We look at technical exercises, a format that will feature at every level of Intermediate, just to keep our hands and fingers 'tuned up' for the skills that will be required to advance our learning. Let's start the Finger Gym!
The idea behind these lessons now is to look at what techniques (stretches, for example) that we will need for the next level, so a level early to prepare well in advance of what's to come.
To start:
Align all four fingers & hold down the string, from fret 5 through to 8 on string 6
Position fingers comfortably & in a good playing position just next to the actual metal on the fret
Took elbow into the side to help align fingers & pinky to reach fret 8
Now try:
Place down fingers 1, 2, 3, 4 on to frets 5, 6, 7, 8 again, slowly & steadily
Other fingers stay put but 1st finger alone then stretches to fret 4 from fret 5 (one fret behind where it was before)
Move down a string each time completed!
If that stretch is already too much, simply move the shape down any amount of frets until it feels more do-able - for example, from frets 7, 8, 9 & 10 now
This exercise focusses around picking two notes per string, starting:
Index to middle finger on fret 5 and 6 down each string
Index to ring finger on fret 5 and 7 down each string
Finally, Index to little finger the gap being 3 frets apart so you can move this shape anywhere that feels comfortable!
Higher Level Combinations
Middle to little finger
Ring to little finger
Middle to ring finger
