The Curse Of The Flying Pinky (or why you can’t play fast)

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to move the pinky and ring finger independently? At first it seems impossible. The reason is, they are attached to the same tendon. But with a little bit of dedicated training, we can program our fingers to do what we want them to do. I know I have been ignoring this problem way too long. But then Anthony Wellington gave me an exercise that was perfect for fretting hand independency. After just 30 days of doing it I managed to get rid of my flying pinky. 

The Secret Sauce

In "Economy Of Motion" I show you the exact exercise that Anthony showed me when I took lessons with him. This exercise makes sure that every single finger will get the same amount of work out.

In total there are only 24 four-note permutations if you use every finger only once. It is up to you to find out which patterns you have been overlooking up till now. And there are a few patterns that work exceptionally well for eliminating the dreaded flying pinky.

Incorporating this economy of motion exercise into your practicing routine, you will not only be able to play faster and cleaner, though. Having played all possible 1-2-3-4 permutations will ensure that you will never stumble over fretting patterns that you haven’t used before. Which will level up your sight reading skills.