finger speed, strength, agility, endurance, willpower, intelligence, personality, and luck. My fingers are currently level 50 so they've got pretty good agility endurance and strength. I need to work on speed though.
I had a piano teacher that taught me to do intense exercises for long periods of time for finger strength. In a few months I had injured my RH pinky. It hurt to play so I had to quit for several months (and honestly, my pinky still kinda hurts). This is an import idea to spread!
I'm an old guy who started playing bass a few years ago. I recently took up up weight lifting, specifically bar exercises - deadlift, squat, and presses. I was surprised that my finger strength and dexterity immediately improved in my bass playing. I attribute it to the deadlift using the classic grip (both palms facing me) as the hands are strengthened proportionally to the rest of the body.
Yeah man I play piano and I had to lay off lifting stuff once a few weeks ago to avoid wrist tendinitis getting bad. It also makes playing harder soon after, but hopefully would have some long run benefit if anything.
Thank you!!! I've been trying to figure out how to use my pinky right. I've tried making up little riffs that help me with my dexterity and force me to use it more. When you described that it's in wrist control and arm strength, it clicked and I am having a lot less trouble using my pinky. It was especially hard on the E string, but now I'm flowing quite naturally by using other muscles!
the things that are moving in your forearm are actually muscles... the tendons are a bit lower and they go through the carpal tunel to your hand and fingers... medicine student here, haha... but great explanation anyway - people should be more aware of it
Forearm muscles are divided into extensors (top side of the wrist) and flexors (bottom side). The dividing line between these muscles occurs at the Ulnar bone, which goes from your humerus (elbow) to your pinky and makes the little knob on the outside of your wrist. So I'd think that both hands would primarily use the flexor muscles as in both cases your hands are flexed inward towards your forearm and not outward. But I don't play bass or guitar, so I could be completely wrong about this.
To play bass or guitar it helps to move your fingers in all available directions. In fact, I do not use more force to flex than I do to straighten or to separate or bring together.
Capitalism built the product and manufactured the 'need' for it, it was capitalism. Yes, he did BUY it, but he wouldn't have bought it unless it was being marketed or sold, and it wouldn't have been marketed or sold had it not been for capitalism.
I really like your video because I think it touches an often underestimated aspect of learning an instrument. Probably there is tons of guys similar to me. I'm pushing 40 and have been introduced to music with Heavy Metal/Grunge in the late 80's/early 90's, learned Bass first (God bless Steve Harris), figured out that the scratchy'n'squeaky noises mostly came from Guitar - switched to that ... had a long journey with a bit of Jazz/Punk/Blues/Funk and others, learned to love both: Heavy Metal AND Music, had a Kid, stopped giggin', Bo-Ho ... the point is: along the line I aquired Sehnenscheidenentzündung (Yes, I'm a composite-word German) which is a thing that unfortunately never leaves you. It can be very painfull and sometimes kept me from playing at all (or writing, or driving, or holding a spoon properly ...) for days or weeks. The positive thing is this stuff really makes you practice slowly and softly and with time it did not keep me from let's say ... erh .. rocking normally. Thanks for stressing the importance of a relaxed playing position ... not only does it help your brain to learn properly (and this organ should get some credit and care, since most of us frequently expose it to very unhealthy doses of ... but I digress) but it really keeps you from hurting yourself. Cheers!
Adam, I'm Brazilian and a big fan of your work. I'm a double bass teacher for orquestra and I have some beginners students (boys and girls) who have issues with the pinky finger. It's very common. I dare say that in all these years playing double bass my pinky finger is really strong, more strong than the ring finger. Something that I consider very import is manteining your practice regularly to form calluses on the tips of the fingers. Other important aspect it is to never create tension on our phalanx. The fingers must be in a curved position. But the strength comes with the time and practice.
Great presentation. I had the same pinky-strength issues with playing the theorbo. I complained to my teacher about it and he gave me the same advice as you have here, and it worked beautifully.
cant believe I never found this information before it just makes sense yet so many people for years have been using these finger squeezing thingys. Love the little whistle when you show your forearm, great sense of humor
same principle for piano, and having a good grasp of the principles of rotary and lateral movements coordinated with finger placements is crucial.. its all a big dance routine for the arms and hands :)
I think you're right. I didn't have trouble until I started doing hand stretches for strength and flexibility. I'm doing light weight lifting and that seems to help tremendously. You're a good man for getting the word out.
Another misconception, especially in heavy metal-related genres: the harder you play, the better and the more endurance you´ll have. Wrong. If anything, one should seek to play as soft as possible (respecting anotations on dynamics though). I read that from Gary Willis' "101 Bass Tips" book but never really applied it until very recently when I got a bass decent enough for lower string height and good pickups and I started doing music that needs you to keep your fingers as nimble as possible. I'd like to learn more about posture for when practicing. I adopted a classical guitarist stance recently to see if I could stop the right side of my back from hurting and it sort of worked, but does anybody has another suggestion?
It's so obvious that it never occurred to me. We play electric instruments of course we can just make anything loud with the turn of a few nobs, we just need to learn to play soft enough for the parts that don't need to be played louder / with more attack.
If you’re not already, always wearing a strap and wearing it high enough to keep the bass over your ribcage, and angling the neck up comfortably(or whatever position is best for you). It seems to keep me in a more consistent and comfortable posture while playing
Damn. I broke my hand and wrist many years ago, and despite a lot of physical therapy, I was unable to do things I used to be able to do, like play guitar (ukulele is still difficult). I was hoping there really was a solution for people like me who have an old injury and can’t afford physical therapy sessions anymore. Guess I can always try working on my wrist anyway.
I tried a Captain crush handstttngthener. Made my fingers/underarmd stronger fast and felt like it initially helped with my bassmaneuvers. However, after a couple of months it felt like my fine motoric control got worse the stronger i got. I persisted for a while but then i noticed my handwriting started to get really uggly. So i quit the grip trainer. Took a month or so before i was back to normal fine motoric finger skills. Will now stick to using the bass for strengthening my fingers.
Thank you Adam ! Your videos are super interesting. 'been seeing a few of them,and,as awkward as it may seem, i feel like understanding a bit of the precious information you provide. Thank you again for your efforts and keep on the good work :*)
Another reason why novice and intermediate players might feel that their pinky is weak is because muscle strength is joint angle specific. (It is also the reason why these finger-strenghtening devices don't worth shit). You should play guitar/bass if you want to gain dexterity on your instrument. Hammer-on pull-off technique exercises helped me (and my students) a lot in this subject.
Bill "The Buddha" Dickens (who I previously studied with) actually came up with the idea of a piece of nylon dock rope under the 12th fret and doing various exercises with that. It works miraculously.
Dear Adam. firstly thanx for your videos and your great inputs. I appreciate your work very much. Secondly, Schumann was working on his ringfinger. Piano players have a big issue with its restricted mobility and limiting expression... We also call it the 4th finger and call the pinky the 5th. Best regards from Austria, Mihai
Dude. I mean I've been seeing those finger exercise things for so long. I swear I was this close to buying them xD like "money-coming-into-my-account-and-me-placing-an-order" close xD Thank you
My issue is that many other bass teachers say to drop your wrist. I find this helps with mobility, so I can reach the higher frets on the E string, but I do notice that my hand gives out a lot. I mean I have timed my scales, and at a moderate speed I consistently give out at 1 minute 30 seconds. My thumb and lower hand left hand (underneath the pinky) tense up way too much. I noticed that trying to put more of a straight down motion, rather than a half reach half press helps a little with my pinky staying in the fight, but I still gas way too fast. I'll never be able to play a gig at this rate. And while I don't want to sit down and play my scales at 200 bpm for 10 minutes straight, I don't think it would be unfair to say I should be able to play scales at a comfortable pace for at least 5 minutes straight
Thanks Adam what you say about finger strength is excellent and how much strength does it take to push the string onto the fretboard. When I started, like most instrumentalists, the sense was to push hard onto the string with excessive pressure. It really was a devils grip and as a result everything was hard work, slow and very clunky. I would like to hear more about developing fluidity and speed without banging your head on the wall. Cheers Baz
I'm so jealous!!! Your pinky is nearly as long as your ring finger, which would make you a PERFECT violin player. Mine is about 1/4 inch shorter than most successful violinists. I find, that it's not the strength, but the length that counts 😬Also, the "cushion" on the fingertips are a huge plus. It's really hard to sustain an exercise regimen with boney fingers. Not kidding. I'd take length and fleshy tips over strength any day! Not sure if it's the same with guitar players, but this is just my personal experience and observation.
I felt like an anime character having a breakthrough after watching this...you're pretty much saying "the power you needed was inside of you all along" , now I'm about to go kill these etudes !
Adam, I hope you check comments on videos as old as this one. I have a question about 'carpal tunnel' for returning musicians. I am a guitar player that recently picked it back up after about 5 years. My muscle memory is coming back way faster than my actual muscles are. This resulted in my forearm and wrist burning quite well after about 30 minutes of playing scales that were never a problem in my 'younger years'. I decided to give it a rest and come back a few hours later, and still felt a bit of burn. Without asking for any medical advise, (toally just asking if this is a normal reaction to picking it back up after a few years) is this normal for a returning muscisian, and do you think I am repeating any of Robert Schumann's bad habits?
Well I forgot to cancel Amazon subscription and got three finger trainers and I have one on my backpack, one under my pillow and one just held right now lol
I know this is an old video, but I was hoping I could get some clarity on this one in particular. You say a lot about how our fingers are strong enough, and why we shouldn't worry about it, which leads me to understand that it's not about the strength of the muscle, but rather about how we use them, much like how in weight lifting, it's just just about how strong you are, but your form. However, is there then no benefit at all to trying to condition not just your hands and fingers, but the muscles in your arms all the way up to the shoulder? Many weight lifting regimens are focused not increasing how much weight you can lift at once, but rather how many times you can lift a set weight without tiring. Is there no benefit from trying conditioning your arm in a manner such as this, focused on being able to play normal strings longer without tiring or hurting yourself?
New players tend to find that their endurance is lacking, and they'll feel really sore after half an hour of playing. But you get over that pretty quickly. There's probably little benefit to lifting weights, since no exercise is going to improve control over the fine muscles you need to develop (the synergist muscles for the particular movements you're making), while normal practice will cover exactly those muscles. It'd be like doing leg presses to attempt to improve how long you can stand on one foot. The problem with balance isn't a problem with the strength or endurance of your quadriceps. What you really want to work on, if anything, is tuning the muscular response to the commands of your nervous system. Building the neurological pathways that allow you to move effortlessly all those muscles as a group, rather than having to worry about them individually. Just practice the instrument. AN has a good video on practicing slowly and staying relaxed, and I suggest you check that one out. He doesn't mention it in that video if I recall, but behind the scenes it's about exactly this.
I'm blessed/cursed in that I have really short index and pinky fingers, and really long middle and ring fingers. To do a power chord for instance, I NEED to use my index and pinky, as my other fingers are too long and curl back painfully in the position they're in. It's why I jumped from guitar to bass, most chord shapes are difficult and painful to perform. At least with bass, the spacing is good, octaves are easy, chords aren't very common, and I have a super strong pinky game because of the fact I need to use it. Also, if you want a strong pinky.. play Guitar/Clone Hero lol you use your fingers in a way that you don't on guitar/bass, where as on an instrument you'd just move your hand, on Guitar Hero you keep the same position 99% of the time.
Adam, I had always heard that Schumann injured his hand trying to gain spread distance to play larger intervals. But it may have been pinky strength or some combination of the two.
Hey Adam, I suppose you probably don't answer questions on old videos but here goes anyways. Pinky finger strength/dexterity is one thing, but what about correcting bad habits due to incorrect technique? I spent a few years trying to play bass and guitar on my own and now my pinky finger has this uncontrollable urge to stick out away from the neck. My music teacher has tried to help me with this but I was wondering if you had any thoughts? Is there a science to breaking this kind of bad habit?
Strength DOES do have importance. The more relaxed the muscles are the faster and more accurate they can move. If they are too weak the tension needed will seriously hamper your technique
Adam, I've played guitar for thirty years and my pinky will lock up. This didn't really become an issue until I started training on violin. I have no control over my pink. My violin teacher has been trying to find a solution but we're both at a loss. Any suggestions?
Ok but like, my pinky is still failing to do anything on the board. I can't hold a not with my pinky in any possition for more than a few seconds before my pinky just gives out.
Back to your comment about double bass; double bass players actually only use their pinky in combination with their ring finger, essentially losing a finger. It isn't really only until you get to thumb position that you can use your pinky solo.
I'm not really sure what you mean by using pinky in combination with the ring finger. What is sometimes taught is the ring and middle finger are played together so that there is equal distance between 1st, 2nd (middle) and 4th (pinky) fingers. Yes, you are correct, the ring finger isn't typically used in the lower positions of the bass until you get to thumb position where the 4th finger doesn't get (typically) used anymore. NHOP used all 4 fingers in the lower positions of the bass. And one of my teachers taught me a technique she learned that uses all 4 fingers in the lower positions when she studied classical bass in Denmark. As for pinky and ring finger being used together, that's not a technique I'm aware of. I prefer to spread my fingers, so that I have equal distance from 1-2-4 fingers until I get to thumb position. The 2nd and 3rd fingers are closer together. I don't use much pressure at all from the ring finger or any other finger when I use my pinky. In fact, most of the pressure actually comes from gravity of the arm weight on the strings. You also use the larger muscles of the shoulder and back. The idea is to not have tension in your thumb or hand. That also goes for electric bass playing.
But, my pinky does collapse, especially when I play a repetitive figure, like the bridge in "Immigrant Song ," Where John Paul Jones plays a mixolydian figure two times each, successively, in "A," "B," and "C". My pinky will flex more than 180 degrees, and I won't hhave the ability to bring my pinky back to the second degree of each beginning phrase. is my pinky double jointed? Seriously, I know that this is not that important an issue; I'm not a professional musician. However, it is frustrating. I want to be able to execute musical pieces and I simply cannot do so with this particular song. Sitting in with a band and they call out "Immigrant Song." FML. :-(
I have this same issue. I injured my wrist at work last year and had to see a physiotherapist, mentioned that I have exactly what you describe and she says it's a result of overextending the finger. She said try not to extend it so much and it'll go away.
Your English is excellent! Can you see another physio for another opinion? How do you feel after, say, 5 or 10mins practice? Maybe short bursts of playing will not irritate your finger/nerves. How about your guitar setup? Maybe you could have the string action lowered so the instrument is less demanding? I have had irritation in my pinky finger (bad technique!) in the past and, even now, practising can still tire my hands all over, though they never hurt. I just rest them and go back to playing/practising later.
Jon Peter Godfrey It depends mostly on the exercise I'm doing, but after 10, even 15 minutes or something, I feel fine (only the scales kill me after few minutes). the strange thing is that I don't have any pain after a gig xD (I don't use the pinky unless is strictly necessary while playing songs). I'll absolutely try your suggestion of the string action and I'll let you know if it works :)!
Well that's great that you can still play! Hopefully you can find a solution. Maybe review your technique when practising scales... perhaps you're using a different method for scales, compared to when you're playing songs/gigging. Maybe you are not as relaxed when practising scales as you are when playing songs on a gig?
As a newer bass player this is something I have been coming to "grips" with... ahem...I have thought about purchasing a Varigrip or similar device. Wouldn't you agree though that these grip exercisers give your forearms a good workout as well? I am getting a bit too old and busy to get back into a weight training routine, you don't feel there is any value at all to the grip exercisers then?
+Teuts2000 Just watch the last minute of this video again. These devices won't workout your fingers as well as just playing will. Simply use your pinky more often and you'll get all the exercise your fingers need.
Andrew Pincock I understand that playing with the pinky is the best way to exercise the pinky finger (Believe me I'm trying :). I guess I am more interested in something to improve my skills when playing isn't an option (at work, in the car, etc.)
+Teuts2000 There are tons of things you can do to improve your musicality, but these devices aren't among them. They're as utterly useless as, say, a tongue exerciser when you're trying to learn French.
I haven't quite eaten through all of these videos yet, so I don't know if I'll learn something about this later on or not.. my pinky has a very very very hard time staying unlocked and curved when applying pressure, one join just gives and it ends up looking like an L or 7.. how do I overcome this? is it even a problem? any thoughts or advice is appreciated :) thank you and have a nice day everyone
Thank you for the advice, hehe, alas, if I relaxed my pinky any more I wouldn't be able to hit notes with it xD It's not really a problem in playing, it just looks kinda weird sometimes.
The key to increased "pinky strength" has nothing to do with your body. It has everything to do with your bass. Specifically, your set up. Setting up your bass to a string height of 4/64", across the radius of the neck, will greatly improve the playability of the bass. Strings closer to the frets have a shorter distance to travel before landing on the fret. Think about it this way. Let's say your bass is currently at a string height of 9/64 of an inch. Bringing it down to 5/64 is a change of 4/64 or 1/16. For every four measures you play in 4/4 time walking bassline, is one inch of travel you would save. Over the course of a gig that equates to a lot less work for your hand, wrist and forearm. Just some food for thought.
Forget strength or independence...It's been nearly 20 years...(granted, never seriously and a 10 year break in there...)...and I practically play with 3 fingers on my left hand.
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Finger dexterity, finger strength... what about finger charisma?
Or finger luck?
finger speed, strength, agility, endurance, willpower, intelligence, personality, and luck. My fingers are currently level 50 so they've got pretty good agility endurance and strength. I need to work on speed though.
I always invest in finger wisdom because perception is such a commonly used skill
Y'all forgot about finger Wisdom
I've always found luck to be a very underrated stat, particularly for the pinky.
I had a piano teacher that taught me to do intense exercises for long periods of time for finger strength. In a few months I had injured my RH pinky. It hurt to play so I had to quit for several months (and honestly, my pinky still kinda hurts).
This is an import idea to spread!
Try out the taubman approach.
Your deadpan humor always makes me chuckle, lol.
You're like the Bill Nye of music.
genre is on a spectrum
CanningPetto Yeah but adam actually has a degree in the field he's dicussing.
W
Yaksonator reckt
Yaksonator cringe
This click bait ass intro... I love it
How to correctly clickbait the audience
😂😂
I'm an old guy who started playing bass a few years ago. I recently took up up weight lifting, specifically bar exercises - deadlift, squat, and presses. I was surprised that my finger strength and dexterity immediately improved in my bass playing. I attribute it to the deadlift using the classic grip (both palms facing me) as the hands are strengthened proportionally to the rest of the body.
wc
Yeah man I play piano and I had to lay off lifting stuff once a few weeks ago to avoid wrist tendinitis getting bad. It also makes playing harder soon after, but hopefully would have some long run benefit if anything.
That intro was 👌
Thank you!!! I've been trying to figure out how to use my pinky right. I've tried making up little riffs that help me with my dexterity and force me to use it more.
When you described that it's in wrist control and arm strength, it clicked and I am having a lot less trouble using my pinky. It was especially hard on the E string, but now I'm flowing quite naturally by using other muscles!
the things that are moving in your forearm are actually muscles... the tendons are a bit lower and they go through the carpal tunel to your hand and fingers... medicine student here, haha... but great explanation anyway - people should be more aware of it
Forearm muscles are divided into extensors (top side of the wrist) and flexors (bottom side). The dividing line between these muscles occurs at the Ulnar bone, which goes from your humerus (elbow) to your pinky and makes the little knob on the outside of your wrist. So I'd think that both hands would primarily use the flexor muscles as in both cases your hands are flexed inward towards your forearm and not outward. But I don't play bass or guitar, so I could be completely wrong about this.
Norman Klein you're right, but i don't see your point?
Just identifying the particular forearm muscles that are key for playing the bass.
Norman Klein ok :)
To play bass or guitar it helps to move your fingers in all available directions. In fact, I do not use more force to flex than I do to straighten or to separate or bring together.
You saved me so much time, man. This video can't be overrated.
shit... i just bought one of those "finger trainers". Capitalism got me again
bamboozled again
You fucked yourself, capitalism didn't fuck you
Capitalism built the product and manufactured the 'need' for it, it was capitalism. Yes, he did BUY it, but he wouldn't have bought it unless it was being marketed or sold, and it wouldn't have been marketed or sold had it not been for capitalism.
Zara Lindholm Brandt good thing he can sell it someone else because it's a capitalistic economy
*goes back to Amazon basket and removes finger-strength gadget*
Cool....
I really like your video because I think it touches an often underestimated aspect of learning an instrument. Probably there is tons of guys similar to me. I'm pushing 40 and have been introduced to music with Heavy Metal/Grunge in the late 80's/early 90's, learned Bass first (God bless Steve Harris), figured out that the scratchy'n'squeaky noises mostly came from Guitar - switched to that ... had a long journey with a bit of Jazz/Punk/Blues/Funk and others, learned to love both: Heavy Metal AND Music, had a Kid, stopped giggin', Bo-Ho ... the point is: along the line I aquired Sehnenscheidenentzündung (Yes, I'm a composite-word German) which is a thing that unfortunately never leaves you. It can be very painfull and sometimes kept me from playing at all (or writing, or driving, or holding a spoon properly ...) for days or weeks. The positive thing is this stuff really makes you practice slowly and softly and with time it did not keep me from let's say ... erh .. rocking normally. Thanks for stressing the importance of a relaxed playing position ... not only does it help your brain to learn properly (and this organ should get some credit and care, since most of us frequently expose it to very unhealthy doses of ... but I digress) but it really keeps you from hurting yourself. Cheers!
Adam,
I'm Brazilian and a big fan of your work.
I'm a double bass teacher for orquestra and I have some beginners students (boys and girls) who have issues with the pinky finger. It's very common.
I dare say that in all these years playing double bass my pinky finger is really strong, more strong than the ring finger.
Something that I consider very import is manteining your practice regularly to form calluses on the tips of the fingers.
Other important aspect it is to never create tension on our phalanx. The fingers must be in a curved position.
But the strength comes with the time and practice.
Great presentation. I had the same pinky-strength issues with playing the theorbo. I complained to my teacher about it and he gave me the same advice as you have here, and it worked beautifully.
hi there. what did you do exactly?
cant believe I never found this information before it just makes sense yet so many people for years have been using these finger squeezing thingys. Love the little whistle when you show your forearm, great sense of humor
Great advice Adam. You might of saved this new guitarist from carpal tunnel. Thanks!
Your comment at 3:07 about position is some of the best advice anyone could get.
Very helpful video.
same principle for piano, and having a good grasp of the principles of rotary and lateral movements coordinated with finger placements is crucial.. its all a big dance routine for the arms and hands :)
lmao youre so right. Training your fingers for playing instruments is like wearing toe shoes for running
Great tip. I have seen more than one person taken out of action treating a finger like an arm.
I think you're right. I didn't have trouble until I started doing hand stretches for strength and flexibility. I'm doing light weight lifting and that seems to help tremendously. You're a good man for getting the word out.
i want like 30 mins on pinky strength!! love it man
Another misconception, especially in heavy metal-related genres: the harder you play, the better and the more endurance you´ll have. Wrong. If anything, one should seek to play as soft as possible (respecting anotations on dynamics though). I read that from Gary Willis' "101 Bass Tips" book but never really applied it until very recently when I got a bass decent enough for lower string height and good pickups and I started doing music that needs you to keep your fingers as nimble as possible.
I'd like to learn more about posture for when practicing. I adopted a classical guitarist stance recently to see if I could stop the right side of my back from hurting and it sort of worked, but does anybody has another suggestion?
It's so obvious that it never occurred to me. We play electric instruments of course we can just make anything loud with the turn of a few nobs, we just need to learn to play soft enough for the parts that don't need to be played louder / with more attack.
If you’re not already, always wearing a strap and wearing it high enough to keep the bass over your ribcage, and angling the neck up comfortably(or whatever position is best for you). It seems to keep me in a more consistent and comfortable posture while playing
You always make my day with your musical blessings 💃
Damn, I knew this but so worried about speed on the guitar and now learning bass for the first time forgot. So much yes in this.
Correct - spot on m, Adam !!
Damn. I broke my hand and wrist many years ago, and despite a lot of physical therapy, I was unable to do things I used to be able to do, like play guitar (ukulele is still difficult). I was hoping there really was a solution for people like me who have an old injury and can’t afford physical therapy sessions anymore. Guess I can always try working on my wrist anyway.
I tried a Captain crush handstttngthener. Made my fingers/underarmd stronger fast and felt like it initially helped with my bassmaneuvers.
However, after a couple of months it felt like my fine motoric control got worse the stronger i got.
I persisted for a while but then i noticed my handwriting started to get really uggly. So i quit the grip trainer.
Took a month or so before i was back to normal fine motoric finger skills. Will now stick to using the bass for strengthening my fingers.
Thank you Adam ! Your videos are super interesting. 'been seeing a few of them,and,as awkward as it may seem, i feel like understanding a bit of the precious information you provide. Thank you again for your efforts and keep on the good work :*)
Loved the clip from Raging Bull at 1:27
Another reason why novice and intermediate players might feel that their pinky is weak is because muscle strength is joint angle specific. (It is also the reason why these finger-strenghtening devices don't worth shit). You should play guitar/bass if you want to gain dexterity on your instrument. Hammer-on pull-off technique exercises helped me (and my students) a lot in this subject.
oops while doing the pinky thing I went to hard and just dislocated my left one
and here i’ve been procrastinating working out by practicing bass... but apparently i still i need to work out 🤦🏻♀️
Bill "The Buddha" Dickens (who I previously studied with) actually came up with the idea of a piece of nylon dock rope under the 12th fret and doing various exercises with that. It works miraculously.
FWIW a fretmaster was a big part of learning to move my gingers again after sepsis induced wasting.
People seem to forget that the pinky is connected to the strongest muscle in our hands.
that intro always has the same effect on me that Flashlight by Parliament does. Good groove
Dear Adam. firstly thanx for your videos and your great inputs. I appreciate your work very much. Secondly, Schumann was working on his ringfinger. Piano players have a big issue with its restricted mobility and limiting expression... We also call it the 4th finger and call the pinky the 5th.
Best regards from Austria, Mihai
Dude. I mean I've been seeing those finger exercise things for so long. I swear I was this close to buying them xD like "money-coming-into-my-account-and-me-placing-an-order" close xD
Thank you
Talking about boxing, boxers mostly focus on ther legs because they actually draw their power from there which actually strengthens your analogy
hey Mr. Neely quick question, what instrument, if any, would you like to learn apart from those you already know/play ?
"Channe-channeling the energy"
a really great way to practice the us of you pinky, or get more dexterity, play a fairly simple song with, only your pinkie
0:25 I did not see that coming
Thank you! Saving me from ****ing myself up!
The power for punches actually comes from movement in the hips generally.
Just started playing Bari Sax so this was useful
Great.
Have you mane a related video where you get more into details about that concept ?
It's good conceptual idea
I lost tip of my pinky as a kid :)
To compensate the lost reach I've been using a short scale bass
Thanks Adam....
Actually the hips deliever the strength of a punch...but your music knowledge is fantastic ;-)
Thank you... very intresting
My issue is that many other bass teachers say to drop your wrist.
I find this helps with mobility, so I can reach the higher frets on the E string, but I do notice that my hand gives out a lot.
I mean I have timed my scales, and at a moderate speed I consistently give out at 1 minute 30 seconds. My thumb and lower hand left hand (underneath the pinky) tense up way too much.
I noticed that trying to put more of a straight down motion, rather than a half reach half press helps a little with my pinky staying in the fight, but I still gas way too fast.
I'll never be able to play a gig at this rate. And while I don't want to sit down and play my scales at 200 bpm for 10 minutes straight, I don't think it would be unfair to say I should be able to play scales at a comfortable pace for at least 5 minutes straight
Thanks Adam what you say about finger strength is excellent and how much strength does it take to push the string onto the fretboard. When I started, like most instrumentalists, the sense was to push hard onto the string with excessive pressure. It really was a devils grip and as a result everything was hard work, slow and very clunky. I would like to hear more about developing fluidity and speed without banging your head on the wall. Cheers Baz
I'm so jealous!!! Your pinky is nearly as long as your ring finger, which would make you a PERFECT violin player. Mine is about 1/4 inch shorter than most successful violinists. I find, that it's not the strength, but the length that counts 😬Also, the "cushion" on the fingertips are a huge plus. It's really hard to sustain an exercise regimen with boney fingers. Not kidding. I'd take length and fleshy tips over strength any day! Not sure if it's the same with guitar players, but this is just my personal experience and observation.
I felt like an anime character having a breakthrough after watching this...you're pretty much saying "the power you needed was inside of you all along" , now I'm about to go kill these etudes !
Adam, I hope you check comments on videos as old as this one. I have a question about 'carpal tunnel' for returning musicians. I am a guitar player that recently picked it back up after about 5 years. My muscle memory is coming back way faster than my actual muscles are. This resulted in my forearm and wrist burning quite well after about 30 minutes of playing scales that were never a problem in my 'younger years'. I decided to give it a rest and come back a few hours later, and still felt a bit of burn. Without asking for any medical advise, (toally just asking if this is a normal reaction to picking it back up after a few years) is this normal for a returning muscisian, and do you think I am repeating any of Robert Schumann's bad habits?
I was about to buy one of these "finger trainers", thanks
I enjoyed this but my pinkie enjoyed the intro the best.... thank you for pointing out stuff most of us don't think about
You sould totally reupload the intro as a YT short.
This is why I play short scale basses.
So i need to workout rather than excercises mi fingers?
cool point.
Oh my! Did I miss that intro!
It boggles my mind that someone could dislike this video
"THANK YOU!!!!!" "THANK YOU!!!!!" "THANK YOU!!!!!' "THANK YOU!!!!!" "THANK YOU!!!!!"
Well I forgot to cancel Amazon subscription and got three finger trainers and I have one on my backpack, one under my pillow and one just held right now lol
I know this is an old video, but I was hoping I could get some clarity on this one in particular. You say a lot about how our fingers are strong enough, and why we shouldn't worry about it, which leads me to understand that it's not about the strength of the muscle, but rather about how we use them, much like how in weight lifting, it's just just about how strong you are, but your form.
However, is there then no benefit at all to trying to condition not just your hands and fingers, but the muscles in your arms all the way up to the shoulder? Many weight lifting regimens are focused not increasing how much weight you can lift at once, but rather how many times you can lift a set weight without tiring. Is there no benefit from trying conditioning your arm in a manner such as this, focused on being able to play normal strings longer without tiring or hurting yourself?
New players tend to find that their endurance is lacking, and they'll feel really sore after half an hour of playing. But you get over that pretty quickly. There's probably little benefit to lifting weights, since no exercise is going to improve control over the fine muscles you need to develop (the synergist muscles for the particular movements you're making), while normal practice will cover exactly those muscles. It'd be like doing leg presses to attempt to improve how long you can stand on one foot. The problem with balance isn't a problem with the strength or endurance of your quadriceps.
What you really want to work on, if anything, is tuning the muscular response to the commands of your nervous system. Building the neurological pathways that allow you to move effortlessly all those muscles as a group, rather than having to worry about them individually. Just practice the instrument. AN has a good video on practicing slowly and staying relaxed, and I suggest you check that one out. He doesn't mention it in that video if I recall, but behind the scenes it's about exactly this.
You’re a genius
I'm blessed/cursed in that I have really short index and pinky fingers, and really long middle and ring fingers. To do a power chord for instance, I NEED to use my index and pinky, as my other fingers are too long and curl back painfully in the position they're in. It's why I jumped from guitar to bass, most chord shapes are difficult and painful to perform. At least with bass, the spacing is good, octaves are easy, chords aren't very common, and I have a super strong pinky game because of the fact I need to use it. Also, if you want a strong pinky.. play Guitar/Clone Hero lol you use your fingers in a way that you don't on guitar/bass, where as on an instrument you'd just move your hand, on Guitar Hero you keep the same position 99% of the time.
Adam, I had always heard that Schumann injured his hand trying to gain spread distance to play larger intervals. But it may have been pinky strength or some combination of the two.
Great video!! Also enjoyed the older one on chunking. Now excuse me while I go chunk up what I ate earlier... :-p
awesome
LIKE A BASS BOSS
Hey Adam, I suppose you probably don't answer questions on old videos but here goes anyways. Pinky finger strength/dexterity is one thing, but what about correcting bad habits due to incorrect technique? I spent a few years trying to play bass and guitar on my own and now my pinky finger has this uncontrollable urge to stick out away from the neck. My music teacher has tried to help me with this but I was wondering if you had any thoughts? Is there a science to breaking this kind of bad habit?
1:16 blew my mind
So weird when using my ring and middle , pinky flying all over the place !!!
Strength DOES do have importance. The more relaxed the muscles are the faster and more accurate they can move. If they are too weak the tension needed will seriously hamper your technique
hey thanks!
I was taught early on to use one finger per fret but I look like a posh Englishman drinking a cup of tea with my pinkie up in the air.
to be precise, Schumann was obsessed with his 4th finger :)
Adam, I've played guitar for thirty years and my pinky will lock up. This didn't really become an issue until I started training on violin. I have no control over my pink. My violin teacher has been trying to find a solution but we're both at a loss. Any suggestions?
Ok but like, my pinky is still failing to do anything on the board. I can't hold a not with my pinky in any possition for more than a few seconds before my pinky just gives out.
2:36 Michel Donato
i need it for playing games
Back to your comment about double bass; double bass players actually only use their pinky in combination with their ring finger, essentially losing a finger. It isn't really only until you get to thumb position that you can use your pinky solo.
I'm not really sure what you mean by using pinky in combination with the ring finger. What is sometimes taught is the ring and middle finger are played together so that there is equal distance between 1st, 2nd (middle) and 4th (pinky) fingers. Yes, you are correct, the ring finger isn't typically used in the lower positions of the bass until you get to thumb position where the 4th finger doesn't get (typically) used anymore. NHOP used all 4 fingers in the lower positions of the bass. And one of my teachers taught me a technique she learned that uses all 4 fingers in the lower positions when she studied classical bass in Denmark. As for pinky and ring finger being used together, that's not a technique I'm aware of. I prefer to spread my fingers, so that I have equal distance from 1-2-4 fingers until I get to thumb position. The 2nd and 3rd fingers are closer together. I don't use much pressure at all from the ring finger or any other finger when I use my pinky. In fact, most of the pressure actually comes from gravity of the arm weight on the strings. You also use the larger muscles of the shoulder and back. The idea is to not have tension in your thumb or hand. That also goes for electric bass playing.
Awesome super helpful!! But what if you have Hypermobility?? thats my only trouble lol bass trouble lol i guess i just keep practicing ....
So true!!
Did I miss the bit which described the technique that obliviates any requirement for pinky strength?
If my pinky keeps locking up to where the top joint is bending at 90° what can I do to fix it?
Surgery
But, my pinky does collapse, especially when I play a repetitive figure, like the bridge in "Immigrant Song ," Where John Paul Jones plays a mixolydian figure two times each, successively, in "A," "B," and "C". My pinky will flex more than 180 degrees, and I won't hhave the ability to bring my pinky back to the second degree of each beginning phrase. is my pinky double jointed? Seriously, I know that this is not that important an issue; I'm not a professional musician. However, it is frustrating. I want to be able to execute musical pieces and I simply cannot do so with this particular song. Sitting in with a band and they call out "Immigrant Song." FML. :-(
I have this same issue. I injured my wrist at work last year and had to see a physiotherapist, mentioned that I have exactly what you describe and she says it's a result of overextending the finger. She said try not to extend it so much and it'll go away.
Your English is excellent! Can you see another physio for another opinion?
How do you feel after, say, 5 or 10mins practice? Maybe short bursts of playing will not irritate your finger/nerves.
How about your guitar setup? Maybe you could have the string action lowered so the instrument is less demanding?
I have had irritation in my pinky finger (bad technique!) in the past and, even now, practising can still tire my hands all over, though they never hurt. I just rest them and go back to playing/practising later.
Jon Peter Godfrey It depends mostly on the exercise I'm doing, but after 10, even 15 minutes or something, I feel fine (only the scales kill me after few minutes). the strange thing is that I don't have any pain after a gig xD (I don't use the pinky unless is strictly necessary while playing songs). I'll absolutely try your suggestion of the string action and I'll let you know if it works :)!
Well that's great that you can still play! Hopefully you can find a solution. Maybe review your technique when practising scales... perhaps you're using a different method for scales, compared to when you're playing songs/gigging.
Maybe you are not as relaxed when practising scales as you are when playing songs on a gig?
As a newer bass player this is something I have been coming to "grips" with... ahem...I have thought about purchasing a Varigrip or similar device. Wouldn't you agree though that these grip exercisers give your forearms a good workout as well? I am getting a bit too old and busy to get back into a weight training routine, you don't feel there is any value at all to the grip exercisers then?
+Teuts2000 Just watch the last minute of this video again. These devices won't workout your fingers as well as just playing will. Simply use your pinky more often and you'll get all the exercise your fingers need.
Andrew Pincock I understand that playing with the pinky is the best way to exercise the pinky finger (Believe me I'm trying :). I guess I am more interested in something to improve my skills when playing isn't an option (at work, in the car, etc.)
+Teuts2000 There are tons of things you can do to improve your musicality, but these devices aren't among them. They're as utterly useless as, say, a tongue exerciser when you're trying to learn French.
I really wouldn't worry too much. Just don't over exert yourself.
Donc, c'est bonne chance que je parles Français déja. Merci for your input Adam and Andrew, and merci for the videos!
The muscle that flexes the little finger is in the forearm, not the upper arm.
I haven't quite eaten through all of these videos yet, so I don't know if I'll learn something about this later on or not.. my pinky has a very very very hard time staying unlocked and curved when applying pressure, one join just gives and it ends up looking like an L or 7.. how do I overcome this? is it even a problem? any thoughts or advice is appreciated :) thank you and have a nice day everyone
maybe youre hands arent relaxed enough, it sounds like youre super tense, so relax and loosen up, i hope that helps
Thank you for the advice, hehe, alas, if I relaxed my pinky any more I wouldn't be able to hit notes with it xD
It's not really a problem in playing, it just looks kinda weird sometimes.
The key to increased "pinky strength" has nothing to do with your body. It has everything to do with your bass. Specifically, your set up. Setting up your bass to a string height of 4/64", across the radius of the neck, will greatly improve the playability of the bass. Strings closer to the frets have a shorter distance to travel before landing on the fret.
Think about it this way. Let's say your bass is currently at a string height of 9/64 of an inch. Bringing it down to 5/64 is a change of 4/64 or 1/16. For every four measures you play in 4/4 time walking bassline, is one inch of travel you would save. Over the course of a gig that equates to a lot less work for your hand, wrist and forearm. Just some food for thought.
I purchased an Ibanez bass from Thomann... the action is so high from the factory as to be almost unplayable.
My pinkie collapses and I lose the curved shape. Wouldn’t strengthening help with that???
Forget strength or independence...It's been nearly 20 years...(granted, never seriously and a 10 year break in there...)...and I practically play with 3 fingers on my left hand.
On any string instrument you can’t shift properly if you’re relying on grip strength