Spare finger!

[noelford]

I've be playing guitar for nigh on fifty years. I've never had a lesson, never used a tutorial and am entirely self taught. I actually believed at one time that I had invented hammering on and pulling off, only to discover that these are well established techniques and everybody plays that way! Because of the way I learned to play, I have undoubtedly picked up some bad habits and some odd techniques, such as the way, when playing some chords, I often use just one finger to bar three strings (for instance when playing a chord of D at the fifth fret, I bar the B, G and D strings with my little finger.

Amazingly, after all these years, I have only just noticed that, when playing lead, I hardly ever use the fourth (between middle and little) finger of my fretting hand. When I noticed, I made a conscious effort to use this finger more but it simply doesn't feel right. So, I'm just wondering. Is this something else that everybody does or is it a another bad habit that is far too late for me to change?

[Risky]

Noel

It didn't cause Django much problem:

"With rehabilitation and practice he relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. He played all of his guitar solos with only two fingers, and used the two injured digits only for chord work".

Phil

[AlanMcKillop]

Django only used his 1st and 2nd fingers as the other two were damaged, although he could use the damaged fingers as a sort of barre.

Like you Noel, I always play a D chord like you suggest, the reason was that I was playing with choirs/bands/orchestra's in the early 70's and you had to play in every Key, not just those that are easy for guitarists. So if you were playing an Eb for example, using your method, you had another three fingers (although I note that you missed out using your third one) you could get a good C shape over 4 frets & 5 strings. Bruce uses a barre style to great affect all over the fingerboard, which is why his sounds are 'so right'.

[Tab]

A spare finger would be a luxury for me.

I lost the end of my third finger left hand in an accident some years ago and had to re-learn using three fingers instead of four. I often use one finger to cover more than one string and have to use my pinky to bend, hammer on and pull-off. I find that I can bend a 24 wound third quite easily now but I'd rather be using my third finger.

Look after those hands!

Kind regards,
Terry

[tony parnham]

Hi Noel,
I also barre three strings with the first finger a lot, I find it more comfortable in every key up and down the fretboard using that formation, however I would not at the 5th fret form a 'D' shape with my little finger as you describe it would be my third finger. The ring or third finger is stronger than the pinky and during the late fifties rock an roll era, you would never be able to play the 12 bar blues up and down the fretboard using that formation as the little finger on many occasions needed to span 5 or 6 frets ', for instance' to do a simple Chuck Berry number or the classic intro from George Harrison's 'I feel fine' with the Beatles. If you've got 5 fingers available, use 'em. you may have subjected your third finger to redundancy for fifty years.
Tony

[Mikey]

I find that "I Feel Fine" riff really hard to do properly but I use it as a practice exercise. I have the same difficulty with the Chuck Berry style 12-bar riffs. I've got quite small hands with short fingers (and deep pockets!) so I struggle to get that span. However, I have no problem with normal barre chords, thank goodness!

[noelford]

Tony, I probably didn't explain properly. When I play the chord of D at the fifth fret I bar all six strings with my first finger and the B, G and D strings with my little finger at the seventh. However, if I want to play variations of that chord, I bar the B, G and D strings with my fourth finger (the one I never seem to use for lead!) leaving the little finger to cover anything up to the tenth fret (though more often the eighth or ninth). I don't have the problem you describe when going up and down the fretboard for twelve bar blues – I've been doing it for years. I have a long stretch and can cover the six frets, using the little finger, without any trouble. Blimey! It would be much easier to show you than trying to describe it here! Can't comment on the George Harrison intro, as it's a number I've never played.

[ecca]

Drunk again.... sorry.

[Tab]

There is, probably, but what has 'parochial' to do with this discussion?

[tony parnham]

Sorry Noel, I probably did misunderstand what you meant. At the end of the day it's really what one feels comfortable with there is no set of rules of course.
Hope the guitar is getting plenty of use.
Regards Tony