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cumin
Nov-22-2005, 2:00pm
Does anybody know any nice exercises for finger independence?

I keep my fingers down on ascending scales, and I do a warmup chromatic thing, one fret per finger, four frets per string, moving only one finger at at a time, ascending and descending.

I would like to learn/invent some more exercises, both to help grab chords on the fly and to keep my fingers quiet and close to the fingerboard (and becasue I enjoy mindless drill at times :-))

Thanks

AlanN
Nov-22-2005, 2:03pm
Using fingers 3 and 4

5,7 on G
5,7 on D
5,7 on A
5,7 on E

8,6 on E
8,6 on A
8,6 on D
8,6 on G

7,9 on G

you get the idea...

AlanN
Nov-22-2005, 3:45pm
Another good one is play the same note, same string, but with a different finger each time, speed it up over time.

Pete Martin
Nov-22-2005, 4:10pm
Many B flat hornpipes make EXCELLENT finger excercises.

cumin
Dec-01-2005, 2:13pm
Here (http://www.cipherarts.com/wingfield/teach/fingercont.html)
is a nice exercise for the fourth finger. I've only tried it a few times, but I think it is the way for me to stop the feeling that my fourth finger is like the pizza dough flying through the air at a pizzaria during descending scale passages.

Tom C
Dec-01-2005, 2:17pm
Make Marshall's Finger Busters
http://www.elderly.com/images/books/250/644-1.jpg

Also the "B part of Sam Bush's version of "Jubilee" will give them a workout
(This can be found in the TEF files)

AlanN
Dec-01-2005, 2:20pm
Cumin, those are good

pettyman
Dec-01-2005, 2:40pm
anyone know where I can get hld of that mike marshall finger busters book in the UK? searched for ages - and no luck!!

Tom C
Dec-01-2005, 2:49pm
I saw it at Elderly.com. If you have a problem ordering it from over seas, let me know, maybe I'll put in an order also then I can send it to you if you would like.

Zed
Dec-02-2005, 10:59pm
Here (http://www.cipherarts.com/wingfield/teach/fingercont.html) is a nice exercise for the fourth finger.
This is the best pinky exercise i've found to date. I have a "fair" pinky but at first i thought "no way... this is impossible". And it will make your hand and brain beg for mercy to be sure. But... after about only 10 minutes with it i can literally tell a difference in pinky control. I've got much work to do but for what ails my pinky control, this exercise is tops.

Btw... the instructions given are for guitar but it's nearly exactly the same span between the E and G courses as the guitar's B and A strings.

MDW
Dec-03-2005, 7:29pm
I give a hearty second for Mike Marshall's "Finger Busters" book. It's already improved my pick stroke direction significantly and my left hand finger independence/coordination. One of the best instruction buys I've ever made.

Ted Eschliman
Dec-03-2005, 10:10pm
Fresh off the press, in December mandolinsessions.com:
Foregoing the Fourth Finger Frack (http://www.mandolinsessions.com/dec05/jazz.html).