| | | Hey Friend,
Ahhh, memories...
My Army drill sergeants used to tell us that every day in Basic Training. For the un-indoctrinated, they were telling us to get down and do push ups.
We'd all get down and start doing the exercise, usually until the sergeant got tired of counting...
I have a simple exercise for you today.
Simple.
But maybe not easy.
This little exercise will help your finger dexterity regardless of where you are in your guitar playing skills. Not only are you giving the fingers and hand a good stretch, but you're teaching the muscles to be flexible, which is going to be really helpful with chord changes.
Here it is:
Place the index finger of your fretting hand on the fifth fret of the first string (high e), your middle finger on the sixth fret, ring finger on the seventh and pinky on the eighth fret.
The pad of your thumb should be in the center of the back of the neck, lined up between your index and middle fingers. So when you look down at the neck, it looks like your thumb is underneath the two fingers.
You'll start the exercise with your index finger. Lift your index finger and place it on the fifth fret of the B string (second string). Make sure that your other three fingers don't move from the first string.
Pluck the B string to make sure you are fingering the note correctly. It should sound clean and clear.
Lift your index finger off the B string and move it back to the first string. Immediately move your index finger to the third string (the G string) fifth fret. Pluck the string. Again, your middle, ring and pinky fingers should stay right where they are.
Lift the finger and move it back to the first string. Immediately lift it back up and place it at the fifth fret of the fourth string (D string). Press and pluck.
Nice clear sounding note, right? Good!
Lift your index finger back to the first string then immediately place it on the fifth string (A string) at the fifth fret. Press and pluck. Your other three fingers are standing tall, acting like the Royal Guard at Buckingham Palace, not moving at all.
Pick up your index finger and bring it home to the first string.
Finally, stretch your index finger across the fingerboard to the sixth string (low E string), fifth fret. Pluck the string to make sure you have a nice clear tone. Move your finger back to the first string. And the whole time your other three fingers didn't move, right?
Okay, I admit, not the most exciting exercise, but it serves a purpose. The real fun begins now!
Repeat the entire exercise with your middle finger, making sure to keep your index, ring and pinky fingers in place on the first string. This exercise set will start cluing you in to the benefits of doing these finger calisthenics.
Once the middle finger has done its set, time to exercise your ring finger. Stretch to as many strings as you can - the sixth string might be a challenge for people with small hands like me. But I guarantee if you make a habit of practicing these stretches every day, you will be able to make the stretch inside of a month.
Lastly, do a set with your pinky. This finger will give you the most challenge. It's the smallest finger on the hand and the least used. But not for you - you're going to make your pinky nice and strong!
Here's a tip for reaching the sixth string with your ring or pinky finger. Adjust your thumb as needed under the neck to help reach the lower stirrings.
The key to getting the most out of these exercises is to keep the three inactive fingers on the first string. This guarantees maximum stretching.
Not only will you improve your ability to make chord changes, you'll also build finger flexibility for lead playing if that's your thing.
These stretches will also help you play some of the more complex power chords I give you in Easy Power Chords.
These chords can stretch across five frets over four strings. If you're not limber enough, these chords will be extremely challenging. You probably won't see them in songs, but they are great for exercising your fingers. I show you dozens of them in Easy Power Chords. Get it today!
Peace~
Dave
|
| | |
|
