The little finger is evil and must be punished

[Gary]

are you playing with alternate picking or all downstrokes?

Strictly alternate picking, I can't yet do downstrokes at 100bpm :lol:

[MDV]

The advice you have is sound.

The most important part, the KEY to the WHOLE thing. ALL of it.

Playing slowly.

You start at a speed where you have complete, conscious control over everything youre doing.

The objective is to take this conscious thought and repeat it often enough that it becomes unconscious. Automatic.

Start really, really painfully slowly and really focus on playing it with the correct form and technique (including angle of the hand, application and release of pressure, relaxation and so on) and get it down at that speed.

Repeat it, played correctly, 10 times sequentially. Increase to a speed you just and so cant do it at.

Repeat.

[_tom_]

I've just started going through Guthrie Govans 'Creative Guitar 1' book again because I've been stuck in a rut for ages, and the finger independance exercises are really good, I've only been doing them a few days and it feels better allready. So I'd recommend that book, if you dont want to buy it I might scan in the finger independance exercises for you.

[noodleplugerine]

I've just started going through Guthrie Govans 'Creative Guitar 1' book again because I've been stuck in a rut for ages, and the finger independance exercises are really good, I've only been doing them a few days and it feels better allready. So I'd recommend that book, if you dont want to buy it I might scan in the finger independance exercises for you.

Please do!!!

[_tom_]

Its pretty much just variations on the whole


E----------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-
B-------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------
G----------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------
D-------------------1-2-3-4---------------------------
A----------1-2-3-4------------------------------------
E-1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------


thing, plus going up the neck, different positions etc. Its a good book, worth getting I reckon.

[Johnny Mac]

Aha! ^ Try doing those but only moving one finger at a time, so you have 3 fingers on the fret board at any time. Pain but in a good way, Monsta' effective!

[opprobrium_9]

well, that is some extreme lifting goin on there feller.  I have to say i have not quite seen it that extreme before.  However, i experience the same problem somewhat, though to a far lesser degree (fortunately).  It is my pinky, like you, and it is raising up, but it only seems to raise when i am doing structured speed exercises.  Maybe raises up about 3/4 of an inch or a little less whereas my other fingers stay close to the strings.  I find, however, that all of this has improved by practicing scales religiously in the form of improvisation, working all up and down the fretboard, all of my fingers have gotten MUCH closer to the strings.  My pinky is still inaccurate though, relative to the other fingers which poses a problem for sure.

As i am typing this, i just realized the the pinky on my left hand, out of habit, does not even really touch the keys except to used the shift button.  :?  Some things clearly need to be fixed!   :x

[Gary]

Its pretty much just variations on the whole


E----------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-
B-------------------------------------1-2-3-4----------
G----------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------
D-------------------1-2-3-4---------------------------
A----------1-2-3-4------------------------------------
E-1-2-3-4---------------------------------------------


thing, plus going up the neck, different positions etc. Its a good book, worth getting I reckon.

Pretty much what I've been doing. I'm using the exercises from Troy Stetina's Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar. Very metal based but applicable to all styles. I've been doing this religiously since I first posted this and and noticing a small improvement so I feel as though I'm on the right track. The trick now will be to incorporate this in to my 'real life' playing but I'm confident I'll get there in the end.

[MrBump]

"Rut-busters" are good, but it's nice to put them in a more musical context, rather than just moving patterns around the neck.

It's nice to look at phrygian, locrian, lydian, aeolean modes etc - stay in a single position and try to move from one mode to another.  Not only does this get your fingers thinking, it also motivates your grey matter.

And relax the fretting hand.  Very important to avoid long term damage, like RSI.

Mark.