Using My Little Finger

[mathhag]

So I understand which buttons on an Anglo are supposed to be played with my little finger but I find I dont do very well on my left hand for the second to the last button . I do much better if I use my ring finger. Is this verboten or sacrilegious? Will I be developing a terrible habit?

[W3DW]

I don't know if it'd be a "terrible habit", but I DO know your little finger will get smarter and stronger pretty soon if you keep at it.

 

I recommend you use it exactly as suggested for a few months, and re-evaluate then. Chances are good that it'll do its job fine. Maybe you'll elect not to use it regularly after a good trial, but at least it'll know its job if you find yourself in a particular spot where it will be of advantage.

[Mikefule]

I play Anglo in the chromatic style - tune mainly on the right, accompaniment mainly on the left - and my left little finger is the busiest of all. I use it for the lowest button on each of the three rows, for the second button on the outside row and accidental row, and, less commonly, for the 2nd button on the inside row, so that's 6 buttons.

 

It may help if instead of allocating fingers to buttons, or buttons to fingers, you think of that finger as the one that plays the lowest bass notes: the "Ooms" in your "Oom-pahs". I have 2 or 3 little bass runs that require me to use the left little finger on 2, 3, or 4 different buttons consecutively.

 

You need to relax and you need to practice. I would start off with an exercise on the outside (middle) row, push, playing an oom-pah with:

 

Left little finger alternating on buttons 1 and 2.

Forefinger and middle finger playing buttons 4 and 5 together.

 

| 1, (4&5) | 2, (4&5) | 1, (4&5) | 2, (4&5) | etc.

 

1 is the root of the chord and 2 is the 5th.

 

Then bring in the 1st button on the accidental row, push, as an "oom". This is the 3rd of the chord.

[Jody Kruskal]

"I do much better if I use my ring finger. Is this verboten or sacrilegious? Will I be developing a terrible habit?"

Yes, yes and yes. The left hand little finger is a very handy fellow. Don't shy away from using it and developing the dexterity required... but, typically the ring finger is much longer and so it might be the better choice for you, depending on the button, the button sequence and your personal hand size. There is no right or wrong in this. If you can use the little guy then you should. If not, don't sweat it. My brother Tom rarely uses his because it's so short and he plays just fine.

[Doug Barr]

I agree with Jody......don't do it....don't shy away from something that seems hard right now.....I know you want to progress fast but you must realize it takes a long time. Progress will be slow(it is for all of us) but do it correctly! You will thank yourself later.

 

What tune are you trying to play that is giving you trouble. I find that most adult try to play tunes to hard for them. If this is so, put it aside and come back to it a year from now to see how it goes. Some tune just don't work on the anglo.

 

Have fun!

 

Doug

[mathhag]

I agree with Jody......don't do it....don't shy away from something that seems hard right now.....I know you want to progress fast but you must realize it takes a long time. Progress will be slow(it is for all of us) but do it correctly! You will thank yourself later.

 

What tune are you trying to play that is giving you trouble. I find that most adult try to play tunes to hard for them. If this is so, put it aside and come back to it a year from now to see how it goes. Some tune just don't work on the anglo.

 

Have fun!

 

Doug

Sad thing is it is not anything very difficult. Just Fevre Jacque from Gary Coover's book. When I try to hit the little finger it comes out really weak. But I appreciate the encouragement and will keep trying.

[Anglo-Irishman]

I look at it this way: there are quite a few things that I can do quite well today, but if I think back to when I started doing them, I blush in retrospect at how badly I did them at the start. Things like driving a car, walking on stilts, hitting a ball over a net.

 

There will come a time when your pinkie just won't believe that there are pinkies that can't press those buttons!

 

Cheers,

John

[Rod]

Use a slight twist of the wrist to add back-up strength strength to weak pinkie notes.

[Mikefule]

Use a slight twist of the wrist to add back-up strength strength to weak pinkie notes.

That can work. In a similar way, certain chord changes are easier if you can find a pivot point and move your hand rather than moving each finger individually, if you see what I mean.

 

Another important thing is to practise tricky things in isolation, as well as putting them into tunes. If you get tot he stage of "I always struggle with this bit of the tune because of X" then practise X on its own fora bit, then practise it in context.

[W3DW]

I remember that early on I loosened my wrist strap and found it easier to use my little finger. Maybe that's just me, but worth a try.

[Halifax]

I remember that early on I loosened my wrist strap and found it easier to use my little finger. Maybe that's just me, but worth a try.

And I've tightened mine for the same effect. Either way, with practice, it does get easier!

[Mikefule]

I find the ideal is to play with the straps slightly loose, but adjusting the grip with my thumbs to tighten or loosen the strap as necessary. Slightly too lose is easier to cope with than slightly too tight.