Pinky Curls In

Get big hammer, lay pinky on hard immovable object, pound pinky into submission! :lol:

Just kidding!

Are you talking about when you are using your pinky to fret a note, or when it's just hanging around? I just noticed that when I'm playing & not using my pinky, that it's usually straight out, but when I'm fretting a note, either alone or for a chord, it bends in alittle towards my ring finger. If it's not causing you to hit other strings on accident, I don't think it's a problem.

Dan

I have the same problem. If I hold my hand straight up and down, then bend my fingers at the second nuckle, my pinky curls in and almost touches my ring finger. I'm constantly stretching it and pulling on it to try to correct that, but I don't know if it does any good. For what it's worth, it doesn't seem as bad on my fretting hand as it does on my strumming hand.

I'm a little self-conscious about this, wondering if it would forever hinder me from becoming the musician I want to become, so I keep a look out whenever I see someone playing guitar. I've noticed it on other players as well. My idols, though, have just about completely straight fingers (Hendrix and Clapton) so that had me worried for awhile. But Clapton rarely uses his pinky when playing lead. And I guess I can whip it into shape for playing chords -- just have to alter the position of your thumb behind the neck to get the pinky to stretch horizontally a little more. Seems like Hendrix mostly uses his pinky for barre-ing things. I guess if I wanted to be a shredder it might be a problem.

*shrug*

I have the exact opposite problem. When I curl my fingers to fret, there is no gap between first 3, but about a quarter inch gap between ring finger and pinky. It's almost like my pinky bends to the outside of my hand at the last knuckle. It's made it difficult to move my barre chords around because my pinky kind of goes its own way when I move up and down the neck. And on the more narrow frets, it's really difficult to get both the ring finger and pinky in there with the pinky sticking out like that.

my pinky used to curl in when i first started playing. you just have to use it more. when you playing songs that use your ring finger, try using your pinky instead. just try to strengthen it.

Thats exactly how my pinky tucks in.
Although I don't experience any difficulty while bending; I feel I would have better control over a trill, like below, if it didnt bend inwards.

------------8----pulloff---5---------------------------
--------------------------------8---- pulloff-----5----
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

Vic

That pic looks a lot like my pinky finger - whether that means it's normal or not ?

I discussed this "problem" with my guitar teacher, and he gave me the following exercise:

Start with index finger on G string 5th fret, play the note (C). Keeping the index finger in place, fret G string 7th fret with ring finger, play the note (D). Keeping index & ring fingers in place, fret B string 6th fret with middle finger, play the note (F). Keeping all fingers in place, fret B string 8th fret with pinky finger, play the note (G). Move index finger to high E string 5th fret, play the note (A). Keeping all fingers in place, play the G (B string 8th fret). Lift pinky, play F (B string, 6th fret). Play D (G string, 8th fret). Lift ring finger, play C (G string 5th fret).

Move index finger to G string, 6th fret and repeat the pattern. Continue up and down the neck.

Once you're comfortable with this, start at the G string 4th fret, etc until you can play this pattern up and down the fretboard.

Fret: 5 6 7 8 9

Fingering: 1--------
--2---4--
1---3----
---------
---------
---------


It seems to be helping me, hope it helps you.

PJ,

Thx, I will surely give this a shot.

vic