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Thread: Pinky Parking Place

  1. #1
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    Default Pinky Parking Place

    I am fairly new to mandolin and come from guitar. I am set on learning to use a great sounding four-finger G chord, so I am making the repetitions to get it right. I customarily use the four-finger G, three-finger C, and three-finger D. I like this chord grouping because I can walk between the three chords and use some licks that I am comfortable with.

    Two questions:

    1) Once I choose my pinky-parking-place, and when I start to force my pinky into parking-submission, where do I want him to park during the three-finger chords? My pinky tends to be way up in the air at the moment.

    2) I customarily have to put my index and ring finger down first on a G chop chord. The third finger falls in quickly, and then I have to focus on getting a clean sound from the pinky finger. Is there any value to a learning a different order, (try to plant the pinky first) or does anyone have tips on how to get all the fingers down at once on the big G chord?

    I have read countless similar threads, but can't seem to find one addressing this particular question.

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Pinky Parking Place

    Whether in use or not keep all your fingers close to the strings. As you pick up speed in playing the further you have to move a finger the longer it takes to place it where you want it. Start with good technique and you won't have to break bad habits later. Eventually all your fingers will come down on the strings together. It just takes time. Sounds like you are practicing your chord changes in the groups they belong according to key. GCD are I IV V in G ...... keep in mind the Em A Am Bm and F occur naturally but less often. R/
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  3. #3
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pinky Parking Place

    You mean, where to park your pinky when not in use in the chord? I keep it roughly parallel to the ring finger, curled the same way.

    And by the way, the big four finger bluegrass chords are great for bluegrass and related, but there are other chords. I think there are other ways of playing a G chord that are a lot more pretty then the bluegrass four finger G.
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    Middle-Aged Old-Timer Tobin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pinky Parking Place

    If you can train your fingers to do it, I agree with UsuallyPickin. You want to keep all your unused fingers as low and close to the fretboard as possible. It's simply more efficient and graceful for playing, instead of having to slam your fingers down from a great height, and them shoot them back up into the air. Watch the professionals play, and see where their fingers are.

    With that said, however, the pinky is a strange bird. It cannot truly operate independently of the ring finger; they share the same puppet strings that make them move. Each person will have differing abilities to move them and coordinate them. It takes years and years, even decades to get a pinky under control. The more you use it and do drills with the ring and pinky separately, and learn to feel that chop chord shape, the easier it will be.

    When I was first learning chop chords, I would have to start with one finger, and then guide all the others into place. But with familiarity came the ability to snap to a chop chord shape with all fingers at the same time. Especially when you're chopping away, and doing that repetitive release-and-repin action, your hand will learn the shape over time.

    Just make sure you're arching your fingers enough and using your fingertips. The strength and coordination to get clean notes on all the strings will come. There's a reason people often dread chop chords; they don't necessarily come easy. But they will come, with practice.

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pinky Parking Place

    1. Keep it as close to the fingerboard as possible. Training is a constant battle.
    2. Throw your hand into the chord shape, and then fix it. Don't place each finger. When you play, you will grab all the notes at once. You have to practice doing that.
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    Default Re: Pinky Parking Place

    Good advice above. But the specific question you are asking is part of a much larger issue -- that of finger placement, and the issue is very important and has important components of how to PLACE the fingers and how to hold the fingers when NOT placed. Personally, I have had to work at it to overcome poor initial habits, and so I encourage you to avoid bad habits. The person who I think has the most amazing economy of motion in his fingering is Tim O'Brien, and there are a LOT of videos of Tim performing. Take a look and see. It amazes me how he gets so much musical motion with such economy of finger motion.

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    Default Re: Pinky Parking Place

    One thing that helped me when initially trying to get the 4 finger shape was starting out a little further up the neck. Say, with an A or even a B chord. Chop until you can grab the chord quickly and cleanly, then work down to the G. Just takes reps.

    As to the pinky, work on keeping it as close to the strings as you can. Tim O vids are a great suggestion! Even making that effort, I'll still catch it flying or curling on occasion. Good luck!
    Chuck

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    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Pinky Parking Place

    Hold your left forearm in the air, pointed at the ceiling (90 degrees to the floor). Relax the fingers of the left hand. that is where your pinkie should be when not in use.

    For more pinkie and left hand ergonomics, check out videos 4 and 5 of this series:

    http://www.petimarpress.com/mandolin...%20videos.html
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