# playin scales ???



## alex1212 (Nov 9, 2011)

just in my 1st year and learning by myself due to budget, but anyway i love blues cause well 56 now and hey enough said! so you have pent scales in G,A,C etc what iam trying to ask is that 5th and 6th strings are on a double fret so the pinky is needed, i watch alot of youtube and when playin I rarely see the pinky even used?the scales are cool but man you spend sooo much time on theses and rarely see how the pinky comes to play in these blues songs.again iam sooo green but i guess iam whinning because of the effort and then see that its rare on application?god i read this and know iam going to get my ass kicked on this, but thats cool cause learning by yourself is f----n frustrating


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## s.freeman (Dec 14, 2011)

Proper technique, use your pinky!

Reality, Django Rienhardt displayed that you don't need to, you just practice without it. If you can play as good with three fingers then you don't really need to learn, but for most people it's valuable. I think the case is it's less practice to use your pinky than it would be to learn to play as good without it


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## geezer (Apr 30, 2008)

I think that you should try to work your pinky as much as possible. It took me a few years of practice , but I use my pinky as much as any other finger now , and it has made a huge difference in the way I play .


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

scales are just the notes,
how you play them doesnt really matter- as far as playing within that scale.
a lot of guys dont use the pinky-
dont let yourself get caught up in "i must do this" type of things all the time-
do what works for you.
but practice using the pinky anyway, because it will make you a better player.

i use my pinky all the time, but for years it didnt work in actual playing.
id just slide up with my third finger or something.
but when i practiced, or warmed up, or ran through scales or whatever, i used the pinky- kinda forced it to co-operate.
eventually it worked itself in there.

its one of those weird guitar things- if i was making an effort at it, thinking im going to use my pinky here- it wouldnt work.
but by using it at other times, when it didnt matter, it gained the strength and dexterity needed,
and at some point, it just started working.
and once it works, you will know it works, and then you will use it- or not.


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## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

I have just started lessons after 50 years playing my own way. Tutor has me using my pinky and at first I would have done better with my big toe but after a few hours it began to feel, well not comfortable but do-able. Improving all the time. Now I can choose how I want to play, pinkie or not.


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## FrankyNoTone (Feb 27, 2012)

Well I imagine like a lot of people my pinky is quite a bit shorter and thinner than the others so its harder to go up to and fret the wound strings, but I don't have the longest fingers so I need to use the pinky for reaches. My ring finger is the weakest and I have to force myself to use it, maybe its because of the many years of wearing that constricting metal band


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

The pinky finger is just a useless hunk of meat on the end of your hand. Or is it...?


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## jeremy_green (Nov 10, 2010)

Develop your pinky just like you would any other finger. Why would you handicap yourself?? Then you can choose, as advanced players do, which finger they want to use. Because it's hard?? Hell everything about learning seems hard at first. Just keep with it. Play a little everyday. Before long things you think are hard today become easy... Unthinking almost. Remember the first time you tried to play a chord? Didn't it seem stupidly hard? Now you probably pile through em thoughtlessly. Same with your pinky and scales. Play em till they are thoughtless.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Alex: If you are self-disciplined, this is an excellent course and the most inexpensive professional guitar teacher you can find. They also have a 60-day satisfaction guaranteed policy, so it it's not for you, you can return it for a refund. I have found the course very helpful.

Order Gibson's Learn & Master Guitar | Buy Guitar Lesson DVDs


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

The best advise I can give a newbe is check out Free guitar lessons : Complete Beginners Method and loads of Blues, Jazz and rock : Learn how to play Guitar free here! he has free online lessons from basic beginner to accomplished guitarist.


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## SaviArt (Mar 1, 2012)

Play scales a lot, play them in warm up. Try to move them on all fretboard and build your own ideas over them. Scales is the everything


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## Waterloo (Dec 25, 2012)

Using the pinky is a matter of choice. I think it's a great idea to practise pent scales using the pinky but in practise I use my ring finger instead. I find it has better control and tone. Just my 2 cents worth.


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## RobQ (May 29, 2008)

Certain licks, especially some double stops, are impossible without the pinky. Sooner or later you will run up against one of those and you will wish you had brought your pinky into the action sooner.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I can't think of any reason to not use all 4 fingers.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Have had a guitar most of my adult life and now at 51 I am starting to learn scales. Got the G maj pent just about down. I couldn't play a solo to save my life. Still practicing those scales, but don't know what to do with them. Yes, using my pinky too.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Jim DaddyO said:


> Have had a guitar most of my adult life and now at 51 I am starting to learn scales. Got the G maj pent just about down. I couldn't play a solo to save my life. Still practicing those scales, but don't know what to do with them. Yes, using my pinky too.


Play the notes you think sound best in the order you think sounds best. That's really all there is to it. Just don't overthink it!


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## Waterloo (Dec 25, 2012)

I don't use my pinky as I have short fingers and also I like a solid tone on the 5/6 strings by using my ring finger. Also, I find bending strings alot easier using both the 2nd & 3rd fingers together, rather than using the pinky.

You mentioned you're on a budget but I'd still consider finding a teacher and maybe book in for a couple of lessons to sort out technique issues such as what you're describing. The teacher may well teach you to use your pinky. I'm not a teacher so my opinion is just that; an opinion, so it's probably me that will get crapped on by others but I don't care.


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Budda said:


> I can't think of any reason to not use all 4 fingers.


 and the thumb too!


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

loudtubeamps said:


> and the thumb too!


Sure, if you can reach. I was jamming with a buddy last night, he said he's used his thumb to help play one chord in one song. I don't think I've ever used mine.


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## aftermidnight (Oct 11, 2009)

Budda said:


> ...... he said he's used his thumb to help play one chord in one song ....



It's a first position B7 or Bdom7 for me ..... and I use it a lot (probably too much) ..... wrap the thumb around to grab the F bass note ..... and in fact that is one chord I make sure I can play when test driving any new guitar ...... (where I am not sure of the nut width).


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Using the thumb has allowed me to play riffs where a bar chord was the alternative for many positions up the neck.
It simply adds yet another dimension of possibilities.
Many examples of players' styles that illustrate far better than I can describe.
Jimi used it, Stevie used it, Jeff is still using it.
Cheers..d
Jeff Beck - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat / Brush With the Blues - YouTube
another really good look at the thumb, wicked, eh?
iConcerts - Jeff Beck - Scatterbrain (live) - YouTube


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

fredyfreeloader said:


> The best advise I can give a newbe is check out Free guitar lessons : Complete Beginners Method and loads of Blues, Jazz and rock : Learn how to play Guitar free here! he has free online lessons from basic beginner to accomplished guitarist.


+1 on Justinguitar.com, after 15+ years of playing I started his course and I have learned of LOT.


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

I will whole heartedly stand behind using your pinky and getting it up to par with the rest of your fretting hand. When the time comes that you need to use it, the neglect of practicing with your pinky will be very noticable and in my opinion more difficult to re-learn how to use after so much time of compensating with other fingers that seemed easier at the time.

It is difficult and frustrating at first to get your pinky to comply to the demands of playing the guitar. But with practice and time it will become much easier.

Use a metronome and start playing your scales slowly and to the beat, and when you can play through the scale with all fingers up the tempo a bit then rinse and repeat.

Good luck, and don't get bogged down with the frustration. It's only temporary


-Matt


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