So you go to the gym daily and love to flex your bulging bicep in front of random strangers. I’m no different, and I’ve caught many an envious glace directed toward my buns of steel. But how much thought do you give to exercise that forgotten part of your anatomy – the pinky!?

It is tough and can be tedious to build strength in this, the smallest finger. Some guitarists even try to get by using the ring finger instead. Tsk Tsk…

But if you can master this unruly digit, yours is the world— and everything in it!

There are a number of exercises that will help in strength building. These include a quick succession of regular hammer-ons and pull-offs and various stretches.

However, for a turbo charged pinky-blaster, nothing beats tapping.

For example:

B---9p2h5--

What does this mean? Well, the B indicates that we are using the B string (2^nd from the bottom). The “p” stands for pull-off and the “h” for hammer on.

The “2” means you put your forefinger on the string at the 2^nd fret. You then stretch your pinky all the way to hover over the 5^th fret. Then when you’re ready to begin, take your other forefinger and move it near the 9^th fret of the same string.

Now, press down at the 9^th fret
Press down at the 5^th fret
Lift off at the 9^th fret
Lift off at the 5^th Fret

Do this over and over quickly and a fluttering warbly sound will result. (You’ll need some heavy distortion for this) If you do this exercise for more than 15 seconds as fast as you can you will notice your pinky crying out for relief.! No pain, no gain…and because you don’t have to concentrate on your right hand, your left can get the workout it deserves.

Now for practice, try this part from the tapping section of Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption”
(Note: Tune down ½ a step)
Check out this post on guitar tuning if you don’t have a tuner at hand

See this Van Halen concert video at 1:26 for guidance and make sure you check out more tips from this guitar blog: