I thought it was a birth defect! I can’t move my pinky on the fret board without my ring finger going with it. Same if I move my ring finger to an adjacent fret, my pinky goes right along with it. It’s as if the two fingers are glued together! I end up just using the ring finger where  I should be using the pinky, and micro shifting as needed. The pinky stays right there with the ring finger like a shadow. I end up essentially playing with three fingers on the fret board instead of four.

I’ve done some research on this topic, and have discovered that this is a common problem among beginning bass players. The reality is, the pinky has spent its life just hanging around without have a real job, and now suddenly it’s called into service.  It’s no surprise that it’s lazy, weak, and unresponsive to my commands.

So, what’s the solution? Continue playing with only three fingers in service on the fret board? Give up my quest to become a bass player? None of the above! The solution is to train and condition the pinky, just like any other muscle or body part. I’ve found some exercises online that are designed to strengthen the  pinky and separate it from the ring finger. Like everything else, it’ll take time and practice, but it’s something I must do if I’m going to accomplish this goal.