finger exercises

[drummerman]

What are some good finger exercises to increase flexability/strength in the fretting hand?

[JasmineTea]

Hard to explane... One finger per frett, sort of chromatic, from bass side to treble side of frettboard, but don't move your thumb.

• I don't actualy exercise, i just play a lot.

[digitalsnipe]

get one of those exercise hand squeezer things that has adjustable tension, set it on low tension and squeeze it between your thumb and fingertips - sort of like pinching. That will help with the strength. Flexibility comes by practicing your fingering and chording. Make up a little ditty that requires 4-5 chords and keep practicing it.

[F-holes]

Originally posted by drummerman What are some good finger exercises to increase flexability/strength in the fretting hand?

 

1234 2134 3124 4123

1243 2143 3142 4132

1324 2314 3214 4213

1342 2341 3241 4231

1423 2413 3412 4312

1432 2431 3421 4321

 

The numbers above represent all of the ways 1234 may be used. Commonly these can be used as chromatic style drills for the left hand, by using one finger per fret. The drills are done up the neck or across the fretboard.

 

They may also be used for diatonic study.

 

1=do 2=re 3=mi 4=fa

1=sol 2=la 3=si(ti) 4=do(oct)

----------------------------------------------

right hand 4=p(thumb) 3=index 2=middle 1=a(anular or ring finger)

---------------------------------------------

 

The numbers may also be used to represent strings for right hand studies. These may be applied to either cross-picking or classical technique. This in itself would be fine if only four strings were being used, however in using six strings the options are as follows:

 

1234 2345 1456 1345 1245

1235 2346 2456 1346 1246

1236 2356 3456 1356 1256

 

Also, combining two patterns from the twenty four sequences will yield 576 possibilities.

 

 

[dadgad7]

Dude, forget the gizmo's and tricks,

 

you want to get better and stronger,

 

PLAY, PLAY PLAY !!!

at least an hour a day, I guarantee, in two months, you'll be saying - 'HOLY {censored} - I'm better than ever!'

[IanHey]

What kind of problems / issues are you having?

[FearTheVoices]

Originally posted by F-holes 1234 2134 3124 4123 1243 2143 3142 4132 1324 2314 3214 4213 1342 2341 3241 4231 1423 2413 3412 4312 1432 2431 3421 4321 The numbers above represent all of the ways 1234 may be used. Commonly these can be used as chromatic style drills for the left hand, by using one finger per fret. The drills are done up the neck or across the fretboard. They may also be used for diatonic study. 1=do 2=re 3=mi 4=fa 1=sol 2=la 3=si(ti) 4=do(oct) ---------------------------------------------- right hand 4=p(thumb) 3=index 2=middle 1=a(anular or ring finger) --------------------------------------------- The numbers may also be used to represent strings for right hand studies. These may be applied to either cross-picking or classical technique. This in itself would be fine if only four strings were being used, however in using six strings the options are as follows: 1234 2345 1456 1345 1245 1235 2346 2456 1346 1246 1236 2356 3456 1356 1256 Also, combining two patterns from the twenty four sequences will yield 576 possibilities.

thanks f-holes, even though this is extremley simple its nice to have in front of you with all the different combinations, ive noticed improvement in 3 weeks now just doing a bunch of those different combinations.

 

[learn'r]

i have a small hand - (no jokes thank you)

ah go ahead if it makes ya feel better.

 

anyway, I got this little ditty that I would like suggestions on

 

ah git is tuned 1/2 down from a DADGAD

 

-5-------------5

-2/3----------2/3

-4-------------4 etc. for a few bars

---------0------

-----------------

--5------------5

 

and so on ....

 

can not get the stretch!

will it come? any ideas how to get my fingers to get there?

[riffmeister]

Play this F major scale up and down.......all notes must sound clean (no fret buzz). When you can play it ten times though (up and down) at a rate of four notes per second, you're on your way.....

 

first number is the string number (6 = low E.......1 = high E)

second number is the fret number

third number in parentheses is the finger number

 

6/1(1)

6/3(3)

6/5(4)

5/1(1)

5/3(3)

5/5(4)

4/2(2)

4/3(3)

4/5(4)

3/2(2)

3/3(3)

2/1(1)

2/3(3)

2/5(4)

1/1(1)

[riffmeister]

or if you want to use chords to stretch & strengthen, try this simple pattern.....make up a strumming pattern, it doesn't matter how you do it.

 

311341 (4 beats)

 

431141 (4 beats)

 

133141 (4 beats)

 

113144 (2 beats)

 

113134 (2 beats)

[learn'r]

thanks riffmeister

 

i will assume by passing on the exersize you believe my fingers will strrrrrrrrrrrrretccccccccchhhh.

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by learn'r thanks riffmeister i will assume by passing on the exersize you believe my fingers will strrrrrrrrrrrrretccccccccchhhh.

 

can't help you with strrrrrrretccccccchhhhhhing your finger length, but the exercises will help your fingers sprrrrrrrrrrreaddddd apart from one another.

[kwakatak]

All ya gotta do is this:

 

 

j/k

[nexialist]

Do hammerons followed by pull-offs on the GBE strings.

 

Start on the G string with fingers on frets 1 thru 4.

 

Index finger on fret 1 hammer middle finger on fret 2 and then pull off. Do it 3 times.

 

Then fret 2 with middle finger and hammer on fret 3 with the ring finger and pull off. Do it 3 times.

 

Continue with pinky. move the whole hand down 1 fret. Go all the way down the fingerboard and then back up. Continue same thing on the BE strings.

 

I do it on a nylon string guitar....it's pretty brutal on a steel string.

 

quickly makes fingers strong and quick and builds callous.

 

If I don't play that day I at least do this.

 

Dan

[Dave W.]

On a Pete Huttlinger fingerstyle lesson I have, he shows an exercise that starts on the high E, 1-2-3-4, then B, 1-2-3-4, etc. The exercise is to keep all fingers planted after you play the note, so that when you get to the 4th fret/pinky, the other three fingers are still planted. Move your first finger over to the B without lifting the other fingers. Continue bringing over one finger at a time, not lifting the next finger from the previous string until needed. Frustrating at first, but it comes, and is great for finger independence.

[F-holes]

This one is effective. It helps your pinky settle down, and minimizes the 'catching doughnuts' pose.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------ETC.

----------------------------------2----1----3----2----4----3-------

--2----1----3----2----4----3----1----2----2----3----3----4-------

--1----2----2----3----3----4----------------------------------------

 

[DenverDave]

Buy the book 'Pumping Nylon'. It's worth it's weight in gold, whether you play nylon or steel string guitar. Great warmups, great exercises, great advice.

[learn'r]

Hey DenverDave!

the lick is from Keaggy - county down.

Lord that boy is good!

[DenverDave]

 

Originally posted by learn'r Hey DenverDave! the lick is from Keaggy - county down. Lord that boy is good!

 

 

Understatement of the year...Phil is awesome. I can play some of Phils stuff, but yea, some of his licks are not that easy to master. I have very short fingers too, especially short for someone over six foot tall. Then I saw Murial Anderson play! She is maybe five foot tall (maybe!) with these tiny little hands and she tears into a guitar like there is no tomorrow! I guess the trick is to find another way to play something if you cannot get your fingers to stretch enough.

 

BTW - good luck with 'County Down'. It's probably my all time favortie acoustic song!

[learn'r]

My humble apology - you are right - PK is great.

he actually won me over by something other then his musical talent .... but that is not for discussion here.

 

I took a look see on the internet for the lady you named - Murial Anderson. guess what - she will be about 6+ hrs away on the 1st of April. I am looking into getting there , it includes a workshop before the concert.

 

she'll be way over my head .... but maybe in time it will be used by me to do what Phil hopes (and we know) his talents do.

[woodlakesound]

Pumping Nylon is good. We have a million technique exercises in the classical guitar world.

Chromatic octaves ascending-decending in 1st postion will work on alot of deficiencies in with regards to strength and flexibility.

Slurs are easy to incorporate 1-3 2-4, 1-2 3-4, 1-4 2-3 covers all the combinations (good to repeat each finger pair twice within the goup before moving it up the neck).