Strengthen Pinky for G Chord

So I'm looking at tips to strengthen/increse flexibility in my pinky to be able to place it on high E to make a G chord. From the gist I'm getting, pinky G is the "best" way to play G for transitioning to other chords.

As of now, with my middle finger on the 2nd string and ring finger on the 1st string, the lowest I can place my pinky is between the 4th and 5th strings. Nowhere close to where it needs to be. Otherwise, I typically place my pinky first and basically pin the fingernail against the 6th string so it can't move, then place my 2nd and 3rd fingers.

Thoughts? Pinning my pinky doesn't seem like it's strengthening it.

Hi 🙋‍♂️

You've got a few things back to front, and if you'll excuse me expressing the viewpoint, a misperception.

Strings are numbered higher to the lower octave. i.e. 1 to 6 is EBGDAE not EADGBE. A bit of trivia, the E strings are two octaves apart.

So you probably meant to say middle finger 2nd fret 5th string, ring finger 3rd fret 6th string, pinky to 3rd fret 1st string which describes the 'pinky G' fingering of open Gmaj? Copy that your pinky's not co-operating and falling on the 3rd fret 2nd or 3rd string.

There is no definitive "best" singular fingering of Gmaj. As you progress, you'll want both of those open forms to adapt to individual song chord progressions, and later even find youself using the barre form interchangeably. The conventional 1,2,3 fingering is the easiest to start with IMV&E. Start easy, reinforce success, progess to harder.

If instead you choose to use 2,3,4, remember the importance in fingering it of root note first, which implies landing all together if you can, but if not, ring first pinky last in that fingering where both low and high E strings are fretted, or as you downstrum in any song with a quick tempo and/or tricky chord change, the first note will likely end up being a base of E not G. Lisa covers the importance of root note first chord forming in F1.

IME&O the overwhelming majority of us won't be able to instinctively exercise the same power or consistent accuracy over our pinky (4) for some time as we do over fingers 1, 2 & 3, though even they can seem uncooperative at the very beginning. Misbehaving pinky? Time, persistance, repetition. Yep that's the 'magic' formula to bring increased flexibility, coordination and strength to the pinky.

Have fun with it. GL. 😎

P.S. Edit in italics for clarification.

Originally Posted by: peterncsu

So I'm looking at tips to strengthen/increse flexibility in my pinky to be able to place it on high E to make a G chord.

Consistent, repetitious practice is the effective way to improve figner strength & dexterity. But there are exercises you can do aside from just practicing the chords in order to achieve that goal.

This exercise is aimed at increasing all the fingers.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1829

And this one specifically targets the pinky! It assumes you can already play some other basic open chords. But once you can play the open A, D & E it's a great workout for your pinky.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1292

Hope that helps! Best of success!

Also keep in mind that your pinky is 'programmed' to move in tandem to your ring finger. Specifically, it's seems that when you bend your pinky, the ring finger wants to follow along. My theory is that because of this, your pinky is thinking "Well if ringy ain't goin', then I ain't goin'!" [br][br]...ok, fingers don't actually talk, I think.... .....[br][br]Moral is, your hand is a system and has spent your lifetime learning how to do things as a team. Now you're trying to ask them to be a bit more independent. But you're not used to using them in this way so they'll more easily default to how they normally are asked to move and work.

Literally, I would just get your fingers in place for that G chord and just hold it and strum it. Don't even try to transition to it from another chord. Examples I've used recently, one of them was learning Peter Frampton's 'Baby I Love Your Way'. Most chords are physically not difficult for me to play but that first chord in the opening/verse strumming riff is just a chord my hand never played. For whatever reason, I couldn't get my hand to just land there. I mean, I've been playing a long time. Easy peasy? Most stuff is easy enough..That chord?

So I just got my hand on that chord and just strummed away. The challlenge for me was that the chord changes by removing just the ring finger. So all four of my fingers were like 'Wait? What?' (I still contend my fingers don't talk.......)

You get my point; just isolate that one thing and work it until it is comfortable.

JeffS65 your anecdote delivered me a smile.

Caused me to reflect upon what in hindsight provided me with a breakthrough with pinky manipulation.

Sharing it here in the hope it might assist others.

Indirectly my underlying motivation was fueled by an intense desire to play two specific songs, both of which mandated pinky dexterity in order to do so led to my 'pinky playing' light bulb moment. That practical purpose context sustained motivation for the necessary perseverence & determination driving active interest in the repetition necessary in pursuit of achieving that specific goal of the many to be met in order to play those songs.

[br]The two songs were "She Loves You" in the key of G as taught here on GT by Dave C, where in the verse at a clipping tempo of 150BPM, the fast accurate strong placement of the pinky is required for the Em7 off a barre G (watch from 2min10sec - timed links not possible on GT TMK) followed by a barre Bm. It's less challenging off the open G and can be played that way as rhythm, and from watching live performance videos, John played it alternately that way as the rhythm part with George's supporting lead guitar. But the open G doesn't work as well into the abridged version arranged by Dave in playing an conjunctive adaptation of George's parts on a single guitar. At the time I took the song on, it was a significantly challenge to my then skill level. Not open G specific, but a fourth finger dexterity breakthrough nevertheless.

[br]The second song perhaps the more relevant, was The Eagles epic "Lyin' Eyes" in the key of G which doesn't exactly loiter either at a tempo of 133BPM. The verse here pretty much mandates a pinky open G in order to follow with the Gmaj7 at its tempo with the liftoff and overall timing of notes played on the 1st string. Even more challenging, is the return from the open D7 or D (Eagles played both and either fit) to pinky G which needs to be executed consistently accurately and quickly in order to repeat the verse progression. And it's a long song where one needs to do that over and over and over consistently. The placement of the pinky has to be accurate or the high G note will not sound as it should juxtaposed with its immediately following liftoff timing to the E note preceding the change to Gmaj7. Specific relevance of pinky G in practical application here. It doesn't challenge stretching so much as overall pinky control & dexterity, specifically accuracy, consistency, strength and co-ordination. Stretching distance in barre application is still my personal pinky's Achilles' Heel.

I'd been aware of and utilised Christopher's exercise lessons, but it was application through sheer brute force of repetition and time provided by the intense desire to accomplish those practical song playing goals that provided the breakthrough for me with pinky dexterity. That said, I can't say I'm looking forward to the super-stretchy challenges awaiting in the Blues course for my tiny pinky. Ouch!

In summary, not in contradiction of Christopher as I wouldn't dare be so presumptious in deference to my sincere admiration of and respect for die Meister, the song I'm figuratively singing here as a relative nOOb myself is to find a song/s you absolutely love within a practical realisation of probable accomplishment which utilises the pinky in a motivating pragmatic way provoking active attention and maintain focus and interest other than just reliance soley or even predominantly on a dry exercise. Do use the exercises too, with quasi religious frequency in daily application, but, because we are human and learn best doing when motivated by driving desire and interest, as an adjunct exercise to the core motivation.

Merely my perspective given what worked and continues to work best for me in practise.

Thanks for all the replies! I'll admit, even doing the G-chord with my 3rd finger on high E, I still have to actually lay that finger first. No way can I get my 2nd finger on Low E and then place my 3rd finger on High E. So I guess I should start here and work at it until this is at least comfortable to perform, then move on to the pinky.

I think so.

I just picked up a guitar and tried it to see how I form (123) open G automatically subconsciously to give you a baseline comparative. Played a few riffs to check out my changes from various other chords to G.

Consistently, 123 fingered G is one chord I land all three fingers in unison on the strings simultaneously. I should add in fairness that I've always found G an easy chord, appreciating not all do.

Keep plugging away. Muscle memory will get you there.

I'm constantly working with awareness to refine finger distribution and positional placement on the frets for optimum tone of each open chord. G fortunately isn't one of them, but ACDF all come to mind. Although I play them subliminally, I make a point of remaining cognizant to discern nuance in fingering.