Playing the guitar requires flexible fingers. Fortunately, left-hand agility is a skill that can be acquired and improved with practice. These tried-and-true exercises will help you sharpen that skill.
Note that you may not be as proficient in these exercises as you might like the first few times out. Always challenge yourself, but respect your physical limits at the same time. Finger fatigue is normal, but pain is not—if at any point in any exercise you feel pain, stop immediately! Your tolerance to these exercises will improve over time.
The following exercises are excellent for warming up prior to practice. However, any finger exercise routine that works for you is ideal.
#1—The Tennis Ball Stretch
This super-simple warm-up is probably the most effective of all the exercises listed in this post. If you are having any difficulty with hard stretches across the fretboard, the tennis ball stretch can work wonders.
Wrap your left hand around a tennis ball and squeeze just until you feel the ball give a little. Hold that pressure for 30 seconds. Important: Do not maintain the pressure for any longer than 30 seconds!
Repeat with the right hand, if desired. This stretch is good for right-hand flexibility and strength, too.
#2—Vertical Character Builders
Plant your middle, ring, and pinky fingers on the second, third, and fourth frets, respectively, of the third string. Imagine that they are firmly fixed there with roots that grow all the way to the back of the guitar neck, leaving only your index finger free to move. Keeping a brisk but steady rhythm, play the following:
- 5th string, 1st fret.
- 2nd string, 1st fret.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2.
- 6th string, 1st fret.
- 1st string, 1st fret.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5.
- Repeat the entire sequence.
Feel free to play this slowly until you get the knack of the movement.
Now root your index finger and let your middle finger do the work, repeating the exercise on the second fret. Follow up with the ring finger on the third fret and the pinky finger on the fourth fret.
#3—Horizontal Character Builders
Root your index finger on the sixth string, first fret. Play a series of hammer-ons, using the first fret as the first note and using your middle finger to play the second note. Each time you play a hammer-on, keep your index finger rooted in the starting position and stretch one fret farther with your middle finger. Thus the first note will stay the same throughout the exercise, while the second note will change sequentially:
- 2nd fret the first time.
- 3rd fret the second time.
- 4th fret the third time.
- So on until you can’t stretch any farther.
Once you have reached your limit, use hammer-ons to walk your second finger back down the fretboard until you are again at the second fret. Re-root your index finger on the fifth string, first fret, and start again. Then go on to the fourth string, working up through all the strings of the guitar and back down to the sixth string again.
Repeat this exercise with the ring and then the pinky finger doing the work. Then try rooting the middle finger on the second fret and stretching with the ring and pinky fingers. Finally, plant the ring finger on the third fret and stretch with the pinky.
Always strive to play in rhythm with this and other exercises.
Helpful Resource
Gripmaster Finger Exerciser
Now you can improve your finger independence even when you don’t have your guitar in hand! This great little device will help you develop greater hand strength, as well.
Homestead on the Range 