Hi Howardmark,

I would say that you should be able to play the majority of songs and riffs, without the pinky.

A pinky is great for hitting riffs that require you to hammer-on a fret that is perhaps 4 or more frets away but you can always figure out different ways to play.

If you're just getting started, you may not need to use your pinky all that much. Please let us know if you have any questions!