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Author Topic: right hand fingering  (Read 6797 times)

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Howie

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right hand fingering
« on: October 30, 2014, 07:41:24 PM »

hi,very new to melodeon playing.i am finding that it is much more difficult to get my little and ring finger to work properly than say my index and middle finger.Tapping an even rhythm with the latter is so much easier.Is this normal,or is it old age !! thanks
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Anahata

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2014, 07:49:05 PM »

Some players only use three fingers, for similar reasons because the little finger tends to be weaker and less accurate than the others.

You do need three fingers working properly though. Maybe practising tapping an even rhythm (on anything, no melodeon needed) would be a good thing to do, to improve that basic skill - it can't do any harm.

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malcolmbebb

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2014, 07:51:21 PM »

Hi Howie,
It improves with practice. I think it is a naturally weak area. I now use those fingers on my right hand without thinking about it too much.
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The Blues Viking

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2014, 08:13:41 PM »

There's a gizmo that I've seen trumpet players use; an arrangement of four spring-loaded plungers that can be held in one hand and used to exercise the fingers. I have no idea what it's called, or where to buy one; perhaps somewhere that sells brass instruments can help.

Failing that, squeezing a rubber ball should help.

TBV
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boxdancer

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2014, 08:44:34 PM »

Best to use all five fingers. Yes, fingers four and five are the weakest but, with practice, they'll give you more playing options and therefore more control. 
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Sebastian

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2014, 09:08:21 PM »

Best to use all five fingers.
Yes. It’s best to use the thumb in the thumb strap to hold the box in place.
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george garside

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2014, 09:38:09 PM »

the thumb an be very useful for the chin end accidentals

george
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GuyWyatt

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2014, 07:44:15 AM »

I actually use my little finger more than any of the others. No Idea why. When I first started playing and had trouble with that particular digit someone (possibly on this forum) recommended carrying a clothes peg in my trouser pocket and squeezing it to build up those muscles.
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Bobtheboat

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2014, 08:01:08 AM »

Hi,
Yeah it can feel a bit like trying to tie a bow with your toes at first but if you persist it'll become second nature.
I'm really glad I took that advice when I started out. Good luck! Bob :||:
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Lester

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2014, 08:12:28 AM »

There's a gizmo that I've seen trumpet players use; an arrangement of four spring-loaded plungers that can be held in one hand and used to exercise the fingers. I have no idea what it's called, or where to buy one; perhaps somewhere that sells brass instruments can help.

Failing that, squeezing a rubber ball should help.

TBV

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2014, 09:38:27 AM »

Most people seem to have more difficulty with their little finger than with any other digit when they begin playing. In this situation, you have two choices: either don't use your little finger, in which case you will never reap the many benefits that finger can give you, or persevere until you build up the strength, flexibility and muscle memory sufficiently for the little finger to become as easy to use as all the others.

As you progress on your melodeon journey, you will find that using your little finger makes many techniques easier, such as playing in octaves, playing pedal notes and playing drones. My advice would be to persevere with it and you should find that any difficulties you find in using it will disappear quite quickly.
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Boyen

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2014, 09:58:26 AM »

I started with three fingers and am gradually building up to four.
So now for every tune I play I try to decide whether my little finger.  has a benefit and if it does I use it. This way I'm building up strength but it's not slowing me down. It does mean that I go back to tunes that I already learned and try to incorporate my little finger. 
I do believe that for only melody playing using the little finger.  is not always the most optimal but some procedures are much more difficult without.
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george garside

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2014, 10:49:58 AM »

there is no biological reason for not using the little finger. piano/organ/keyboard players use it all the time as do those who learned to touch type.    The trumpet exercise gadget sound a good way of strengthening it up   but just using it  regularly will do the same thing.

Having the little finger 'up and running' increases fingering capacity by a massive 25%, entirely free of charge - conversely not using it brings about a 25% decrease in ''prodability''

In the real world of  melodeon playing  using the little finger   gives more choices - some  chunks of a tune may work better 'walking' up  or down the keyboard with 2 or 3 fingers whilst others respond better to using  4  particularly if a one off stretch to a high is required.

But that's not all!   ~The 25% increase in prodding capacity greatly facilitates   the  playing of right hand chords,  adding additional bits of right hand rhythm  etc etc.

In my view there are times when the little fingerer  makes life much easier and the tune better  and also times when its not really needed.   Being able to use it with aplomb gives the best of both worlds

george
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Steve C.

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2014, 12:27:18 PM »

Howie, as a beginner here in the States, I developed many many bad habits 1) not seeing good players (pre-Youtube), 2) not having a method book (like Mally or George G) and 3) like you, not using all available fingers.
Took a few years of nearly "painful" re-training to get to that next level...
You can certainly play with 2 fingers on the L and 2-3 on the R, but if your goal in life is to play like the big boys, you need all your fingers….
Suggest getting a good method book, it will teach good fingering order technique as well….
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gmatkin

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2014, 03:25:25 PM »

Like George, I'd argue that it's worth getting that little finger going. Fiddlers do it, as do mandolinists and concertinists (except for most English concertina players), pianists and the rest.

In fact, I argue that it's worth learning to play scales and bits of tunes in parallel octaves with your first finger playing the lower scale and your little finger running up and down at the top. It's difficult, but great for getting control and adds to the volume - which means you're freer to linger longer on the chords and basses... And a bit further down the road, you might find that you can fill in with handy chords within the octave.

Gavin

baz parkes

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #15 on: October 31, 2014, 04:07:40 PM »

Can you borrow a 1 row...I found that for some reaso little finger and 1 row go together intuitively...
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Lester

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #16 on: October 31, 2014, 04:50:10 PM »

Having the little finger 'up and running' increases fingering capacity by a massive 25%, entirely free of charge - conversely not using it brings about a 25% decrease in ''prodability''

Pedantry Alert

Having the little finger 'up and running' increases fingering capacity by a massive 33.3%

/Pedantry Alert

 ;)

george garside

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #17 on: October 31, 2014, 04:58:30 PM »

never   was much good at maths !  should I have said that  not using the little finger reduces capacity by 25%?!

george ;)
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Howie

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #18 on: October 31, 2014, 05:50:40 PM »

Hi folks,thanks for all the replies ,plenty of things to try.i am just pleased that it is a common problem and not the old brain slowing down
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malcolmbebb

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Re: right hand fingering
« Reply #19 on: October 31, 2014, 05:59:37 PM »

Having the little finger 'up and running' increases fingering capacity by a massive 25%, entirely free of charge - conversely not using it brings about a 25% decrease in ''prodability''

Pedantry Alert

Having the little finger 'up and running' increases fingering capacity by a massive 33.3%

/Pedantry Alert


Although for the less ostentatious among us, a perfectly normal size 33.3 % works equally well.
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Dino BPII.
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