weak fingers

Kelly,

You're getting a lot of great advice here. However, it's as simple as this.... "Just play the guitar". Your strength and everything else will build up. I don't know much about arthritis. But, I wouldn't do anything but just play the guitar. Everything will come in time. Just my opinion. :mrgreen:

it isnt going to stop me from playing or learning guitar no matter what a dr tells me 8) . It isnt real bad anyhow in my hands/fingers..its other places that bothers me mostly(my neck and back)

And remember- it's more about coordination and flexibility than strength. When I got "serious" about guitar, about 3 years ago, there were two things I wasn't "strong" enough to do: Barre chords, and any independent notes with my pinky finger.

Three years of playing most days, and playing HARD a lot of days. And...I now know that barre chords take hardly any strength at all. If you hold it right, you don't have to squeeze. And my pinky has its own vibrato!

With any exercises, be sure to focus on flexibility as well as strength. A lot of "grip strengtheners," especially those popular with martial artists and weight lifters, will build your ability to close your fist, hard. They build strength, but they ignore the real problem with guitar- most of us have hands that are STRONG enough already, but we don't have much use of our pinkies and ring fingers in an independent, accurate, dextrous way.

And for that...play the guitar!

Best,
Ande

Thanks guys..thats prob the best advice of all..play guitar (like John Cougar says 8) )... i think the playing of the chromatic scale is helping me alot.