View Single Post
  #4  
Old August 5th, 2007
coldethyl's Avatar
coldethyl coldethyl is offline
Grandiose Member
donating member

Playing guitar for over 10 years.
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Last Online: September 2nd, 2008 11:13 AM
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,658


Quote:
Originally Posted by stormie View Post
What I want to know is if anyone else has the problem I've described and if it has affected your playing, or if playing has made your finger worse? Or does anyone have any suggestions for how to strengthen and get some control over my pinkie?

Hi Stormie, several years ago I broke the ring finger on my left hand and it took some physio, determination, and time on my part to be able to get it to straighten out properly. Even now if I hold it out as straight as I can, it gives me some pain. Fortunately it hasn't impeded my guitar playing.

One of the exercises I was given by my physio to do on the finger was "the pinch grip" which was to close my left hand into a fist and then straighten out my fingers as straight as I possibly could and to do this several times per day. Initially I had a lot of difficulty getting my ring finger to straighten like the rest of my fingers could but eventually over time it did improve, to the point where now it will straighten out like the other fingers.

I also had a squeeze ball to exercise my fingers with and that was quite a help too.

Here's a site that may have some things on it to be of help to build strength in your problem finger......

Finger Exercises

Hope it helps!


"Good Music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and quits the memory with difficulty" Thomas Beecham
Reply With Quote