I cannot get my fingers to work in hammer-ons

[Duncanpup]

I was teaching this young man who comes for lessons no charge at Duncanpup school of hey let’s Jam. I was teaching him diminished or major 7 or 9 and minor 7 yet where I was trying to take this 11 year old future virtuoso is pull offs and hammer-ons.

He said I can’t get my pinky or his ring finger to cooperate on pull offs or hammer-on he is just a great kid.
And he is a pleasure to work with and he always makes my day him and his mom left awhile ago he is great kid.

[Docreed2003]

1. Spider crawl warmups....

That will train those pesky ring and pinky fingers!

[MOMFUDSKI]

2. First you feed your dog a championship

breakfast and then a walk. Now you are teaching a young man the fine art of music. Wow. I’m starting to think you may just be a good guy.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Good On You

I haven't taught guitar or piano in a long time. Now that I'm retired, I probably should be given I have plenty of time.
Keep up the good work.
One suggestion: give him a reason to use the pinky more. Simple stuff like playing D at the 7th fret (3rd & 4th strings) using the pinky on the 10th.
Still just a D chord but requires that pinky to stretch & apply some force. Just don't hit the low E string.

[OldBaldy1701E]

6. Yep. (n/t)

[Diamond_Dog]

4. I like the name of your music school. 🙂

[4dog]

5. Easier on a banjo, with lighter action

Do they still make silk-and-steel for guitars?

[duckworth969]

7. Pinky and ring fingers share tendons and muscles

So, it’s not possible to completely separate their work.

Pinky hammer-ons are tough, pull-offs in general are hard to play cleanly.

I find playing scales from the top note to the bottom note can help. Forces you to lead with the pinky.

The mandolin player Chris Theile (sp?) recommends as a strengthening exercise to lead every scale or melody with the ring finger, even it means more shifting than usual.

Or don’t use the first and second finger at all! 😳

https://youtube.com/shorts/02NQ2UdSH-M?si=vQ0XFaN1qWZ3qOv4

[ShazzieB]

8. Chris Thile is awesome!

Don't feel bad - you almost got the spelling perfect, and it's a very unusual name. But anyway....he is an absolutely amazing mandolin player, so I'm sure his advice is good.

I just watched the video, and wow...I swear that man has magic fingers!

[Eko]

9. I do finger exercises every time I play guitar for 5-10 min.

I start on the low e 1st fret and fret it with my 1st finger play that and keep it down then low e 2nd fret 2nd finger play that and keep moving up using the 3rd then 4th then I move and do the same thing on the a string then d string all the way up and then back down keeping my fingers down when ascending. A harder one is the same thing but you keep your fingers down at all time till you need it so when you get to the a string your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th finger are still on the e string on the 2,3, and 4th fret and stay there till you have to use the finger on the next string so when you go to the 2nd fret a string your 1st and 2nd fingers are on the 1st and 2nd frets of the a string while you 3rd and 4th fingers are still on the e string 3rd and 4th fret and keep going all the way up.

[retread]

10. Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant