Hi,
I just got given my first guitar for Christmas, and while I love it, I do have a small problem.
I've got the fingering for about 10 chords off pat, and after a brief and unpleasant bout of blistering, I'm building up some pretty decent callouses on my fretting hand. But, my left (fretting) hand has very little dexterity in it, due to a lifetime of dedicated right-handedness and a touch of arthritis.
I'm using 2 hours of guitar a day, and a squeezy ball to build up some grip strength in my poor and neglected left arm and hand, and my chord switching is getting a little faster just through practice, but I was wondering if there were any exercises you all used or knew of to build up a bit of dexterity and independant finger movement ?
Thanks
What I did is whenever I wasn't playing I'ed do fingering exercises on the back of my right hand. I'ed just stick my arm up like it was the neck of my guitar, put my left thumb in the middle of my right palm and practice. I would switch between lifting the middle and ring finger at the same time, then index and ring. Then each induvidually, all while keeping the other fingers in contact with the back of my hand. It's really handy (hah!) because you can do it anywhere you aren't doing anything else in particular.
And of course, do the same thing on the fretboard by scheduling it into your practice. And once you've got your independant movement to a reasonable level try fingering as if you were switching to different strings, ect or whatever other exercises you can think of. Pretend the bones on the back of your hand are the strings or something.
-Metaellihead
I suggest that you run scales. I have fat fingers myself. My wife actually says I have "Ernie Hands", (i.e. ernie from sesame street). I'll run chromatic scales then major scales, pentatonic scales, then using only 2 fingers, 3 fingers, etc....
It does work. It does build up strength and speed as well. Just start out slow and work your way up. Nothing good comes easy. Just stick with it.
Dave
Sometimes in life you get shown the light,
In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Yeah, Perfect Dave but he might now know what those Scales are... YET! :)
So... as a Beginner, my instructor had me do this.. starting on the 7 or 9th fret, (Cuz they're closer together than say starting at the 1st Fret).
With the Index finger being 1, Middle: 2, Ring: 3, Pinky: 4 I do these for my warm up and I've seen my dexterity improve a lot.
On the High E String, do your 1,2,3,4 and run these up all 6 strings. Start at whatever fret you want, but its easier to start on the 7th Fret with your No.1 Finger.
Then change the pattern of fingers. basics. Really. But one that really helps is 1,4,3,4,2,4,3,4.... keeping your 1 and 2 fingers on the fret board... then move this up all strings.
But GO SLOW!!! You don't want to Hurt yourself.. which is easy to do as a beginner. If your hand cramps up. STOP! and reposition your self.... also just relax. These drills help me both with fat fingers and learning how to relax as well.
Have fun.
Dag
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)
Here's an extended version of what Dagwood was talking about:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=104015#104015
-- John
"Hip woman walking on a moving floor, tripping on the escalator.
There's a man in the line and she's blowin' his mind, thinking that he's already made her."
'Coming into Los Angeles' - Arlo Guthrie
Thanks chaps, that is all really helpful.
Loving my guitar, and really appriciating having something like "Guitarnoise" to refer to. Thanks to you all.
