Do you really need to use the left hand pinky?

[BluesHowler]

I'm really trying to use the pinky finger on my fretting hand but I find I can play ok for my skill level without it.

Do all good blues players use the pinky or can you do with out it and still play great.

Can anyone name any great players that do not use the fretting hand pinkie?

[Algonquin]

I'm sure there are some out there, but you really should keep at it.

It's tough at first, but it will open up your playing to many different styles. It will be much easier than trying ditch a bad habit in the future for proper technique. Stick with it, you'll be glad you did :AOK:

Cheers :beer:

[hubberjub]

Use your pinky. That is all.

[oldguy]

You really should use it all you can. Of course there are (were) fantastic guitarists who didn't......Django Reinhardt comes to mind...........but learn to use all the digits you have. It'll make it easier down the road.

[Robert]

There is no "should" - do what works, plain and simple. Some people use their teeth too, nothing wrong with that! :)

I use my pinky quite a bit, but it's too weak for bending.

My point is there are no rules for this kind of stuff.

[sunvalleylaw]

I don't know what anyone should do. I do use it all the time. I don't have a great reach anyway so I really need to. Some control and strength as begun to develop over time. If it is useful for you at all, keep trying. Kinda like barre chords I think. They suck at first, but are so useful later on.

[Jimi75]

Be yourself, be natural. There is one fine thing about playing guitar the way we do it - you can break rules *hahahaha* - no musicians police that gives you 25$ tag for not using the pinky. I for myself used my pinky a lot, then experienced a period where it was more convenient to me to not use it. I see it as a kind of advantage to have a good pinky technique and to build up some strenght in the pinky. When I learn new licks, I sit down and figure out the best fingering I could use.

[tot_Ou_tard]

You can do what you want.

If you keep up with it however, your brain will rewire itself to be able to move it.

That's the way all of this stuff works. A new move feels impossible at first because it is. There is no lever to move the way that you want to. If you keep trying & trying you'll trick the brain into thinking "Whoo-boy he REALLY REALLY wants to do this, maybe we'll die if he doesn't move his pinky in *just* that way" & then it'll devote some neural resourses to pinky management.

I can't imagine not using my pinky.

[R_of_G]

I can easily imagine not using mine. I broke that finger several times in my pre-guitar life and have significantly less strength and control with it than I would otherwise. I can use it alright for chord formations (though that took a lot of work) but for playing individual notes it's not that useful for me. I just remind myself that with three working fingers on my left hand I'm still one ahead of Django and if he could do what he did with two I don't worry all that much about not having much pinky action. I don't fret too much (pun intended) about "correct technique" and such. The correct technique is the one that works for you.

[BluesHowler]

Thanks for all the reply's. I had to use my pinky when playing bass guitar because of the reach and with that and years of martial arts training my hands and fingers are strong but I just feel more comfortable playing guitar with out using it most times.

I'm going to keep trying to use it when possible just so I can improve my technique.

[just strum]

I never knew the pinky was an issue when I started playing and by the time I heard people question its use, it was just natural for me. When playing scales I have the hand in a position to cover four frets or at least in the approximate area of four frets. Now I don't know if I could play without it.

I agree with the others that you have to go with what is comfortable for you. However, I think it is something you will find your self using as playing develops.

[ZMAN]

This is a no brainer to me there are six strings and only 5 digits. The thumb might help in chords so if you aren't using the pinky you are severly handicapped in what you can do. It is funny I never really worked on the pinky. it just happened. I guess because it needed to be there.