SECOND-most useful fret-hand finger?

[watelessness]

i recently sustained a finger injury from which i'm working my way back to playing. in other words, i'm trying to play without the bad damaged digit and i'm finding that next to my index finger, my ring finger is essential to my playing style.

what is your SECOND-most useful fret-hand finger? (no thumbs allowed)

 

[Herr Squid]

Yep, definitely ring finger. I jammed mine badly while sparring on the day I was going to go home and play my '04 Hollowbody in anger for the first time. Playing guitar was a total no-go. I was not a happy Squid.

 

[Prs Mods too]

Thumb

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Toss up between ring and pinky.

I mean, pointer is “the wall” but, ring and pinky got personality.

 

[WingerRules]

Ring for sure, for me. Which is why it’s such a huge bummer that I have so much arthritis in my ring finger.

 

[DISTORT6]

Thumb

Sgt. Hulka of the hand.

Ring finger closely followed by middle finger for guitar and communication purposes.

 

[Abe]

All important, but I voted for the one I have sidelined with bending injuries. The ring finger.

 

[11top]

I find my middle finger always comes in handy.

 

[Joe sherman]

I recently injured my ring finger,and, the tip is swelled up to the size of my thumb. Im pissed off because I just received two REALLY NICE banjos and I can only play a little bit.

 

[gush]

I don't have a 2nd favorite. I can do bends and vibrato with all four equally.

Now if the topic would shift to city driving.....well that's different......

 

[bodia]

Ring

 

[Herr Squid]

Thumb

THE most important!

 

[László]

I had nerve damage to my 4th and 5th fingers on my fretting hand. Surgery got the fingers working again, but they're partially numb, and have been for 9 years..

My playing is no longer what it was, at all. I need all the fingers. (Sorry, Django. You were the exception!)

 

[Abe]

Love me some Django Reinhardt.

Sorry László.

My 76 year old Dad can do some fairly impressive things on the guitar with his damaged hands, crooked fingers and all. He doesn't want to consider the doctor and surgery route. Years of landscaping and chopping firewood long into old age.

 

[rcsrich]

Ring for sure, for me. Which is why it’s such a huge bummer that I have so much arthritis in my ring finger.

The RA has been after my index finger lately...a bastard to be sure.

 

[archtop]

a slide makes a nice splint while the finger is healing. 10 years ago my middle finger was out of commission for months after a ligament tear so I worked on slide.

 

[helmi]

All of them!

 

[WingerRules]

I find my middle finger always comes in handy.

I’m a more visual type learner. Do you have any pictures or slides?

 

[László]

My 76 year old Dad can do some fairly impressive things on the guitar with his damaged hands, crooked fingers and all. He doesn't want to consider the doctor and surgery route. Years of landscaping and chopping firewood long into old age.

I had previous slight nerve damage in the hand that wasn't much of a problem. It was suddenly made worse when I had open heart surgery; I was on the table laying on my side for 7 hours, I'm told. Septuple bypass.

Stuff happens. Perhaps my arm was positioned awkwardly and the nerve was under compression during that time. The hand surgeon said there was a dent in the ulnar nerve about the size of a pinky finger, which explains the problem.

I make my living in music, both keyboards and guitars, so I need the use of my fingers. It was surgery or lose a lot of my ability. I have no regrets. I feel lucky that I didn't wake up dead.

"How do you know you're not dead?"

"If I was dead I'd be in hell playing the accordion or bagpipes, but I'm still playing my guitars and keyboards. Ipso facto, I'm not dead."

"Maybe you're in heaven."

"Nah, I'm still married."

 

[László]

Speaking of wife jokes, here's an actual joke from an ancient Roman joke book called the Philolegos ( it has a Greek name because the entire Eastern Roman Empire spoke Greek). The book was rediscovered some years ago, I forget where, but probably had been copied by monks with a sense of humor. It is from the 3rd or 4th Century AD:

A Roman is very sick, lying in bed. His wife comes into the room, sees him and starts weeping. "If you die I'm going to kill myself," she says.

The guy replies, "Perhaps you could do me that favor while I'm still alive."

[cymbal crash]

"Ut sis uxor mea."

[laughter]

"II got a MM of 'em populis, a MM of 'em."
--- Honorius Iuvenis, 362 AD