Ever try to get your pinky to jump out of its comfort zone?
Not so easy is it? For me it wasn’t easy, especially when I was starting out on the guitar. Truth be told, it’s still quite stubborn.
To combat this renegade digit, I deliberately put it through its paces with licks and exercises.
Make an exercise out of everything you can’t do. – Steve Vai
My latest exercise is a country blues lick over a big G Major chord that really isolates the little finger. In fact, this is the only finger that even moves during this little two-bar lick. Check out the video and the TABs below to get this under your fingers.
Country Blues Lick
As you can see from the video, this lick uses alternating bass picking throughout. If you haven’t already gotten this down, you may want to take a look at a BGI lesson or two on the subject.
Applying the Alternating Bass Line to The Ragtime Chord Progression
It will take a little bit of work and whole lot of practice to get the notes in the right spot. Coordinating the pinky movement with the alternating bass line is tough for sure. Any good exercise is challenging and rewarding. So, once you nail this lick…
Smile.
You’ve accomplished something pretty tricky.