I've heard of players who would tape their ring and pinky together. My ring finger floats too but so far hasn't been a problem. Hope you find something that works.


Rick

Maybe hook the pinky around the end of the bridge a la Doug Dillard or glue small piece of wood t the spot where you plant your pinky, thick enough to block the pinky from curling up. Or even make a splint to keep the pinky in the position you want it ?

I have relearned my right hand positioning. I used to plant both pinky and ring finger, but found that angle and the attack on the strings are uneven. So I decided to plant the ring finger only, which resulted to hold my right hand completely different than before. It took weeks to feel comfortable with that. In the beginning I used some double-sided tape under the tip of the ring finger to keep it in position. I practiced only rolls without fretting in the first days and did not move the right hand at all.
It takes a lot of time to retrain muscle memory, so be patient. The main thing is to focus on the new position only, and do nothing else until it feels comfortable. My daily practice time then was only 5 minutes, just doing rolls with the ring finger taped. More does not speed up the process, it only increases discomfort.

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Originally posted by 5 String

I've been playing the banjo 47 years. Have always been a pinky finger planter with my ring finger floating/following the middle finger.  For the past couple of months my ring finger has started to curl inward and hit/mute the first string when I play. Practicing slow hasn't helped and trying to plant the ring finger hasn't helped either.  It is very aggravating because I can't get it to stop and I don't know what to do to correct or overcome this.  

Any advice/help from anyone that has had this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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I would suggest you stick with planting your ring finger and leave the pinky to float. After 47 years that is a big challenge. Hope you find some way to work things out 

Any chance it is a medical issue due to aging or repetitive motion?

Bobby

I have the same problem,,, the ring finger will move with the middle finger and curl in , muting the first string. Some days it’s better , especially if I stretch all my fingers, emphasizing the stretch that loosens the skin connective tissue between the middle and ring fingers.
Check out BHO member’s Kurt Kemp’s video on finger stretches, or any yt vid on hand/finger stretches for guitarists.

here's Kurt's video https://youtu.be/FcbZb_Snxr8?si=tw5DmBblyTO_npc5

This may seem a bit obvious but try soaking your hands in warm water to stimulate blood circulation and like said @Chuckv97 do some stretching/massaging

I would try using a finger splint on the finger. I have a badly injured index finger and sometimes I have to wear a splint while playing. I so used to it that I don't even notice it while playing. Because of the injuries to my index finger, I pick with my thumb and middle finger.

Dupuytren’s Contracturer is something you might want to look into. Forces the fingers to curl inward toward the palm. My understanding is that surgery can help with Dupuytren’s.

Might work for others, or might not, but I plant just the pinkie and tuck the ring finger into the palm of the hand, which stops it either flapping about and/or trying to copy the middle finger’s movements. My ring finger gets used regularly when on guitar, and I imagine it feels a bit left out of things when playing the five string.