Do you use your pinky?

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I use my pinky a lot. When I first started playing, I force myself to use my pinky rather than reaching out of position with my ring finger. As it got stronger, it just became natural, so it gets used all the time. I also tend to use a classical position with my fretting hand (even for rock/metal), and that takes a bit to build strength and independence. Once you're there though, there's no reason for your pinky to not be almost as capable as every other finger.
 
I cut it off so I wouldnt be tempted
VonBonfire said:
Pinkies are for when I'm sipping champagne with my west Austin friends.

A pinky lacks bending firepower. I mainly use it in leads when it will give my hand better positioning for the next lick or phrase in a given passage. It's all about making things easier so it seems short sighted to not integrate it into your playing. I still use it pretty frequently.
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You live in austin, you bastard? We need to hang out. I will play cleans to ease the transition from tan pants
 
Constantly. It's tough to do 3-note-per-string runs where you have to skip frets between some notes without the pinky.

It's not 100% required though. Guys like Django Reinhardt did pretty well without using all four fingers.
 
Smashedguitaris⸸ said:
I cut it off so I wouldnt be tempted

You live in austin, you bastard? We need to hang out. I will play cleans to ease the transition from tan pants
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I can't afford to live in Austin and honestly wouldn't really want to though I love the city and the night life there. Made a lot of friends played lots of places and know a lot of players. I like cheap country living better when the gig's over, that's all.
 
Smashedguitaris⸸ said:
I cut it off so I wouldnt be tempted

You live in austin, you bastard? We need to hang out. I will play cleans to ease the transition from tan pants
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Austin used to be cool, before it became mini LA. It got Cali'd. I used to go couple times a year. I steer clear now, opting for hill country instead.

Same is happening in DFW now. I need to get out.
 
VonBonfire said:
Pinkies are for when I'm sipping champagne with my west Austin friends.

A pinky lacks bending firepower. I mainly use it in leads when it will give my hand better positioning for the next lick or phrase in a given passage. It's all about making things easier so it seems short sighted to not integrate it into your playing. I still use it pretty frequently.
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I do all the time, I'm not great at leads but I always use it for rips that actually took a long time for me to be able to use it cleanly. I know some guys who use it for power chords because their hands are so small
 
LPMojoGL said:
Austin used to be cool, before it became mini LA. It got Cali'd. I used to go couple times a year. I steer clear now, opting for hill country instead.

Same is happening in DFW now. I need to get out.
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Yeah. It has been over 10 years since i would even go downtown. I still like ft worth ok. But many californians moving here to get away from that hell. But they are smarter and better than us so they are recreating their home.
 
Smashedguitaris⸸ said:
Yeah. It has been over 10 years since i would even go downtown. I still like ft worth ok. But many californians moving here to get away from that hell. But they are smarter and better than us so they are recreating their home.
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Every place i have lived in the last 20 years has basically done the same thing. Nashville, St. Pete Fl, Austin. I guess I got used to it. I got a coupe Austin gigs coming up. All the Californians I know personally are not here to change it to California.
 
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