Name: Why I Don't Use My Pinky When Shredding
Uploaded: 2025-10-25 16:45:05
Duration: 9 min 57 s

Question 1

Why don’t you use your pinky when shredding?

Accepted Answer

I do use my pinky, just not nonstop up high on the neck. Past around frets 10–22, three-note-per-string stuff often feels more comfortable and controlled for me with a 1-2-3 approach. Forcing 1-2-4 up there feels weird in my hand and I lose control.

Question 2

Should I use my pinky for fast guitar runs?

Accepted Answer

You should definitely train your pinky, especially for stretches, chords, and certain lines where it’s the obvious best option. But you don’t have to use it at every possible moment. I’m big on experimenting and choosing what’s fastest and cleanest for your hands.

Question 3

Is it bad technique to play three-notes-per-string with only three fingers?

Accepted Answer

No—there’s no rule that says you must play 1-2-4 for every 3NPS pattern. I use 1-2-3 a lot up the neck because it’s efficient and doesn’t trip me up. And you can literally watch guys like Malmsteen, Guthrie, Andy James, and Reb Beach doing the same thing.

Question 4

When do you actually use your pinky?

Accepted Answer

I use it a ton in the lower positions (like frets 1–10) where 1-2-4 feels great. I also use it for big stretches—pentatonic reaches, wide interval stuff, and anything where there’s just no other clean option. And for certain chord/voice-leading movements, the pinky is absolutely in play.

Question 5

Why does using the pinky feel uncomfortable higher up the neck?

Accepted Answer

For me it’s the smaller fret spacing combined with my long fingers—my hand position just feels off. It’s not that I can’t do it; it just feels strange and I don’t get the same control. Down lower, the stretch and spacing feel perfect, so the pinky makes more sense there.

Question 6

Which famous guitarists don’t use their pinky much when shredding?

Accepted Answer

In the video I show examples of Yngwie Malmsteen, Guthrie Govan, Andy James, and Reb Beach doing a lot of 1-2-3 runs up the neck. They’ll still add the pinky when the line demands it, but the main engine is often those three fingers. That’s exactly the point—I’m not doing something “wrong,” it’s just a valid approach.

Question 7

How do I decide between 1-2-4 and 1-2-3 for shredding?

Accepted Answer

I think of it like economy of motion—what gets you from point A to point B clean and fast without wasted movement. If the pinky gives you the stretch you need, use it. If three fingers are smoother and more controlled in that position, try that too and see what your hands prefer.

Why I Don't Use My Pinky When Shredding

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