• Join the A7X Discord!

    We're updating the community and moving all social content from the community to the Discord. All lessons related conversations will still take place here though! Join the Discord below and view the full announcement for more details

    JOIN THE DISCORD VIEW THREAD
Golden Goddess Guitar Leaderboard
Matt Wildcat

Advice Needed on Flight of Icarus section.

Yep, once again I need help XD Apologies in advance as my commentary is a bit all over the place lol.

So this time I'm working on a bit of Flight of Icarus with my guitar teacher, specifically focusing on a lick that uses a lot of hammer-ons, pull-offs and pinky finger work. Now, I've been working to try keep my pinky from flying off or tucking behind, but I feel like I've gone back to square one, and I'm also having issues with not being able to rid tension from my hand. I really don't quite know what to do - Whether it's actually or problem or not, and if it is, how I go about fixing it. I fear it's become such an ingrained bad habit that I won't be able to fix it and it'll affect my playing, which I really want to improve as I'm about to finish college and have a lot of spare time! Any help that anyone can offer is greatly appreciated, I realise I make these posts a lot but I really wanna make sure I'm doing things right! Cheers!
The pinky and ring finger are connected nerve wise somehow, maybe with everybody it's different.
When I bend my pinky, my ring finger does the same, maybe you got the opposite? I think what would help is fretting a note with your ring finger and hammer-on pull-off pinky to try separate the movements more. Sounds great, I don't know that song :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Wildcat
I'm thinking your pinky is trying to greet your thumb.. I usually don't put my thumb behind the fretboard too. I used to have major pinky control. Still do but my hands are small so they don't have the room.to do what yours are doing. Pg always says your thumb should be mobile. Rick beato says the same thing your thumb shouldn't stay in one spot. I think you just need to find the comfort zone. Where does your thumb.need to go to where the pinky can't really fit through that small opening that takes it behind the board.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Wildcat
Nice song choice! For the Pinky, it's a pesky finger in general but as far as I know the best way to practice it is by using it. I've never found a different way to go about it tbh 😅
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Wildcat
Thank you guys for the comments! I'll give William's suggestion a go, and I'll keep that idea of keeping my thumb mobile in mind when I'm practicing today! Hopefully it'll just be a case of trial and error and I'll get it down soon. Cheers guys! 🤘
 
I got some kind of not so hard stuff I've been wanting to share that I learned. I'm not sure if they are well known cause when I learned them I stopped looking for that kind of stuff. I'll try upload something later cause I'm cleaning up some
 
It's kinda late to give suggestions but the video lesson here should hopefully help you with strengthening your pinky and fingers in general:


Hope it still helps.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Matt Wildcat

Media information

Category
Riffs
Added by
Matt Wildcat
Date added
View count
895
Comment count
8
Rating
0.00 star(s) 0 ratings

Share this media