I've been playing guitar for about three months now. I have trouble reach the forth fret with my pinky, and I also can't do certain rock progressions and blues patterns becuase I just can't reach the right frets. I think I need to do excercises to increase finger dexterity but I don't know any. Any suggestions?
-Joe
Walk across the strings ->
---I-M-R-P --------> Index-Middle-Ring-Pinky
e|1-2-3-4
B|1-2-3-4
G|1-2-3-4
D|1-2-3-4
A|1-2-3-4
E|1-2-3-4
Start on the little e at the first fret (F) and walk up the strings to the fourth fret (G#) and then move to the next string and keep going. Then, when you get to the fourth fret on the 6th string (G#), go back...... 4-3-2-1.
It helps too if you say the note with the fret. Search the homepage for the fretboard map, save it, then print it out.
Happy pickin'
Three months isn't a long time. The reach will come naturally with time. If you want to do exercises anyway the most basic one is just to play 1-2-3-4 on each string, using all four fingers. Then try 4-3-2-1 and other combos like 1-3-2-4, 1-4-2-3, etc. If those stretches are too hard then start out higher up the neck, e.g. 5-6-7-8.
Edit: too slow!
reaching with the fingers has a lot to do with how you hold the guitar neck and where your thumb is positioned on the back of the neck. if you're gripping the neck like a baseball bat you won't be able to reach too far.
Thanks for replies, I'll continue to do those excerices in my warmup
