Need advice on ring finger...

Many here could advise you with that question, but I just happen to come along.

I have past experience with people and their injuries, healing and therapy. Where's our doc? :shock:

With your particular situation, I would recommend squeezing a rubber therapeutical ball or stress ball.

Then you can get a guitar player's hand strengthener, I don't think you need a true exerciser's, tougher hand-clencher. :wink:

http://www.cleverjoe.com/articles/gripmaster_hand_finger_exerciser.html

My girlfriend gave me a Gripmaster like that (the red one) by Christmas and I injured my pinky. Take care with that things. There are several colors and the red one is the "harder". I think there were at least two easier ones.

Another thing to know is- that is just your weakest finger. Assuming you're right handed, I guess. The weakest finger is always the ring finger on the non-dominant hand. (Same finger, other hand, being the next weakest. So even if you're lefty, playing right, it's a weak finger.)

So, maybe this isn't even related to your injury. If you have fairly normal mobility in the finger, then it's just a question of working the little guy till he gets stronger. (And yes, if you're just starting on guitar, struggling to get it in the right place and struggling to move it independently of the other fingers is known as "normal mobility.")

As long as you're not feeling pain, it's probably just going to get better very slowly. If it's painful, then you need to investigate more-

Do you have a friend who could take a picture of your hand, while you're fretting and having this problem to put up here?

It's probably just a question of strengthening, but if you want to be sure you're not doing anything wrong, that's the way.

All the best,
Ande

Good advice, same case here I also have small fingers that's why it's really hard for me to reach the strings.

Lots of people have small fingers (my ring finger is just under 2 1/2 inches from base to tip) and still play okay. You have to make sure that you've got a good playing position with your fretting hand and good position holding the guitar in general. Many beginners either wrap their thumbs around the top or let the neck sit into the palm of their hand. Doing either of these keeps you from getting your fingers in an optimal position to fret the strings because they naturally pull your fingers in a downward position, keeping you from getting the tips of the fingers onto the strings.

Likewise, beginners want to see what their fingers are doing on the neck, so often they'll tip the guitar at a slight angle in order to do so. Guess what? This also puts the fingers in a bad position for fretting by pulling them downward. This is a little more difficult to deal with for someone starting out. Do take a look to see where your fingers are but as soon as you feel comfortable, sit up straight and keep the guitar as parallel with your spine as you can.

Of course, none of us have seen you play, so this is just an assumption based on seeing a lot of beginners start out. But do check out your posture and position and don't just think that it's your short fingers that are making things difficult. It may just be a simple adjustment in position will make everything easier for you.

Hope this helps and welcome to Guitar Noise, by the way. Looking forward to seeing you around on the Forums.

Peace

I broke my pinky (left hand - fretting hand) about half-a-dozen times in the same number of years. It's permanently bent out of shape now; that doen't bother me too much. There was a time I could stretch five frets to play a blues shuffle - I can't do that anymore, I can only stretch four frets, but that's OK, there are ways around that. What did worry me was the fact the finger used to flap around a lot when I was playing chords - I found it very hard to play chords involving all four fingers.

So I practised a lot of barre chords...and I practised sus4ths, and 6ths, and 9ths. It was basically a matter of building up a little strength in that finger, then, once I'd been using it for a while, letting "muscle memory" take over....your fingers tend to go automatically to somewhere approximating the right place on the fretboard once you've taken them there a few thousand times!

Keep it active, keep it busy, and keep it involved in your playing - in time, it'll be as strong (or at least, NEARLY as strong!) as your other fingers.

:D :D :D

Vic

My fingures are also small its really hard to me to reach to the strings.