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Okay, I'm gonna take one last swipe at this since you got me thinking about it. I asked ChatGPT " Does human hand anatomy vary in such a way that it could allow some people to have better finger independence?" Here is what it said: "Yes, variations in human hand anatomy can contribute to differences in finger independence. Several anatomical and neurological factors influence finger independence, which is the ability to move each finger individually without significantly affecting others. Here are the key factors: 1. Tendon Arrangement The tendons of the fingers (flexor and extensor tendons) can have variations in their connections. Some individuals have less interconnection between the tendons of neighboring fingers, particularly the extensor tendons, allowing for greater independent movement. For instance, the ring and middle fingers often share tendons, which can limit independence in most people. 2. Intrinsic Muscle Anatomy The lumbricals and interossei muscles within the hand play a role in precise finger movements. Variations in the size, strength, or innervation of these muscles can enhance or limit finger independence. 3. Neurological Wiring The motor cortex in the brain controls fine motor skills, and the degree of neural separation in the brain's representation of each finger varies among individuals. Some people have more distinct "maps" for each finger, leading to better control. The ulnar and median nerves, which provide motor signals to the hand, can also vary in how effectively they innervate certain muscles. 4. Ligament and Joint Flexibility Variations in joint flexibility (e.g., hypermobility) and ligament structure can influence how independently fingers can move. Greater flexibility might allow for more complex movements, but it can also reduce precision. 5. Proprioception and Feedback Differences in proprioceptive ability (the sense of the position and movement of one’s own body parts) can enhance the control of finger movements. People with more refined sensory feedback can achieve better independence and coordination. 6. Training and Habitual Use While anatomy plays a foundational role, training and repetitive use also significantly influence finger independence. For example, pianists, guitarists, and typists develop better independence due to extensive practice. Notable Variations Absent Palmaris Longus Muscle: This muscle, present in about 85% of people, has minimal impact on finger movement but can indirectly affect wrist function and, consequently, finger independence. Anomalies in Tendons or Muscles: Some people are born with anatomical anomalies like extra or fused tendons, which may enhance or hinder finger movement. Evolutionary Considerations The development of more precise hand movements in humans has likely led to a balance between interconnectedness (for grip strength) and independence (for dexterity). However, the degree of these traits varies widely among individuals. In summary, human hand anatomy does vary in ways that can provide some individuals with a natural advantage in finger independence. However, training and use are critical in maximizing these abilities." *Edit I also asked Google's AI in more specific terms, "Does human hand anatomy vary in such a way that some people may have better finger independence between their ring and pinky fingers?" It said: "Yes, due to natural variations in hand anatomy, some people may exhibit greater finger independence between their ring and pinky fingers compared to others, primarily because of slight differences in muscle attachment points and tendon connections within the hand, allowing for more isolated movement of the pinky finger. Key points about this variation: Muscle variations: The muscles controlling the pinky finger can sometimes have more distinct attachments, enabling better independent movement, especially when compared to individuals where the muscles are more interconnected with the ring finger. Tendon variations: The tendons connecting muscles to the bones in the fingers can also vary slightly, impacting how much independent movement is possible between the ring and pinky fingers. Individual differences: Even within a "normal" range of hand anatomy, slight variations can lead to noticeable differences in finger independence between individuals."
Unironically and seriously saying good boy and bad boy when describing what he’s doing in the example is hilarious after a while. I chuckled multiple times. Well done.
I find it easier to line up scale runs with the good boy approach because every 3 note per string pattern would be relatively equal in hand, so that when you play straight diatonic 3nps shapes using the pinkie finger it allows for minimum range of motion, even for the lowest frets the technique is very similar to the highest frets, as opposed to the bad boy approach there is no need to switch between using the pinkie finger and ring finger for the last note of any 3 note per string pattern, sacrificing dexterity for the mimimum required range of motion. I just subconsciously started doing this because I learned 3nps shapes through the Paul Gilbert intense rock video With that being said, I make certain exceptions for pedal tone sequences, the pentatonic scale and certain arpeggios
Agree, the switch can be annoying. But bear in mind, that I'm only talking about playing LIGHTSPEED, right at your limits. It does really depend on the run/challenge and how you want to set it up.
I am so programmed to using my little finger, that I cannot do it the other way. Some of the 3 notes per string passages would be difficult without using the little finger.
A different perspective on using 1 2 & 3 for whole step-half step separation over 1 3 & 4 is people who exhibit Wartenburg's Sign. This is an ulnar nerve injury common in many athletes or from regularly bad posture at computers that causes your pinky to lose mobility, most commonly not being able to align the pinky with the other fingers while all fingers are extended. I've suffered this since my late twenties, 35 now, and I had to relearn my approach because I spent my teenage decade strictly using the 'good boy approach'. My pink is strong enough to use for 1 2 & 4, but it is legitimately too weak to use in a 1 3 & 4 arrangement, permanently. Seeing you give permission for this approach makes me feel seen, like I'm actually being forced to use a better overall approach!
Wow. I'm sorry to hear you've suffered this injury and had to adapt to it. I've never heard of Wartenburg's Sign - that's fascinating. My approach as a teen was very similar (sans injury), and trying to not do the good boy approach felt wrong or guilty. It makes me joyous to know that my video has impacted you in a positive way. It's a shame that the perceived "rules" can lead to a wrong vs right mindset. I think that's why so many of the greats were rule breakers. They were out there, making their own rules in order to create the music they heard in their heads, while the rest of us sat down with the TAB as if it were a strict paint-by-numbers. Appreciate you sharing mate!
While I do agree with you There is one guitar player who is a big influence on me and that is Paul Gilbert Who uses pinky a lot. I noticed he will use The pinky where others don't.
Totally, and Synyster Gates, Buckethead, John Petrucci etc. It's not so much about the pinky, but using the pinky with the ring finger. All I'm saying is it's not mandatory to play like this, especially if the original artist didn't 😎
That ascending pattern at 8:40 is wrong actually, if you go watch Yngwie's REH video of this same exact lick you will realize he does something super unique which is to use 124 through the entire pattern which I didn't realize till I watched this video. I saw your goodboy approach recommendation and I knew for a fact that is way too much work for Yngwie so I just went to check the REH video and I finally learned the correct fingering to use which is 124. Thank you for pointing me to figure it out but FYI your tabbing is wrong here.
Cheers for that, I look forward to checking out the REH video. Thanks for taking the time to correct me. It's actually not too surprising that YJM would go to such extreme lengths to avoid the good boy approach. Cheers again for sharing.
I’m with Tom on this one. It feels wrong at first but the results don’t lie. Pinky and ring together is fine for most things. However, it puts you at a mechanical disadvantage for ultra fast playing.
I am programmed to use the little finger for everything. If you "copped out' and used the ring finger, it was a disgrace and your mates would let you know ablut it pretty quick. This is was an eye opening episode. Thanks Tom.
Wow mate - that's a spot on summary for what most of us experienced. You can see the well-meaning nature of it, but now with TH-cam you can easily see many of our heroes breaking these rules. So I figure, why don't we as well?
I’ve noticed that the guys who are good at the good boy approach all have a very relaxed rolling of the wrist to reorient the pinky, pivoting around the anchor points vibrato style.
Michael Schenker stretching bad boy rarely used pinky, Page, Gary Moore...they did use the pinky but on ascending and descending passages ...for some situations that bad boy approach is just so much faster, i use both and substitute when the good boy has me beating ny head in when bad boy makes that passage much easier
Michael Schenker is a good example of someone using the bad boy method of playing in a solo. If you watch Michael, most of the time his pinky is off to the side while his other three fingers are shredding up and down the fretboard with ease, while playing smooth and very melodic licks. 🎸🤘🏼👍🏻
@@TomShreds It would be amazing if you could get an interview with Yngwie to come on as a bass player featuring his bass playing. We all Luv, and respect him as a guitar player and composer already. Maybe first contact Rick Beato on how to approach him on this? Anyway, thank you for all you share with us! "Keep Doing That Voodoo That You Do!"
Reb Beach uses ring finger even in 1-2-4 pattern. He makes a strech between 2nd and 3rd. finger. I practised that and it works. Somehow it sounds better to me. Maybe my pinky is weak. When a fan asked Reb why he plays like that, he said that it came naturally to him, without any thinking about it.
Great example with Reb. He developed his unique tapping style to compensate for the lack of reach without the pinky. If he used his pinky, he likely wouldn't have developed his tapping style.
Interesting - I didn't know this! All the great shredders have a knack for listening to their hands, and letting them decide what's best. An intuition. Thanks for sharing! 🎸
To some people saying your hands aren’t big, I went for the bad boy approach for almost 25 years now, since I started when I was a kid. My hands are pretty small. Your left hand will stretch, I can put my hands together like I’m praying, spread my fingers as far as I can, and my fretting fingers can spread way farther than my picking hand. Combining the bad boy approach with pointer, middle, and pinky 3nps stuff was the way to go for me. In my experience, it’s the stretch with pointer and middle that people find is a problem, it’s worth the investment of time to acclimate to it if you feel like the “good boy” approach is like hitting a wall for speed.
I have small hands. I try to mostly play nut to bridge scale lengths no longer than 25" if possible, play very lightly with my fretting hand, and watch out for too much stretching, to avoid recurring fretting hand thumb tendonitis.
Being self taught, I taught myself to use fingering that felt most comfortable. The pinky is relatively weak and not very dexterous so for me is best left out of lead work most of the time.
It's also worth noting that it's much easier to play a note with pinky right after a note with 3rd finger than it is to play those same 2 notes in reverse, I think that's why Yngwie is a good boy for his single string ascending 4s lick. Thx for the lesson Tom 😎
That's a really interesting observation - thanks for sharing mate! I guess if the ring is already down, then the pinky can follow later relatively easily, but lifting off first is a whole nother ball game!
I'm a bad boy. I been taught to use the "bad boy approach" because you use them to bend the strings. But I also use the "good boy approach" if I'm going to use speed without any bends. 🎸
i love how John petrucci approaches this in low parts of neck good boy approach during solos high up the neck bad boy approach moreover it gets to the point of eliminating pinkie on simple scale runs
I find that the sound you get with the middle finger is more defined. Also there is something really important in Yngwie's style. Try to go up the scale as Yngwie typical lick. and It wont be posible to do fast, going from the 5 fret up to the 2 up to speed. You will only be able to do it doing either with the strong fingers or a combination (which I do).
I definitely have more trouble with ascending runs when using my ring+pinky finger. Recently starting to trust the instinct telling me to just use the stronger fingers.
I think that Kiko Loureiro and Tony MacAlpine have always applied the "good boy approach", but they have something in common: they started in music by studying classical music (Kiko on the classical guitar and Tony on the classical piano). Also, it seems that pianists and violinists don't have this problem, which is somehow curious. P.S: It's always been easier for me to play using the "good boy approach", as it feels really uncomfortable when I use the "bad boy approach".
Interesting observation! Makes sense that classically trained musos have more pinky ring independence. Perhaps something to do with learning as a growing child? You're an X-Man! I do wonder if a week or so of deliberate practise would be enough to dust the cobwebs off the bad boy approach, so that they could be compared equally. Either way, thanks for your comment 😎
@@TomShreds I've been applying your concepts while warming up (I usually do it for 1 hour, playing different riffs and licks that require different techniques) and have improved a lot, so I will try to stick to the "bad boy approach" when I play Malmsteen-ish licks. Hopefully I can unblock it and will let you know if it works.Thank you so much for the awesome content you've been sharing with us!
@@TomShreds one more thing that I just remembered about classically trained musicians is that when they start learning music, a huge part of their lessons and training sessions is learning from technique books that already provide the fingering they should be using to play the exercises/music, so maybe that why they have more pinky ring independence.
You can also test the lack of independence of those fingers if you hold your hand open with all fingers stretched out and then curl your little finger inwards. You'll notice that the ring finger automatically does the same thing.
I did the test! Totally true for me. It's funny, before this video, I assumed we were all equal in this setback, but it's fascinating to know that it affects folks uniquely.
Guthrie Govan does this too using the pinky only when absolutely necessary. I’ve done the good boy thing but have recently tried to shift to the bad boy way.
I ended up learning both way long ago. I started paying on an old Memphis V and its neck was so damn big I had to spread my fingers out just to hit the frets. Then I went to Ibanez, ESP, and Jacksons and the necks were much slimmer and frets were a bit closer together. I knew then there were no set rules.
I've tried to force pinky ring finger and my hand hates it. When I improvise and want to belt out a thunderstorm of notes, the pinky takes a back seat. And now I'm doing way more 4 note per string bits, it just forces the middle and ring finger to do the heavy lifting and the pinky gets added on top with a wide stretch. This makes Legato way faster and impossible to do with the 1 finger per fret approach
Some of us don't have hands anywhere near the size of Yngwie's massive mitts. I've pretty much been stuck with the Good Boy Approach on the lower frets and it's transferred to when I play higher up as well.
Couple of things. As far as Yngwie and modern shred, since most notes are alternate picked, it's ignorant or , at best lazy not to use the pinky-- you're asking nothing of it! Now...legato? I can entertain an argument against using the pinky or adopting a 3 fingered approach. As someone with large hands, I would be severely limited without my pinky when playing up high on the neck. Why? Because the tight spacing only allows for the pinky to cleanly fret the 20th fret while the ring frets the 19th. If I were to adopt a 3 finger approach, my ring finger is too thick to cleanly fret the 20th fret with the middle finger fretting the 19th. Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest ( pre '84), Phil Collins of Def Leppard, Howard Leese of Heart, Paul Gilbert, Buckethead are all strict one finger-per-fret 4 finger players. I think it depends on finger thickness to a point. Like I said, I have large hands but fortunately fairly slender fingers; yet still a 3 fingered approach won't work for me up high. I need that pinky. Another thing often not mentioned: the 3rd/4th finger interval is NEVER asked to do what the first and second finger interval does. No one does a trill with 3/4 or even 2/3. True extended trills are typically 1/2 or 1/3. So.....considering we are relegating the pinky to light duty, why would you not use it?
I grew up as a good boy. I play good boy style most of the time. At this point I see life won’t pay me back for being a good boy. And I feel good boy style won’t pay me back for playing like that either.
That's really profound mate - thanks for sharing. Sometimes you've gotta stop and get out to check that you really are heading in the right direction and make some adjustments, as painful as that can be!
Hey Tom, how did you flatten the magnets on your middle pickup? Is that a different pickup with the YJM cover? My pick hits the middle pickups and I need those magnets out of my way.
Hey Hank! With great difficulty. All stock parts. I used a soldering iron to heat up each coil, and then push it back into place with the handle from a pair of pliers (with the cover off obviously). Then I took the instrument to be routed, because the pickup wire has no room to pass by the pickup when it's flat. After that, I'm able to have it flat as a pancake (flatter than YJM's even!). Never thought so many folks would notice!
I was taught to avoid ring and little where ever possible. Because of the anatomy in your hands it just is way harder to control ring and little finger individually than it is with middle and ring finger. Yes still practice ring and little finger for the times you cant avoid it but avoid it at all costs.
I have arthritis too. It struck out of the blue about 5 years ago. So far I can still play at a high level, but I can see quite clearly there's certain things best avoided and for me the "bad boy approach" is one of them. I find keeping my fingers parallel to the frets is easier on the finger joints. Can you use your index finger or does it just cause you too much pain?
Wow mate - that really sucks. I'm sad to hear you have to play with such a setback. You have my respect for your persistence, and ingenuity. If Django could do what he did with 2 fingers then there's always room to create magic with what you have. My buddy Rick Renstrom is a great example of this, recommend checking him out 🎸😎
@@TomShreds I know you're not addressing me, but I’d like to point out something that Michael Angelo Batio often says, which I’ve long agreed with: “Musical people will find a way to make music.” Over the course of 40 years of playing guitar, I’ve dealt with numerous issues and injuries-some pretty severe. For instance, one night after a gig, I broke up a fight between friends. The next day, I woke up to find that I had injured the interosseous nerve in my left arm. I lost the ability to bend the tip of my thumb and index finger. I'm sure you can imagine how devastating that was for someone who had spent the previous 10 years practicing Yngwie Malmsteen licks. Let me tell you, it’s a mind-bending experience to have normal sensation in your fingers but find them paralyzed. You tell your mind to bend them, but they simply don’t respond. It’s surreal. I saw a doctor only once and was diagnosed. I had to borrow money for that visit, so when the doctor told me I’d need to see a specialist, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. That’s when I became deeply interested in hand and arm anatomy and decided to rehabilitate the injury myself. It took two solid years to recover. At first, I was so depressed that I didn’t touch a guitar for months. But then I realized I could still play folk-style guitar, sing, and play an acoustic. In fact, I could still do quite a lot. I invented my own rehab regimen, and after two years, I made it back. That was just one of a few times I've had to persevere. You alter your style a bit; you may make some unconventional fretting choices, but you carry on. Musical people will find a way to make music. Many guitarists have faced adversity. Chris Poland of Megadeth comes to mind. He suffered a tendon injury in shop class, if I recall correctly, leaving him unable to bend the tip of his index finger. It blows me away when I listen to his playing on Peace Sells. Even something as simple as playing a C chord becomes a challenge when you can’t bend the tip of your index finger-but he found a way. Later, Dave Mustaine suffered the same nerve injury I had. I remember reading that he thought his career was over. It might feel like it’s over for a while, but it doesn’t have to be over forever. Musical people will find a way to make music. And then there’s Tony Iommi. The man literally chopped off the tips of his fingers but didn’t give up. He made homemade prosthetics and made his mark on the world of heavy metal guitar. Honestly, I think I might have taken up drums if I’d been in his shoes, but his resilience altered the course of music history. Paul Gilbert’s videos inspired me to pick up a slide some months back. If arthritis ever robs me of the shred guitar style I love, I’ll become a slide player like Duane Allman-another guitarist who overcame adversity. Musical people will, indeed, find a way to make music.
I wish I could use the "bad boy" approach, but despite trying for over 30 years, I've never been able to do those low-on-the-neck 2-fret stretches between my 1st and 2nd fingers without active discomfort. So I had to force my pinky to do more heavy lifting. It's probably my single biggest frustration as a player, because I watch so many other guitarists who seem to be able to do that 1st/2nd finger stretch effortlessly. I don't know if it's just how my hands are built, or if it's because I wasn't taught to do it that way when I was young so I never developed the flexibility, but it does appear to be too late to develop it at age 49. So pinky it is.
Fair enough mate, sorry to hear it's been a struggle! What about on the higher frets? If I was you, I'd just stay there for a while, and build up the coordination where you feel it's most comfortable. Then you might be able to stretch more as you gradually descend? That's what my experience has been like.
Nice video! one thing I've noticed when using the pinky is an unconscious improper release movement after pressing the string that tends to make a pull off instead of just rising the finger...
Me too - it's funny how nature often finds a way. Shredding is definitely all about listening to your hands and at least acknowledging what they want to do.
I use both techniques, ring and middle above the 12th fret because the frets are close together so I can reach them comfortably, If its lower down I use the pinky or the more classical position, its just about mechanics, you cant play the note if you cant reach the damn thing, kind of a dumb argument really
Schumann developed etudes for the ring and pinky. He damaged his hand. My hands aren't very large, so I use the pinky most things. But I don't bend with the pinky. Either way is good.
Fascinating. Yeah I agree - both are useful, but I guess blindly sticking to the Good Boy Approach is the issue I'm raising awareness of. Thanks for sharing!
Then do it mate - and eventually things will stretch and you'll be surprised at how much you can eek out towards the lower frets. Stay where it's comfortable and build up your speed, and you'll never want to go back down to the cowboy-chord end! 🎸
I always did the good boy approach, but now I'm trying to practice the bad boy approach, as it makes sense. Ideally, you'd be able to do either easily.
Yep, over a year ago I uploaded a video with the same title, BUT while the general message is similar, the rest of the video was not. The main reason I removed it is because Yngwie had already copyright striked 2 of my videos, and a 3rd would mean game over for this channel. So I removed it as a precaution. From memory I may have played some actual YJM songs in it. Better safe than sorry. Thanks for watching either way.
I am really conflicted in this because I have made good progress in the good boy approach and it improved my 4th finger play overall and yet the bad boy approach is much more reliable.
I suffer quite a lot from the connection but my hands are not very big and I have to four fingers in most runs. I've just had power through it but it's certainly taken longer than it took Yngwie to reach his fluidity.
@TomShreds Good idea, but I'm honestly not sure I need to change it anymore. My horizontal runs are so ingrained and will require completely different fingering. It's not only because I'm a conservative old fart as I switched to 7-string after 30 years and some years later also to multi scale and 4th tuning. I can only recommend all three.
I'm a bad boy ☹️. I have large hands so it's not difficult to stretch my fingers quite far but I do wish I had better dexterity on the Good Boy approach.
And then Shenker would use the first and second finger for what everyone else would use first and third Gary Moore too, lol ..ive tried its soooooo hard ...i gave up on that show off technique twenty years ago, but wow its impressive
To each their own. I believe all classical players use one finger per fret. I think Al Dimeola and Joe Pass use one fret per finger as well. And they aint exactly "slow." And of course, (as you mention) Paul Gilbert. Robben Ford uses his first finger and pinky for almost everything. I would never play like that. Why do we have to play the same way as our heroes? I like Django, do I need to burn my left hand and lose the use of 2 of my fingers in order to play like him?
Indeed - and if attempting to play like Al Dimeola, I'd always default to the approach he used, at least to start with. All I'm saying is that devoutly sticking to the good boy approach, even on bad boy songs, can be an unnecessary setback (as it was in my experience) 😎
@@TomShreds I should have also mentioned that I do appreciate your excellent videos and teaching. My comment came off a little more "snarky" than I intended.
@@GINKBB Cheers mate - appreciate that 😎 Not at all, your point was completely valid 🎸 Please always feel free to comment and share your thoughts, that's how we learn!
Hey mate. There's not really any chord progressions being outlined for most of these examples. I can say that they're all in A minor, except for "Dreams". Cheers 😎
This seems to be a bit untrue. Paul Gilbert and Buckethead absolutely use their ring and pinky, so does EVH. Maybe certain players tend to stretch to use the index and ring, but not every shredder.
Hey Guy, I think you misunderstand. At no point do I suggest that using the pinky is the issue. The issue is using the pinky and ring finger at the same time. Pinky with index and middle is perfectly independent, it's only when the ring finger gets involved that it becomes so much more difficult to use. EVH used his pinky plenty as you said, but he didn't use it with his ring very often at all. Hope this makes sense! Recommend re-watching the video to clarify this point 😎
As a player for a veeery long time, not using ny pinkie just feels so wrong to me. Love yngwie too but i can't play his songs without my pinkie, at all. To each their own really. Even just the simple diminished sweeps, i can't do it cleanly/properly without my pinkie
I agree - I suspect you've misunderstood my point. Using the pinky is encourage in all situations where it's needed. The issue is using the pinky at the same time as the ring finger. When trying to use this combo at lightspeed, that's where the issues arise. I'm all for the pinky, and EVH & YJM were too.
@@TomShreds no i mean, i get ya 😂 there are just certain licks where it really wouldn't work, not to mention playing sitting down and standing up (at least for me) feels soo much different. I even change my fingering when i do 😂
All good, don't be knocked down by it 😎 Recommend jumping to a nice comfortable high fret position and trying that first lick until you're comfortable. Within a week or so, you might surprise yourself by how fast you can play with that combo!
The odds of becoming a famous guitar player are the same as a regular Joe off the street playing in the NBA. Sure it has happened with nepotism but, there are millions of people who think they can but never will. The most important thing is that you are just playing for fun and because it makes you happy, not to impress anyone else.
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The technic of the amazing Criss Oliva R.I.P.
Good to see the Yngwie content returning. Keep it coming.
Cheers David! Will do 😎
Okay, I'm gonna take one last swipe at this since you got me thinking about it. I asked ChatGPT " Does human hand anatomy vary in such a way that it could allow some people to have better finger independence?" Here is what it said:
"Yes, variations in human hand anatomy can contribute to differences in finger independence. Several anatomical and neurological factors influence finger independence, which is the ability to move each finger individually without significantly affecting others. Here are the key factors:
1. Tendon Arrangement
The tendons of the fingers (flexor and extensor tendons) can have variations in their connections.
Some individuals have less interconnection between the tendons of neighboring fingers, particularly the extensor tendons, allowing for greater independent movement. For instance, the ring and middle fingers often share tendons, which can limit independence in most people.
2. Intrinsic Muscle Anatomy
The lumbricals and interossei muscles within the hand play a role in precise finger movements. Variations in the size, strength, or innervation of these muscles can enhance or limit finger independence.
3. Neurological Wiring
The motor cortex in the brain controls fine motor skills, and the degree of neural separation in the brain's representation of each finger varies among individuals. Some people have more distinct "maps" for each finger, leading to better control.
The ulnar and median nerves, which provide motor signals to the hand, can also vary in how effectively they innervate certain muscles.
4. Ligament and Joint Flexibility
Variations in joint flexibility (e.g., hypermobility) and ligament structure can influence how independently fingers can move. Greater flexibility might allow for more complex movements, but it can also reduce precision.
5. Proprioception and Feedback
Differences in proprioceptive ability (the sense of the position and movement of one’s own body parts) can enhance the control of finger movements. People with more refined sensory feedback can achieve better independence and coordination.
6. Training and Habitual Use
While anatomy plays a foundational role, training and repetitive use also significantly influence finger independence. For example, pianists, guitarists, and typists develop better independence due to extensive practice.
Notable Variations
Absent Palmaris Longus Muscle: This muscle, present in about 85% of people, has minimal impact on finger movement but can indirectly affect wrist function and, consequently, finger independence.
Anomalies in Tendons or Muscles: Some people are born with anatomical anomalies like extra or fused tendons, which may enhance or hinder finger movement.
Evolutionary Considerations
The development of more precise hand movements in humans has likely led to a balance between interconnectedness (for grip strength) and independence (for dexterity). However, the degree of these traits varies widely among individuals.
In summary, human hand anatomy does vary in ways that can provide some individuals with a natural advantage in finger independence. However, training and use are critical in maximizing these abilities."
*Edit
I also asked Google's AI in more specific terms, "Does human hand anatomy vary in such a way that some people may have better finger independence between their ring and pinky fingers?" It said:
"Yes, due to natural variations in hand anatomy, some people may exhibit greater finger independence between their ring and pinky fingers compared to others, primarily because of slight differences in muscle attachment points and tendon connections within the hand, allowing for more isolated movement of the pinky finger.
Key points about this variation:
Muscle variations:
The muscles controlling the pinky finger can sometimes have more distinct attachments, enabling better independent movement, especially when compared to individuals where the muscles are more interconnected with the ring finger.
Tendon variations:
The tendons connecting muscles to the bones in the fingers can also vary slightly, impacting how much independent movement is possible between the ring and pinky fingers.
Individual differences:
Even within a "normal" range of hand anatomy, slight variations can lead to noticeable differences in finger independence between individuals."
This nailed it.
Can’t argue with human anatomy…even if you’re a virtuoso anatomical freak like Yngwie and Edward.
and Steve Vai and Buckethead with their not short fingers.
Unironically and seriously saying good boy and bad boy when describing what he’s doing in the example is hilarious after a while. I chuckled multiple times. Well done.
Haha glad to hear. I am still very open to more streamlined nomenclature for these concepts 🤣
you just addressed something thats been a pebble in my shoe my whole life. i cant thank you enough.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Happy to help man, it was just like that for me too. The rules are very helpful but sometimes they're prohibitive.
I find it easier to line up scale runs with the good boy approach because every 3 note per string pattern would be relatively equal in hand, so that when you play straight diatonic 3nps shapes using the pinkie finger it allows for minimum range of motion, even for the lowest frets the technique is very similar to the highest frets, as opposed to the bad boy approach there is no need to switch between using the pinkie finger and ring finger for the last note of any 3 note per string pattern, sacrificing dexterity for the mimimum required range of motion. I just subconsciously started doing this because I learned 3nps shapes through the Paul Gilbert intense rock video
With that being said, I make certain exceptions for pedal tone sequences, the pentatonic scale and certain arpeggios
Agree, the switch can be annoying. But bear in mind, that I'm only talking about playing LIGHTSPEED, right at your limits. It does really depend on the run/challenge and how you want to set it up.
I am so programmed to using my little finger, that I cannot do it the other way. Some of the 3 notes per string passages would be difficult without using the little finger.
So am I. When I see other players without using the pinky I feel a deep uncomfortable sensation haha
Its strictly about using it together with the ring finger. Yeah you should use your pinky but not together with your ring finger if you can avoid it.
@@metalpuppet5798 I do all the time. I don't have a problem with it.
@@TheTimeProphet even on legato stuff. I mean if you are used to it by all means do it but you are making it unnecessarily hard for yourself.
Old habits die hard.
thanks for the video tom.
ive seen a lot of progress through my shredding journey. thank u very much
Thanks for watching mate, glad to hear 😎
Dude! This helped me a ton! I didn’t even think of this. My speed is going to increase like crazy. About to get your YJM course. Thanks!
I use index and middle when I can. Sometimes I HAVE TO use pinky and ring because my fingers aren’t that long.
We do what we can. 🤷🏻♂️
Great lesson Tom! Thank you
Thanks for watching legend!
A different perspective on using 1 2 & 3 for whole step-half step separation over 1 3 & 4 is people who exhibit Wartenburg's Sign. This is an ulnar nerve injury common in many athletes or from regularly bad posture at computers that causes your pinky to lose mobility, most commonly not being able to align the pinky with the other fingers while all fingers are extended. I've suffered this since my late twenties, 35 now, and I had to relearn my approach because I spent my teenage decade strictly using the 'good boy approach'. My pink is strong enough to use for 1 2 & 4, but it is legitimately too weak to use in a 1 3 & 4 arrangement, permanently. Seeing you give permission for this approach makes me feel seen, like I'm actually being forced to use a better overall approach!
Wow. I'm sorry to hear you've suffered this injury and had to adapt to it. I've never heard of Wartenburg's Sign - that's fascinating. My approach as a teen was very similar (sans injury), and trying to not do the good boy approach felt wrong or guilty. It makes me joyous to know that my video has impacted you in a positive way. It's a shame that the perceived "rules" can lead to a wrong vs right mindset. I think that's why so many of the greats were rule breakers. They were out there, making their own rules in order to create the music they heard in their heads, while the rest of us sat down with the TAB as if it were a strict paint-by-numbers.
Appreciate you sharing mate!
Love to see you break down the arpeggios on the son big foot from Alcatraz, good job! 👍🏽
While I do agree with you There is one guitar player who is a big influence on me and that is Paul Gilbert Who uses pinky a lot. I noticed he will use The pinky where others don't.
Most 80s three note per string shredders use their pinky, including Yngwie, EVH, Randy Rhoads etc.
Totally, and Synyster Gates, Buckethead, John Petrucci etc. It's not so much about the pinky, but using the pinky with the ring finger. All I'm saying is it's not mandatory to play like this, especially if the original artist didn't 😎
That ascending pattern at 8:40 is wrong actually, if you go watch Yngwie's REH video of this same exact lick you will realize he does something super unique which is to use 124 through the entire pattern which I didn't realize till I watched this video. I saw your goodboy approach recommendation and I knew for a fact that is way too much work for Yngwie so I just went to check the REH video and I finally learned the correct fingering to use which is 124. Thank you for pointing me to figure it out but FYI your tabbing is wrong here.
Cheers for that, I look forward to checking out the REH video. Thanks for taking the time to correct me. It's actually not too surprising that YJM would go to such extreme lengths to avoid the good boy approach. Cheers again for sharing.
I’m with Tom on this one. It feels wrong at first but the results don’t lie. Pinky and ring together is fine for most things. However, it puts you at a mechanical disadvantage for ultra fast playing.
I am programmed to use the little finger for everything. If you "copped out' and used the ring finger, it was a disgrace and your mates would let you know ablut it pretty quick. This is was an eye opening episode. Thanks Tom.
Wow mate - that's a spot on summary for what most of us experienced. You can see the well-meaning nature of it, but now with TH-cam you can easily see many of our heroes breaking these rules. So I figure, why don't we as well?
Nice! Thanks for the lesson 🎸
Pleasure mate, thank you for watching 😎
I’ve noticed that the guys who are good at the good boy approach all have a very relaxed rolling of the wrist to reorient the pinky, pivoting around the anchor points vibrato style.
Michael Schenker stretching bad boy rarely used pinky, Page, Gary Moore...they did use the pinky but on ascending and descending passages ...for some situations that bad boy approach is just so much faster, i use both and substitute when the good boy has me beating ny head in when bad boy makes that passage much easier
The moral of this lesson: sometimes it's good to take a bad boy approach when shredding.
Michael Schenker is a good example of someone using the bad boy method of playing in a solo. If you watch Michael, most of the time his pinky is off to the side while his other three fingers are shredding up and down the fretboard with ease, while playing smooth and very melodic licks. 🎸🤘🏼👍🏻
Another great example! These guys were rule breakers - they just skipped to what works and put the pedal to the metal 😎
You've done Swedish shred secrets, shred like Ed... may I suggest Lean Into Shred - A Paul Gilbert course.
Nobody talks much about Yngwie's bass playing. 😉
True - that's where those mitts of his will shine!
@@jdubbs9655 His bass playing on Trilogy Suite Opus Whatever is so amazing, and also is on Now Your Ships Are Burned.
@@TomShreds It would be amazing if you could get an interview with Yngwie to come on as a bass player featuring his bass playing. We all Luv, and respect him as a guitar player and composer already. Maybe first contact Rick Beato on how to approach him on this? Anyway, thank you for all you share with us! "Keep Doing That Voodoo That You Do!"
Reb Beach uses ring finger even in 1-2-4 pattern. He makes a strech between 2nd and 3rd. finger. I practised that and it works. Somehow it sounds better to me. Maybe my pinky is weak. When a fan asked Reb why he plays like that, he said that it came naturally to him, without any thinking about it.
Great example with Reb. He developed his unique tapping style to compensate for the lack of reach without the pinky. If he used his pinky, he likely wouldn't have developed his tapping style.
Interesting - I didn't know this! All the great shredders have a knack for listening to their hands, and letting them decide what's best. An intuition. Thanks for sharing! 🎸
To some people saying your hands aren’t big, I went for the bad boy approach for almost 25 years now, since I started when I was a kid. My hands are pretty small. Your left hand will stretch, I can put my hands together like I’m praying, spread my fingers as far as I can, and my fretting fingers can spread way farther than my picking hand. Combining the bad boy approach with pointer, middle, and pinky 3nps stuff was the way to go for me. In my experience, it’s the stretch with pointer and middle that people find is a problem, it’s worth the investment of time to acclimate to it if you feel like the “good boy” approach is like hitting a wall for speed.
I have small hands. I try to mostly play nut to bridge scale lengths no longer than 25" if possible, play very lightly with my fretting hand, and watch out for too much stretching, to avoid recurring fretting hand thumb tendonitis.
Buckethead wants to know your location.
Excellent video! I'm usually a "good boy," but I'll definitely be being a "bad boy" more often! Thanks! Please keep the Yngwie coming!
Cheers mate! Appreciate it. Will do 😎🍩
@@TomShredsExcellent!
What about Rusty Cooley and Michael Angelo?
Both KINGS. MAB's picking is out of this world. From memory they're both very very GOOD boys?
I use both after say the ninth or tenth fret I start using the bad boy approach.
Being self taught, I taught myself to use fingering that felt most comfortable. The pinky is relatively weak and not very dexterous so for me is best left out of lead work most of the time.
It's also worth noting that it's much easier to play a note with pinky right after a note with 3rd finger than it is to play those same 2 notes in reverse, I think that's why Yngwie is a good boy for his single string ascending 4s lick. Thx for the lesson Tom 😎
That's a really interesting observation - thanks for sharing mate! I guess if the ring is already down, then the pinky can follow later relatively easily, but lifting off first is a whole nother ball game!
As music guru Diddy says, “Bad boy for life”
I typically play using the Good-Boy approach- but not for something like this.
I'm a bad boy. I been taught to use the "bad boy approach" because you use them to bend the strings. But I also use the "good boy approach" if I'm going to use speed without any bends. 🎸
Tom is Yingwing all over the place!
i love how John petrucci approaches this in low parts of neck good boy approach during solos high up the neck bad boy approach moreover it gets to the point of eliminating pinkie on simple scale runs
I find that the sound you get with the middle finger is more defined. Also there is something really important in Yngwie's style. Try to go up the scale as Yngwie typical lick. and It wont be posible to do fast, going from the 5 fret up to the 2 up to speed. You will only be able to do it doing either with the strong fingers or a combination (which I do).
I definitely have more trouble with ascending runs when using my ring+pinky finger. Recently starting to trust the instinct telling me to just use the stronger fingers.
I adopted the bad boy approach this year. Game changer
Paul Gilbert has an insane speed on his pinky finger technique 😀
Richie Blackmore played that lick frequently long before Yngwie💯🎸
Fucking awesome dud, love your content!
Cheers legend, appreciate your support 😎
I think that Kiko Loureiro and Tony MacAlpine have always applied the "good boy approach", but they have something in common: they started in music by studying classical music (Kiko on the classical guitar and Tony on the classical piano). Also, it seems that pianists and violinists don't have this problem, which is somehow curious.
P.S: It's always been easier for me to play using the "good boy approach", as it feels really uncomfortable when I use the "bad boy approach".
Interesting observation! Makes sense that classically trained musos have more pinky ring independence. Perhaps something to do with learning as a growing child? You're an X-Man! I do wonder if a week or so of deliberate practise would be enough to dust the cobwebs off the bad boy approach, so that they could be compared equally. Either way, thanks for your comment 😎
@@TomShreds I've been applying your concepts while warming up (I usually do it for 1 hour, playing different riffs and licks that require different techniques) and have improved a lot, so I will try to stick to the "bad boy approach" when I play Malmsteen-ish licks. Hopefully I can unblock it and will let you know if it works.Thank you so much for the awesome content you've been sharing with us!
@@TomShreds one more thing that I just remembered about classically trained musicians is that when they start learning music, a huge part of their lessons and training sessions is learning from technique books that already provide the fingering they should be using to play the exercises/music, so maybe that why they have more pinky ring independence.
You can also test the lack of independence of those fingers if you hold your hand open with all fingers stretched out and then curl your little finger inwards. You'll notice that the ring finger automatically does the same thing.
Mine doesn’t. It does move a little. But what Tom is saying here is anatomically true. They are connected up at the tendons.
I did the test! Totally true for me. It's funny, before this video, I assumed we were all equal in this setback, but it's fascinating to know that it affects folks uniquely.
Guthrie Govan does this too using the pinky only when absolutely necessary. I’ve done the good boy thing but have recently tried to shift to the bad boy way.
I ended up learning both way long ago. I started paying on an old Memphis V and its neck was so damn big I had to spread my fingers out just to hit the frets. Then I went to Ibanez, ESP, and Jacksons and the necks were much slimmer and frets were a bit closer together. I knew then there were no set rules.
I've tried to force pinky ring finger and my hand hates it.
When I improvise and want to belt out a thunderstorm of notes, the pinky takes a back seat.
And now I'm doing way more 4 note per string bits, it just forces the middle and ring finger to do the heavy lifting and the pinky gets added on top with a wide stretch.
This makes Legato way faster and impossible to do with the 1 finger per fret approach
Makes sense. It helps that Yngwie has gigantic hands like Lynch.
Some of us don't have hands anywhere near the size of Yngwie's massive mitts. I've pretty much been stuck with the Good Boy Approach on the lower frets and it's transferred to when I play higher up as well.
Couple of things. As far as Yngwie and modern shred, since most notes are alternate picked, it's ignorant or , at best lazy not to use the pinky-- you're asking nothing of it! Now...legato? I can entertain an argument against using the pinky or adopting a 3 fingered approach. As someone with large hands, I would be severely limited without my pinky when playing up high on the neck. Why? Because the tight spacing only allows for the pinky to cleanly fret the 20th fret while the ring frets the 19th. If I were to adopt a 3 finger approach, my ring finger is too thick to cleanly fret the 20th fret with the middle finger fretting the 19th. Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest ( pre '84), Phil Collins of Def Leppard, Howard Leese of Heart, Paul Gilbert, Buckethead are all strict one finger-per-fret 4 finger players. I think it depends on finger thickness to a point. Like I said, I have large hands but fortunately fairly slender fingers; yet still a 3 fingered approach won't work for me up high. I need that pinky.
Another thing often not mentioned: the 3rd/4th finger interval is NEVER asked to do what the first and second finger interval does. No one does a trill with 3/4 or even 2/3. True extended trills are typically 1/2 or 1/3. So.....considering we are relegating the pinky to light duty, why would you not use it?
I grew up as a good boy. I play good boy style most of the time. At this point I see life won’t pay me back for being a good boy. And I feel good boy style won’t pay me back for playing like that either.
That's really profound mate - thanks for sharing. Sometimes you've gotta stop and get out to check that you really are heading in the right direction and make some adjustments, as painful as that can be!
Hey Tom, how did you flatten the magnets on your middle pickup? Is that a different pickup with the YJM cover? My pick hits the middle pickups and I need those magnets out of my way.
Hey Hank! With great difficulty. All stock parts. I used a soldering iron to heat up each coil, and then push it back into place with the handle from a pair of pliers (with the cover off obviously). Then I took the instrument to be routed, because the pickup wire has no room to pass by the pickup when it's flat. After that, I'm able to have it flat as a pancake (flatter than YJM's even!). Never thought so many folks would notice!
@@TomShreds 🤣 YEP, my middle pickup is bottoming out on the neck wire also. So I can't go all the way flush... and magnets are sticking up.
I'd like to see Paul Gilbert talk about this concept. He's a freak with his pinky and ring finger!😊
Which makes folks like Paul Gilbert even more superhuman.
Agreed. Need to do some more PG - he was the guy who got me into shred 😎
Can we see a video on how you got the middle pickup flush with the pickguard on the YJM Strat? Did you just route it yourself?
I was taught to avoid ring and little where ever possible. Because of the anatomy in your hands it just is way harder to control ring and little finger individually than it is with middle and ring finger. Yes still practice ring and little finger for the times you cant avoid it but avoid it at all costs.
I made up the bad handicapped boy approach..I play w; 2nd 3rd4th fingers cause of rhumatoid arthritis 😅
I have arthritis too. It struck out of the blue about 5 years ago. So far I can still play at a high level, but I can see quite clearly there's certain things best avoided and for me the "bad boy approach" is one of them. I find keeping my fingers parallel to the frets is easier on the finger joints.
Can you use your index finger or does it just cause you too much pain?
Wow mate - that really sucks. I'm sad to hear you have to play with such a setback. You have my respect for your persistence, and ingenuity. If Django could do what he did with 2 fingers then there's always room to create magic with what you have. My buddy Rick Renstrom is a great example of this, recommend checking him out 🎸😎
@@TomShreds
I know you're not addressing me, but I’d like to point out something that Michael Angelo Batio often says, which I’ve long agreed with: “Musical people will find a way to make music.”
Over the course of 40 years of playing guitar, I’ve dealt with numerous issues and injuries-some pretty severe. For instance, one night after a gig, I broke up a fight between friends. The next day, I woke up to find that I had injured the interosseous nerve in my left arm. I lost the ability to bend the tip of my thumb and index finger. I'm sure you can imagine how devastating that was for someone who had spent the previous 10 years practicing Yngwie Malmsteen licks. Let me tell you, it’s a mind-bending experience to have normal sensation in your fingers but find them paralyzed. You tell your mind to bend them, but they simply don’t respond. It’s surreal.
I saw a doctor only once and was diagnosed. I had to borrow money for that visit, so when the doctor told me I’d need to see a specialist, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. That’s when I became deeply interested in hand and arm anatomy and decided to rehabilitate the injury myself. It took two solid years to recover.
At first, I was so depressed that I didn’t touch a guitar for months. But then I realized I could still play folk-style guitar, sing, and play an acoustic. In fact, I could still do quite a lot. I invented my own rehab regimen, and after two years, I made it back. That was just one of a few times I've had to persevere. You alter your style a bit; you may make some unconventional fretting choices, but you carry on. Musical people will find a way to make music.
Many guitarists have faced adversity. Chris Poland of Megadeth comes to mind. He suffered a tendon injury in shop class, if I recall correctly, leaving him unable to bend the tip of his index finger. It blows me away when I listen to his playing on Peace Sells. Even something as simple as playing a C chord becomes a challenge when you can’t bend the tip of your index finger-but he found a way.
Later, Dave Mustaine suffered the same nerve injury I had. I remember reading that he thought his career was over. It might feel like it’s over for a while, but it doesn’t have to be over forever. Musical people will find a way to make music.
And then there’s Tony Iommi. The man literally chopped off the tips of his fingers but didn’t give up. He made homemade prosthetics and made his mark on the world of heavy metal guitar. Honestly, I think I might have taken up drums if I’d been in his shoes, but his resilience altered the course of music history.
Paul Gilbert’s videos inspired me to pick up a slide some months back. If arthritis ever robs me of the shred guitar style I love, I’ll become a slide player like Duane Allman-another guitarist who overcame adversity.
Musical people will, indeed, find a way to make music.
I wish I could use the "bad boy" approach, but despite trying for over 30 years, I've never been able to do those low-on-the-neck 2-fret stretches between my 1st and 2nd fingers without active discomfort. So I had to force my pinky to do more heavy lifting. It's probably my single biggest frustration as a player, because I watch so many other guitarists who seem to be able to do that 1st/2nd finger stretch effortlessly. I don't know if it's just how my hands are built, or if it's because I wasn't taught to do it that way when I was young so I never developed the flexibility, but it does appear to be too late to develop it at age 49. So pinky it is.
Fair enough mate, sorry to hear it's been a struggle! What about on the higher frets? If I was you, I'd just stay there for a while, and build up the coordination where you feel it's most comfortable. Then you might be able to stretch more as you gradually descend? That's what my experience has been like.
Nice video! one thing I've noticed when using the pinky is an unconscious improper release movement after pressing the string that tends to make a pull off instead of just rising the finger...
Totally - it's harder to control I find, and little sounds like that feel more likely to occur!
I was taught the good boy approach but I always found the bad one to be waaay easier at faster speeds.
Me too - it's funny how nature often finds a way. Shredding is definitely all about listening to your hands and at least acknowledging what they want to do.
Ahahahah the bad boy approach !! :D
Still waiting on suggestions for better names 😬🤣
I use both techniques, ring and middle above the 12th fret because the frets are close together so I can reach them comfortably, If its lower down I use the pinky or the more classical position, its just about mechanics, you cant play the note if you cant reach the damn thing, kind of a dumb argument really
Agreed - but things stretch. In my short time using the bad boy approach, I'm shocked at the stretches that are now possible lower on the fretboard.
Schumann developed etudes for the ring and pinky. He damaged his hand. My hands aren't very large, so I use the pinky most things. But I don't bend with the pinky. Either way is good.
I think he even had some sort of contraption for that. Ring was the issue. He wanted to have the same attack and have it move independently.
Fascinating. Yeah I agree - both are useful, but I guess blindly sticking to the Good Boy Approach is the issue I'm raising awareness of. Thanks for sharing!
I just rebuilt my technique based on this idea. Wish I'd done this 20 years ago!
Me too! Although having some experience at the good boy approach is not a bad thing to have in the back pocket.
I have short stubby hands, so I can only use the bad boy method on higher frets. :(
Then do it mate - and eventually things will stretch and you'll be surprised at how much you can eek out towards the lower frets. Stay where it's comfortable and build up your speed, and you'll never want to go back down to the cowboy-chord end! 🎸
thank you for this detailed
explanation. Richard Graham is one of those X-men, but i am not.
Paul Gilbert isn't human. He can trill all day long with his pinky and ring finger.
I always did the good boy approach, but now I'm trying to practice the bad boy approach, as it makes sense. Ideally, you'd be able to do either easily.
Exactly - neither is wrong. Just worth trying them both on when prepping for lightspeed!
Hold on a minute, didn't you upload this video (or a very similar one) a while ago already?
Yep, over a year ago I uploaded a video with the same title, BUT while the general message is similar, the rest of the video was not. The main reason I removed it is because Yngwie had already copyright striked 2 of my videos, and a 3rd would mean game over for this channel. So I removed it as a precaution. From memory I may have played some actual YJM songs in it. Better safe than sorry. Thanks for watching either way.
I am really conflicted in this because I have made good progress in the good boy approach and it improved my 4th finger play overall and yet the bad boy approach is much more reliable.
Exactly how I feel! They're both valid, and have unique uses. I guess it's all about knowing when to apply each, and to keep the mind open 😎
I suffer quite a lot from the connection but my hands are not very big and I have to four fingers in most runs. I've just had power through it but it's certainly taken longer than it took Yngwie to reach his fluidity.
Recommend jumping up to the top of the fretboard where you can master the bad boy approach without having to worry about stretching 😎
@TomShreds Good idea, but I'm honestly not sure I need to change it anymore. My horizontal runs are so ingrained and will require completely different fingering.
It's not only because I'm a conservative old fart as I switched to 7-string after 30 years and some years later also to multi scale and 4th tuning. I can only recommend all three.
I'm a bad boy ☹️. I have large hands so it's not difficult to stretch my fingers quite far but I do wish I had better dexterity on the Good Boy approach.
Then the masochist exercise is for you mate 😎
Pattern em scale yng
Guthrie is one of the best 'shredders' ever and doesn't use his pinky much.
Interesting Steve - I would have assumed GG used his pinky plenty. Curious.
And then Shenker would use the first and second finger for what everyone else would use first and third Gary Moore too, lol ..ive tried its soooooo hard ...i gave up on that show off technique twenty years ago, but wow its impressive
And Shawn Lane did that too
To each their own. I believe all classical players use one finger per fret. I think Al Dimeola and Joe Pass use one fret per finger as well. And they aint exactly "slow." And of course, (as you mention) Paul Gilbert. Robben Ford uses his first finger and pinky for almost everything. I would never play like that. Why do we have to play the same way as our heroes? I like Django, do I need to burn my left hand and lose the use of 2 of my fingers in order to play like him?
Indeed - and if attempting to play like Al Dimeola, I'd always default to the approach he used, at least to start with. All I'm saying is that devoutly sticking to the good boy approach, even on bad boy songs, can be an unnecessary setback (as it was in my experience) 😎
@@TomShreds I should have also mentioned that I do appreciate your excellent videos and teaching. My comment came off a little more "snarky" than I intended.
@@GINKBB Cheers mate - appreciate that 😎 Not at all, your point was completely valid 🎸 Please always feel free to comment and share your thoughts, that's how we learn!
Hi Tom, I would like if you could add the chords that go with the licks. Thanks
Hey mate. There's not really any chord progressions being outlined for most of these examples. I can say that they're all in A minor, except for "Dreams". Cheers 😎
as a former violinist, I have no issue with the good boy approach. nobody does this when they play violin and they manage just fine.
Interesting - it seems the classical folks have less trouble with it.
This seems to be a bit untrue. Paul Gilbert and Buckethead absolutely use their ring and pinky, so does EVH. Maybe certain players tend to stretch to use the index and ring, but not every shredder.
He mentions Gilbert…he’s pitching us an idea. You don’t have to listen if you don’t want
Hey Guy, I think you misunderstand. At no point do I suggest that using the pinky is the issue.
The issue is using the pinky and ring finger at the same time. Pinky with index and middle is perfectly independent, it's only when the ring finger gets involved that it becomes so much more difficult to use.
EVH used his pinky plenty as you said, but he didn't use it with his ring very often at all. Hope this makes sense! Recommend re-watching the video to clarify this point 😎
Watch any Buckethead concert.
my dad fell on his bike once and ripped the tendon between the pinky and ring finger
Ouch! Has that affected his finger independence and mobility?
@@TomShreds yeah, a little bit but his pinky can move more freely on its own
Правая рука работает шикарно...👌
Only use pinky if needed period
Yngwie’s rule of pinky 🤣🤣🤣
I will try being a bad boy.
As a player for a veeery long time, not using ny pinkie just feels so wrong to me. Love yngwie too but i can't play his songs without my pinkie, at all. To each their own really. Even just the simple diminished sweeps, i can't do it cleanly/properly without my pinkie
I love my pinky, too, but I'm gonna start sneaking this in, here and there, as well.
I agree - I suspect you've misunderstood my point. Using the pinky is encourage in all situations where it's needed. The issue is using the pinky at the same time as the ring finger. When trying to use this combo at lightspeed, that's where the issues arise.
I'm all for the pinky, and EVH & YJM were too.
@@TomShreds no i mean, i get ya 😂 there are just certain licks where it really wouldn't work, not to mention playing sitting down and standing up (at least for me) feels soo much different. I even change my fingering when i do 😂
More yngwie!
Could you talk about Composing or pedal tone licks
Great idea - will do mate. Thanks for watching 😎
Bad boy approach is much harder for me I get depressed by this video
All good, don't be knocked down by it 😎 Recommend jumping to a nice comfortable high fret position and trying that first lick until you're comfortable. Within a week or so, you might surprise yourself by how fast you can play with that combo!
This needs to be explained?
I agree.
The odds of becoming a famous guitar player are the same as a regular Joe off the street playing in the NBA. Sure it has happened with nepotism but, there are millions of people who think they can but never will. The most important thing is that you are just playing for fun and because it makes you happy, not to impress anyone else.
Agreed. If it's not for you then you shouldn't bother I say. Life's too short to spend doing stuff you don't like and don't have to do. 😎
Not only is the"bad boy"easier.But it sounds much better then the"good boy".The pinky is your weakest finger and has the worst tone.
The pinky rule doesn't apply to Paul Gilbert
Por favor explique em português do Brasil!
I like to see your amp setup.
Amplitube 5 😎 All digital. I have a video on how I get my EVH tone here: th-cam.com/video/B3_NsQuWX14/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0UqsmPOTdwM15bma
Totally agree
Use that pinky all day