Although I don’t really harp on about it too much, all the emails/tips/blog posts, etc. that I have written over the years are available on my website.
Many of you have been with me on this guitar journey for years, but for any newbies to my mad world of guitar tuition, you might want to take a look at my website.
Eventually, I’ll give the site a revamp and make it easier on the eye, but for now…
There’s a tonne of useful blog posts and articles that will help with a wide variety of topics.
You can take a look at the post Dave mentioned and/or browse about using the menus. Anyway, here it is:
8 Ways to Play the Feared F Chord on Guitar
I hope you enjoyed that and if you have any questions, let me know and I’ll try to feature them next week.
Dan Thorpe
Guitar Domination
P.S. This post was originally taken from Dan Thorpe’s private email list. To get blog posts like this sent to you which are full of great tips to make fingerpicking, strumming, and learning guitar more enjoyable (especially if you are over 40) join Dan’s list. It’s 100% free, HERE.
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