Pinky Primer

[talldeke]

If you ever wondered what that thing sticking out of your hand next to your ring finger was, it’s called a pinky. I have recently been working on developing my pinky, and came up with some simply exercises that improve control rather quickly. I though I would share them with you. Sure they don't sound cool, but they really do help.

In these exercises the numbers correspond to BOTH the finger you should use and to the fret. (Although you could start higher up the neck and work down, if you can’t make the stretches easily.) Many of them could also be used to work on alternate picking.

Exercise 1
e|3-4----------------------------------------3-4-
B|----3-4---------------------------------3-4----
G|--------3-4-------------------------3-4--------
D|------------3-4-----------------3-4------------
A|----------------3-4---------3-4----------------
E|--------------------3-4-3-4--------------------

Exercise 2
e|2-4----------------------------------------2-4-
B|----2-4---------------------------------2-4----
G|--------2-4-------------------------2-4--------
D|------------2-4-----------------2-4------------
A|----------------2-4---------2-4----------------
E|--------------------2-4-2-4--------------------

Exercise 3
e|1-4----------------------------------------1-4-
B|----1-4---------------------------------1-4----
G|--------1-4-------------------------1-4--------
D|------------1-4-----------------1-4------------
A|----------------1-4---------1-4----------------
E|--------------------1-4-1-4--------------------

Exercise 4
e|4-3----------------------------------------4-3-
B|----4-3---------------------------------4-3----
G|--------4-3-------------------------4-3--------
D|------------4-3-----------------4-3------------
A|----------------4-3---------4-3----------------
E|--------------------4-3-4-3--------------------

Exercise 5
e|4-2----------------------------------------4-2-
B|----4-2---------------------------------4-2----
G|--------4-2-------------------------4-2--------
D|------------4-2-----------------4-2------------
A|----------------4-2---------4-2----------------
E|--------------------4-2-4-2--------------------

Exercise 6
e|4-1----------------------------------------4-1-
B|----4-1---------------------------------4-1----
G|--------4-1-------------------------4-1--------
D|------------4-1-----------------4-1------------
A|----------------4-1---------4-1----------------
E|--------------------4-1-4-1--------------------

Exercise 7
e|1-4-2-4-3-4-----------------|--------------------------|
B|------------1-4-2-4-3-4-----|--------------------------|
G|------------------------etc.|--------------------------|
D|----------------------------|----------------------etc.|
A|----------------------------|------------1-4-2-4-3-4---|
E|----------------------------|-1-4-2-4-3-4--------------|

Exercise 8
e|1---------------------4-
B|--4-----------------1---
G|----1-------------4-----
D|------4---------1-------
A|--------1-----4---------
E|----------4-1-----------

Exercise 9
e|2---------------------4-
B|--4-----------------2---
G|----2-------------4-----
D|------4---------2-------
A|--------2-----4---------
E|----------4-2-----------

Exercise 10
e|3---------------------4-
B|--4-----------------3---
G|----3-------------4-----
D|------4---------3-------
A|--------3-----4---------
E|----------4-3-----------

Exercise 11
e|4---------------------1-
B|--1-----------------4---
G|----4-------------1-----
D|------1---------4-------
A|--------4-----1---------
E|----------1-4-----------

Exercise 12
e|4---------------------2-
B|--2-----------------4---
G|----4-------------2-----
D|------2---------4-------
A|--------4-----2---------
E|----------2-4-----------

Exercise 13
e|4---------------------3-
B|--3-----------------4---
G|----4-------------3-----
D|------3---------4-------
A|--------4-----3---------
E|----------3-4-----------