Pinky Problems

February 1, 2008 at 10:32 PM

Hi, lately I've been having fourth finger troubles, and I wondered if anyone can give me some suggestions on how to fix it. My problem is that my fourth finger isn't curving correctly; only the last joint of the finger is bent when I place it on the fingerboard. So basically, my finger looks like an "L" when it should look like a "C". I talked with my teacher, and the only suggestion she could offer is simply to train it not to do that, but it is much harder said than done. If anyone has any suggestions as to why this is happening, and/or how to fix it, please let me know! Thanks.

From Kama Prellwitz
Posted on February 2, 2008 at 12:58 AM

Hello Megan,

I have experienced similar "problems" due to stress and over-practicing. I tried something called The Alexander Technique (AT). AT is a very gentle method of movement that trains you to not overain your back, neck, arms and hands. I took lessons from a wonderful teacher near me for about a year, and the change is wonderful.

Here is an Alexander Technique website, if you are interested in reading more (there's a lot of info on here)!
http://www.alexandertechnique.com/

Hope this helps and you don't hurt for long!
Kama

From Lisa Perry
Posted on February 2, 2008 at 1:23 AM

It happens to me a lot also. On top of what you have described, my pinkie will also lock in that position. I've found that bringing the left elbow farther under the violin (or even more to the right)helps me to get the curved "C" look instead. This enables me to reach the position with out having to over extend the pinkie, which is why it collapses into that "L".

Be careful though. Rotating the left elbow more to the right should be done in stages as you get more comfortable with it.

From Megan Tennant
Posted on February 2, 2008 at 2:38 AM

Thanks for both suggestions! I've never heard of the AT method, so I'll be sure to check out.

From Douglas Marples
Posted on February 2, 2008 at 1:18 PM

My understanding is that a natural (and healthy for your finger joints!) curve in the fourth finger should happen automatically if your hand position is correct: the wrist should shift closer to the fingerboard when playing with the fourth finger, and then be farther away (and the wrist thus straighter) when playing with the index finger. If this isn't happening for you when you have correct hand position then there may be a joint or tendon problem occurying which is preventing normal movement of the fourth finger. If that's the case I would suggest that you see an orthopedic hand specialist for an accurate diagnosis.

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Pinky Problems

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