Dfyngravity
Dec-16-2005, 2:37pm
This is in responce to helping your fret hand play chords, but is good for everything.
Here is an exercise I use to help stretch my left hand out. All done on one string. Start of by doing this on the E string and work your way to the G string because it is definitely harder on the G string. The #s underneath are the fingers you use for each note.
Ascending:
E|--1--2--1--3--1--4--1--5--1--6--1--7--1--8--1--9--|
# # # 1 #2 # # # 2 # # # 2 # # # 3 # # # #3 # # # 4 # # # 4 # # # 4
Descending
E|--9--1--8--1--7--1--6--1--5--1--4--1--3--1--2--1--|
# # # 4 #1 #4 # # # 4 # # # 3 # # # 3 # # # 2 # # # 2 # # # 2
After doing this a coulpe times stop and shake you hand, get it really loose. And definitely stop once your hand gets really tired.
Now this next exercise will kick the #### out of the fret hand. Start on the G string and play the 2nd fret with your 1st finger(keep it there), then the 4th fret with your 2nd finger(keep both fingers down!), then the 6th fret with your 3rd finger(don't pull any of your fingers off yet), then the 8th fret with your 4th finger(all fingers down!). Now with all of your finger still on the frets move only your 1st finger to the 2nd fret of the D string.(keep it there, along with all of your of fingers on the frets of the G string), then move your 2nd finger to the 4th of the D string(keep all your fingers down), then your 3rd finger to the 6th fret of the D(keep that pinky on the 8th fret of the G string, and the rest of your fingers on the D string!!!) then finally move your 4th finger to the 8th fret of the D string keeping all your other fingers down on their frets. Now do the same thing going to the A string and then the E string. Do this one time through and tell me your fingers aren't a little bit stressed. If you can do that several times a day, I promise you that stretching your fingers for the 4 fingers chords will become easy
Here is an exercise I use to help stretch my left hand out. All done on one string. Start of by doing this on the E string and work your way to the G string because it is definitely harder on the G string. The #s underneath are the fingers you use for each note.
Ascending:
E|--1--2--1--3--1--4--1--5--1--6--1--7--1--8--1--9--|
# # # 1 #2 # # # 2 # # # 2 # # # 3 # # # #3 # # # 4 # # # 4 # # # 4
Descending
E|--9--1--8--1--7--1--6--1--5--1--4--1--3--1--2--1--|
# # # 4 #1 #4 # # # 4 # # # 3 # # # 3 # # # 2 # # # 2 # # # 2
After doing this a coulpe times stop and shake you hand, get it really loose. And definitely stop once your hand gets really tired.
Now this next exercise will kick the #### out of the fret hand. Start on the G string and play the 2nd fret with your 1st finger(keep it there), then the 4th fret with your 2nd finger(keep both fingers down!), then the 6th fret with your 3rd finger(don't pull any of your fingers off yet), then the 8th fret with your 4th finger(all fingers down!). Now with all of your finger still on the frets move only your 1st finger to the 2nd fret of the D string.(keep it there, along with all of your of fingers on the frets of the G string), then move your 2nd finger to the 4th of the D string(keep all your fingers down), then your 3rd finger to the 6th fret of the D(keep that pinky on the 8th fret of the G string, and the rest of your fingers on the D string!!!) then finally move your 4th finger to the 8th fret of the D string keeping all your other fingers down on their frets. Now do the same thing going to the A string and then the E string. Do this one time through and tell me your fingers aren't a little bit stressed. If you can do that several times a day, I promise you that stretching your fingers for the 4 fingers chords will become easy