May 14, 2019 by Klaus Crow
Bigstock photo
Playing guitar requires a decent amount of flexibility in your fingers.
When you practice guitar regularly you develop more flexibility but at the same time you need more of that flexibility because your riffs and licks become more advanced as you progress.
Some beginner guitar students blame the lack of flexibility to short, thick, weird or chubby fingers.
Of course guitar players with long fingers may have some advantage, but the majority of guitar players should be able to learn to play barre chords, scales, solos and all the stuff most guitar players do, no matter the size of their fingers.
I know a lot of great guitar players out there with short fingers and they all rock! They increased their flexibility by lots of practice.
In this post I will show you 8 exercises that will improve your technique and develop the strength and flexibility you need.
You might not be able to play all the exercises (in the beginning) but that’s not the point, the point is that you extend your reach so that it becomes easier for you to play your favorite licks and riffs.
Note: If you are a beginner guitar player then first practice the 1-2-3-4 exercises before trying one of the exercises below. If your fingers feel really stiff then also start with the 1-2-3-4 exercises first.
Prevent any injuries! If you feel any pains or warning signs from your fingers, hands, arms or any other parts of your body when you are playing, stop and rest! Don’t hurt yourself. It’s okay to seek challenge but know your limits. Listen to your body carefully.
Tips:
– Practice these exercises slowly first and then gradually build up to normal speed.
– Place your thumb on the middle of the back of the neck.
– Focus fully on your hands and fingers. Concentrate.
– Take regular breaks between the exercises.
– Don’t do these exercises for too long. Practice in short periods of time.
Have fun and enjoy your progress!
Exercise #1
Play the 12th fret with your first finger (index), 15th fret with your third finger (ring) and 16th fret with your fourth finger (pinky).
Exercise #2
Exercise #3
Exercise #4
Exercise #5
Exercise #6
Exercise #7
Exercise #8
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Hi Klaus sir,
I always wanted to develop flexibility in my guitar playing. These finger stretching exercise really help. Thanks for sharing
It’s Yoga for the fingers Prasana!
Best regards,
Klaus Crow
i love ti thank you
Does this apply to bassists (myself included)?
can only see the excercises 1 and 2, the other 6 doesnt appear
Are the fingers to remain fretted? I.e. in exercise 1, after playing index on fet 12, should it remain on that fret while playing middle on 15, or should it lift off the string?