Ulster Air.
Played in the key of G, come to think of it, actually any tune…
Do you ever use your fourth finger?
Opps sorry, … on the fiddle.
(Not me, the instrument) I think the old ones are always the best.
You mean like for stopping the strings? Yes. 
For playing an a on the d string instead of using the open a string, for example.
Oh, OK. But still, yes. There are those who don’t use the pinky, but you limit yourself that way.
When I was playing fiddle, (mostly old-time music), I often used the pinky to achieve unison notes across adjacent strings. (e.g. ‘e’ on the ‘a’ string, played together with open ‘e’ string). That’s much more expressive than the solitary open ‘e’. Now I’m playing mandolin much more than fiddle, but I use the same fingerings. In first position, I use the pinky to play notes on the seventh fret, for example.
On mandolin, I use a method called FFcP, (four-finger closed position), which is a great way to visualize the fingerboard by laying out the scales using no open strings. That way you can move up and down the neck using the same shapes, and easily play in any key. Most folks think it’s worth taking the time to strengthen the pinky and make full use of it.
I use the fourth finger on all four strings, in the right moment. Just not at the same time!
Meanwhile, that closed-fingering thing on the mandolin sounds interesting. I’m not sure it could ever sound quite right on tunes that intentionally use open strings in their construction, but I’m willing to be shown the error of my thinking. Cheers,
Rob
Sounds like I just have to keep trying to stretch that pinky.
Do you know of any exercises to do to make it easier ( other than just playing the notes on the fiddle) My ring finger just keeps sliding up and then all my fingers are in the wrong position. I know it is probably just practice but just wondered if you knew of any thing else to help.
Are your fingers coming straight down at the fingerboard? Sounds like you might be tilting your left hand away from your face and reaching with your 3rd finger to find the note, which can make you prone to sliding. You need to 1) get your hand correctly positioned relative to the neck, 2) arch your fingers over the neck so that they come straight down at the board, and 3) learn to utilize the natural rolling action of your hand as you lay fingers down, all the way up to the 4th finger.
Can you put all four down on each string, in their correct positions, and be comfortable, not to mention in tune? If not, then something needs attention. Cheers,
Rob
I haven’t found FFcP to be particularly useful for ITM, which I always play from first position. I took up learning it to improve my blues and jazz chops on mandolin. (I’ve made it my mission to suck at a wide variety of disciplines).
FFcP is similar to the movable scale/arpeggio styles a lot of guitar players use, (Charlie Christian being the classic example in jazz). There’s a very good instruction book/CD, (and lots of web freebies), by Ted Eschliman here: http://jazzmando.com/
All that aside, using the pinky always makes sense unless, say, you burned your hand when your gypsy caravan caught on fire. I recommend putting it to work!
I suppose that is what I expected you to say really, but as it is so difficult to stretch that far, I was clutching at straws hoping someone would say No you don’t need it. I probably would have continued to try to use it anyway. It is, I am sure , only a matter of time and practice until I can stretch it far enough.
You could start by substituting the 4th finger for ascending string crossings when the tune goes up for just one note and doesn’t stay on the higher string.
For example, in the 4th bar of The Maid I Ne’er Forgot:
[K:EDor]E3F G3A|B2Ad dBAc|BGEF GABc|d2eB dBAF|
Or the 4th bar of Lads of Laois:
[K:EDor]EB,~B,2 EGFE|DA,~A,2 DEFA|G2ED EFGA|B2eB dBAF|
I generally grab those e’s with the 4th finger (on mando), because it makes for a smoother transition. It’s no different from grabbing a high B on the first string. You do play tunes with high B, don’t you? 
That is what I am trying to learn. (I think ) But my little pinky doesn’t stretch that far yet. When I use my pinky my third finger slides up and is then in the wrong place. EEEKKK Even if I don’t play the note.
I do use my pinky, but I find it quite awkward on fiddle and mandolin. Even hitting the high B on the E string in the second B part of Wind that shakes the Barley, for example, is fiddly (pun not really intended, but since it happened…). I have smallish hands and short fingers.
Like Crookedtune, I practice FFcP on mandolin. It is a training technique more than a way of playing. Ted says that it is not intended to stop you from using open strings, but to give you the ability to find those open string notes (and any others) in other places on the fretboard. For ITM and old time it’s not a huge benefit to people like me who live in first position. For the more adventurous bluegrasser it is a good tool. For jazzers it is the dogs gonads - really opens up the possibilities.
Pammy, I can’t help - just sympathise. 
Hmm … Maybe you’re not anchoring properly. When using the pinkie (little finger), the 3rd finger (ring finger) can serve as your anchor, and give you some leverage while you’re building strength and flexibility.
For example, try planting only your 3rd finger firmly on the 2nd string D, all other fingers off the board. Then just reach with your pinkie and place it on the E. That shouldn’t involve any stretch at all, and the 3rd finger shouldn’t feel like it wants to move at all. Rotate your wrist slightly if needed for a good position, as described by Rob above.
If you can do that, then it’s just a matter of letting the first 2 fingers drop onto their natural places, and voilà.
FFcP
It always strikes me funny when normal classical/art techniques are given fancy names for the benefit of folk/jazz/rock. Isn’t FFcP simply standard closed position playing up the neck? It’s where classical violinists spend most of their time. I’m not putting it down, just saying. The same happens on guitar: The “CAGED” system for like, uh, playing chord inversions. But if it helps to conceptualize things, why not?
I think you’re right in principle, John. But Ted Eschliman has pitched FFcP as a new learning tool for mandolin. The same kind of thing may have been common practice for violin and other instruments for yonks, but I think it’s certainly down to Ted’s evangelising that it’s started to catch on widely for mandolin - especially for jazz mandolin.
http://jazzmando.com/ffcp_studies.shtml
He’s done a pretty thorough job of it. I’m prepared to give him a free pass on the next-big-thing hype. 
We all know that there’s nothing new under the sun!
Buddhu’s right on. Ted hasn’t invented anything new, but has come up with a very good way to explain, package and promote closed position playing. The structure of the book encourages focused practice, and gently introduces concepts of altered scales, chordal substitution, etc. It’s much less painful and intimidating than other books on the subject, IMO.
Incidentally, Ted includes a number of simple exercises for building strength and independence of the pinky. Do them for ten minutes every day for a month, and you’ll be amazed that you could ever play without the little guy.
Not giving up my open strings. Nope. Not gonna do it.
Hey, if you play closed all of the time you could just throw the nut away!
Rob
No, no, no, it’s all or nothing. You either love them or you don’t.
Try using that closed system on the harp!
R
OK, so we give up our open strings, and you give up your fretted ones. You said, “all or nothing”! 
I couldn’t live without my open string drones on fiddle or mandolin.
Funny thing is that when I’m practicing FFcP is almost the only time I stray out of first position. So I’m practicing something I don’t really need!
But I feel it’s my duty. Ted’s put so much work into his explanations!