Taping fingers?

sivylie

Hi everyone,

I just watched Djangomania and was impressed by how devoted some people are to emulating Django's technique as closely as possible. Does anyone know how common it is for people to tape their left pinky and ring fingers together as an exercise?

Thanks!

- Siv

crookedpinky

I tried it years ago but that was before I knew anything about gypsy playing. Since switching to this style almost exclusively three years ago I've often thought about trying it again but - taping aside - I often try playing with just the index and middle fingers and tucking the other two back. Maybe I can do this more easily than most as i already have a permanently bent pinky ( little finger ) so it's pretty comfortable for me to play with just the two - I'm not saying I can play like Django, just that it's physically comfortable.

One thing that playing with just the two fingers does is that it makes you pick lines and runs and move around the fingerborard in a different way.

At least It's worth trying out and if you can do it without taping you have the advantage of being able to slip back into normal lead and chordal playing.

Alan

arjr

I just don't get the idea that
people would try this. Isn't it an advantage to
use four fingers?



Angelo

crookedpinky

Of course 4 fingers are generally better but playing with two is an interesting experiment to try. It kind of puts you in Djangos position when it comes to soloing and you have to work out how to play stuff in a different way.

crookedpinky

One other thing - in response to the original poster - is that I don't think it's a common practice. Most of us struggle with using all available digits. From what I understand the maker of Djangomania looked for the more extreme Djangophiles so I wouldn't take the idea that most people learning this style of guitar playing tape their fingers as the norm.

sivylie

Thanks, Alan -- yeah, I figured this wasn't really the norm, and more something that Kastner decided to play up in his film. Still, it is interesting to consider how this handicap affected Django's approach. It is often said that the less you have to work with, the more creative you have to be. Despite the obvious advantages of having full use of all fingers, would he have reached the same heights if he hadn't been injured? I'm beginning to read Benjamin Givan's book analyzing Django's method, so hopefully that will provide some clues ...

- Siv

crookedpinky

One thing I have noticed when playing with just two fingers is that string bending and vibrato is easier, maybe it's just the way my hand is built what with the bent pinky and all that.

I do know that Django had big hands and long fingers which I don't so the two fingered approach really stretches you physically and mentally.

Maybe I'll post a vid if I get the time,

Alan

langleydjango

It was a joke! Ross and Shelley were joking around.

This doesn't change the fact that playing with two fingers completely changes the architecture of the guitar. A means Django used to change the history of guitar.

But it was a joke...

Joli Gadjo

The consequences of this handicap on Django's playing has been very well analyzed by Benjamin Givan.
Through series of examples he compares how well known guitarists would play a given riff, and then compare it to how Django did it.
This is very academic work, coming for the research he did for his Ph D, but it's well worth its price.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7382
and it had been commented more here :
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7496

stubla

The influence of Django's handicap on the lines he played can't be underestimated imo--look how beautifully logical and clear this approach to the fingerboard looks(thanks to Christophe Lartilleux's great work here on Django's 'Embraceable You' solo...perhaps Django's greatest ?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvkPOM3bJlQ


-it certainly wasn't a hiderance for single line playing but there can be no doubt Django was frustrated with his relatively limited chord/harmonic options--its obvious he was hearing SO much more in his later years than he was capable of playing just by himself.
Maybe thats why he turned his attention to arranging for big band and orchestra--there at least he could hear all the notes in the chord he wanted.

Stu