Home › Forums › Guitar Techniques and General Discussions › Fringer stretching exercises.
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April 8, 2021 at 9:21 am #246491
Not been getting much guitar time of late, today was an exception to what had become my new norm.
So i played a few chords and a couple memory stored lessons but my fingers feel so stiff and sore.
Anyone got/know of a finger stretch exercise I can use to limber up with?...Billy..
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April 8, 2021 at 12:43 pm #246496
Hi Billy, I’ve found that if I don’t play regularly (which I don’t these days) my finger-tips will soften up. A few years ago I had to leave off playing altogether for around 4 months. When I returned to playing my fingers felt as they’d never met a fretboard before.
Awkward, clumsy and darn-right sore was putting it mildly, however, with regular short playing bursts over a two week period put me back on the gold standard. The type of exercises didn’t really matter as long as I was playing. I’ve never been one for actual finger-stretching routines, it sounds too much like medievil torture. -
April 8, 2021 at 3:45 pm #246502
I find that it’s temperature related. On hot summer days, I don’t need any finger warm-up. But if I’m playing someplace where it’s cold, my fingers are slow to respond to my brain commands. In North America and northern EU, people keep their houses very warm in winter – like 25C, or more. Here in NZ, most houses are very cold in winter. According to the government, 2/3 of houses have no heat whatsoever, and many are around 15C inside during winter. So for that reason, I only play in my own house, which I keep always at 23C. Meanwhile, you could try running some warm water on your hands before playing. Or even better, move to the tropics.
Sunjamr Steve
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April 8, 2021 at 5:11 pm #246507
Not been getting much guitar time of late, today was an exception to what had become my new norm.
So i played a few chords and a couple memory stored lessons but my fingers feel so stiff and sore.
Anyone got/know of a finger stretch exercise I can use to limber up with?.When in question — You Tube LOL
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April 9, 2021 at 1:41 pm #246559
That really loosened up my hands and they needed it!
Thanks Keith!Mike
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April 9, 2021 at 3:15 am #246529
Any Active Melody member who feels like splashing out on a second subscription might do well to look at this guy’s site. It is very different in style and content to AM and so complements AM membership well, in my opinion.
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April 9, 2021 at 10:16 am #246543
Not been getting much guitar time of late, today was an exception to what had become my new norm.
So i played a few chords and a couple memory stored lessons but my fingers feel so stiff and sore.
Anyone got/know of a finger stretch exercise I can use to limber up with?.When in question — You Tube LOL
<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Essential Hand Stretches For Guitarists or Any Instrumentalist” src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/TSrfB7JIzxY?wmode=transparent&rel=0&feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https:%2F%2Fwww.activemelody.com” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen=”” id=”fitvid0″ data-gtm-yt-inspected-1_25=”true”></iframe>This looks like the very thing I am after Keith… Thanks for all the replies folks.
..Billy..
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April 9, 2021 at 11:07 am #246545
When in question — You Tube LOL
This looks like the very thing I am after Keith… Thanks for all the replies folks.
Carl from Guitar 365 usually has very informative videos
There is a book called Isometrics for Guitarist that is out of print that is really good if you can find in a 2nd hand store at a decent price. People on Amazon & Ebay are trying to extort on their prices but you might luck out and find it for a reasonable price
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April 9, 2021 at 11:34 am #246547
People over charging for things is getting out of hand now imho, I will look out for the book though or perhaps a digital edition of it..thanks again kiddo.
..Billy..
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April 9, 2021 at 1:52 pm #246561
That really loosened up my hands and they needed it!
Thanks Keith!Brian’s community is made up of a lot of us that are retired and after working as we have, our hands aren’t as limber as they once were.
I worked as a welder/metal worker for a while and then worked in electronics that was quite a bit of assembly work with screwdrivers and wrenches. Many on the forum have similar backgrounds of manual work
It all has taken its toll
For whom do the bells toll? They toll for thee……….LOL
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April 10, 2021 at 8:49 am #246636
Its my left pinky that wont do as its told, it wont stretch for notes or bend at the joint if im trying to make a double bar type chord, oh and trying to do spider walk exercises it throws itself off the fretboard like a 2 year old having a temper tantrum…
..Billy..
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April 10, 2021 at 2:08 pm #246671
Its my left pinky that wont do as its told, it wont stretch for notes or bend at the joint if im trying to make a double bar type chord, oh and trying to do spider walk exercises it throws itself off the fretboard like a 2 year old having a temper tantrum…
I’ve dealt with the same issue Billy, the left pinky has always been stubborn with a mind of its own
I’ve been playing strictly acoustic fingerstyle for a year now so I’ve chosen as many songs in the key of C as I can find. These songs have a lot notes that have to be played with the left pinky and its made a difference. If I have to go a day or two without playing, the pinky starts getting contrary and I miss notes for a while.
One thing that you might do as part of your practice is to play the major scale instead of the pentatonic. The Major scale positions will have 3 notes per string and some notes will be played with the middle finger, some with the ring finger but all will use the pinky
Using pattern 1 below, start with 6th sting root note on the 3rd fret (key of G) – play that note with your middle finger. You can see how your fingers will be “assigned” on the 4 fret span notesYour pinky will get the message pretty quickly that its in boot camp
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