|
Guitar Finger Stretching Exercises
| Before we begin I must point out that if you do not warm up
and stretch before you continue it's possible you could hurt yourself. So
warm up first as you don't want to cause any permanent damage. Massage your
fingers and stretch your wrists and arms. |
Example 1A thru 2A are with your Index finger and
middle finger, but are recommended to use between
any 2 fingers that are right next to each other:--middle and ring
finger--or--ring finger and pinky-- Example 1A=
middle finger on 12th fret high E then index finger on high E 11th fret.
Continue until you reach first fret, shown after "etc..."
Exercise 1A:
|-12-11-------------------------------------------------------------10-11-10-9---------------------|
|-------12-11-------------------------------------------------10-11------------10-9----------------|
|-------------12-11-------------------------------------10-11-----------------------10-9-----------|
|-------------------12-11-------------------------10-11----------------------------------10-9------|
|-------------------------12-11-------------10-11---------------------------------------------10-9-|
|-------------------------------12-11-10-11--------------------------------------------------------|
etc...
|--------------------------8-9----------2-1---------------------|
|----------------------8-9------------------2-1-----------------|
|------------------8-9--------------------------2-1-------------|
|--------------8-9----------------------------------2-1---------|
|----------8-9------------------------------------------2-1-----|
|-10-9-8-9--------------------------------------------------2-1-|
Exercise 2A below is once again with your
index and middle fingers. All we did here was put another fret between them and
as you can tell the fret board gets wider as we get closer to the 1st fret,
helping to gradually get your fingers used to the stretch. Start with your
middle finger on high E 12th fret and then index finger on high E 10th fret.
Continue to the first fret shown after "etc..."
Exercise 2A:
|-12-10--------------------------------------------------------9-11-10-8---------------------|
|-------12-10---------------------------------------------9-11-----------10-8----------------|
|-------------12-10----------------------------------9-11---------------------10-8-----------|
|-------------------12-10-----------------------9-11-------------------------------10-8------|
|-------------------------12-10------------9-11-----------------------------------------10-8-|
|-------------------------------12-10-9-11---------------------------------------------------|
etc...
|--------------------------7-9-------1-3------------------------|
|----------------------7-9---------------1-3--------------------|
|------------------7-9-----------------------1-3----------------|
|--------------7-9-------------------------------1-3------------|
|----------7-9---------------------------------------1-3--------|
|-10-8-7-9-----------------------------------------------1-3----|
Exercises 1B thru 2B are for your index
and ring fingers but can
be used also for your middle finger and pinky fingers
interchangeably.
Exercise 1B starts with ring finger on 12th fret high E
then index on high E string 10th fret.
Exercise 1B: [Tabs are the same as ex. 1A]
|-12-11-------------------------------------------------------------10-11-10-9---------------------|
|-------12-11-------------------------------------------------10-11------------10-9----------------|
|-------------12-11-------------------------------------10-11-----------------------10-9-----------|
|-------------------12-11-------------------------10-11----------------------------------10-9------|
|-------------------------12-11-------------10-11---------------------------------------------10-9-|
|-------------------------------12-11-10-11--------------------------------------------------------|
etc...
|--------------------------8-9----------2-1---------------------|
|----------------------8-9------------------2-1-----------------|
|------------------8-9--------------------------2-1-------------|
|--------------8-9----------------------------------2-1---------|
|----------8-9------------------------------------------2-1-----|
|-10-9-8-9--------------------------------------------------2-1-|
Exercise 2B below starts with ring finger on high E
12th fret then index finger on 9th fret high E string. Continue in the below
pattern until you get to first fret shown after "etc..."
Exercise 2B:
|-12-9---------------------------------------------------8-11-10-7---------------------|
|------12-9-----------------------------------------8-11-----------10-7----------------|
|-----------12-9-------------------------------8-11---------------------10-7-----------|
|----------------12-9---------------------8-11-------------------------------10-7------|
|---------------------12-9-----------8-11-----------------------------------------10-7-|
|--------------------------12-9-8-11---------------------------------------------------|
etc...
|--------------------------6-9-------4-1------------------------|
|----------------------6-9---------------4-1--------------------|
|------------------6-9-----------------------4-1----------------|
|--------------6-9-------------------------------4-1------------|
|----------6-9---------------------------------------4-1--------|
|-10-7-6-9-----------------------------------------------4-1----|
Exercises 1C thru 3C are for stretching
between your Index finger and pinky fingers. If you haven't already make sure to
follow the above exercises as they will help your overall stretch between your
index and pinky fingers too. [start with pinky on
high E 12th fret, then index on 9th fret high E with exercise 1C]
Exercise 1C: [same tabs as ex. 2B above]
|-12-9---------------------------------------------------8-11-10-7---------------------|
|------12-9-----------------------------------------8-11-----------10-7----------------|
|-----------12-9-------------------------------8-11---------------------10-7-----------|
|----------------12-9---------------------8-11-------------------------------10-7------|
|---------------------12-9-----------8-11-----------------------------------------10-7-|
|--------------------------12-9-8-11---------------------------------------------------|
etc...
|--------------------------6-9-------4-1------------------------|
|----------------------6-9---------------4-1--------------------|
|------------------6-9-----------------------4-1----------------|
|--------------6-9-------------------------------4-1------------|
|----------6-9---------------------------------------4-1--------|
|-10-7-6-9-----------------------------------------------4-1----|
Exercise 2C below starts
with: pinky = high E 12th fret; Index = high e 8th fret. Continue to the 1st
fret as shown after the "etc..." below.
Exercise 2C: A.K.A. - "Son of A B**** My
Hand Hurts"
|-12-8---------------------------------------------------7-11-10-6---------------------|
|------12-8-----------------------------------------7-11-----------10-6----------------|
|-----------12-8-------------------------------7-11---------------------10-6-----------|
|----------------12-8---------------------7-11-------------------------------10-6------|
|---------------------12-8-----------7-11-----------------------------------------10-6-|
|--------------------------12-8-7-11---------------------------------------------------|
etc...
|--------------------------5-9-------------------------1-5----|
|----------------------5-9-------------------------1-5--------|
|------------------5-9-------------------------1-5------------|
|--------------5-9-------------------------1-5----------------|
|----------5-9-------------------------1-5--------------------|
|-10-6-5-9-------------------------1-5------------------------|
Exercise 3C Below is
just a series of Minor Arpeggios in one of my favorite forms. By the way these
arpeggios are good for sweeping.
Exercise 3C:
Am
Gm
Em
Dm
|-12-8------------|-10-6----------|-7-3---------|-5-1---------|----|
|------10---------|------8--------|-----5-------|-----3-------|----|
|---------9-------|--------7------|-------4-----|-------2-----|----|
|-----------10----|----------8----|---------5---|---------3---|----|
|--------------12-|------------10-|-----------7-|-----------5-|----|
|-----------------|---------------|-------------|-------------|----|
Below are the same arpeggios as above but reversed;
Low to high
|------------8-12-|----------6-10-|---------3-7-|---------1-5-|----|
|---------10------|--------8------|-------5-----|-------3-----|----|
|-------9---------|------7--------|-----4-------|-----2-------|----|
|----10-----------|----8----------|---5---------|---3---------|----|
|-12--------------|-10------------|-7-----------|-5-----------|----|
|-----------------|---------------|-------------|-------------|----|
| 
