Speed Builder Finger Excersice

This speed builder will build on Exercise 2: Speed Builder #1. The figure from Exercise 2 is shown below in Figure 1. This exercise will work with your picking hand as well as your fret hand by using all the combinations of downstrokes and upstrokes. This will be shown in Figure 2 with the traditional symbols for downstroke () and upstroke (V). To do this exercise, you will play Figure 1 like you did in Exercise 2, but you will use the stroking patterns shown in Figure 2.

Example: In Figure 2, pattern 6 ( V V), you use a downstroke then an upstroke then another downstroke then another upstroke. So you would play Figure 1, pattern 1 (1-2-3-4), by playing fret 1 with a downstroke, fret 2 with an upstroke, fret 3 with a downstroke, then fret 4 with an upstroke. You would then repeat this for all the patterns in Figure 1.



















If you have time, play Figure 1 using all the patterns in Figure 2, this will truly give you a good workout for speed and endurance.

Guitar Finger Exercises - Increase Flexibility and Strength Without the Guitar

Interested in improving your guitar playing skills? To be a better guitar player, you need to have stronger, more flexible fingers. Strength and flexibility will come with time as you practice playing, but you can increase how fast you improve by exercising your fingers away from the guitar. These exercises can be done anytime you're sitting still, whether in class or waiting in the doctor's office.
To improve your ability to play the guitar, you need to increase your fingers' flexibility. To do so, you can try stretching your fingers everyday. Bend them to the point of tension, but don't cause yourself pain! If you injure yourself, you can actually slow down your learning curve.
Also, you need to increase your hand strength. Doing so will help you hold the chords firmly, strum the strings louder, and increase your endurance. To exercise your fingers, you can try increasing your grip strength. Try squeezing a grip trainer or a tennis ball. Also, just lifting weights in general will improve your grip strength.
Finally, you need to increase your speed and finger independence. If you can train each finger to operate independently, you will have a much easier time changing chords and fingerpicking. To do so, try placing your hand flat on a table or flat surface. Raise your palms so your hands rest on their fingertips. Now try lifting and lowering each finger one at a time. Practice different patterns of doing so, and try to increase your speed ever time.
All three of these exercises will help you improve your guitar playing skills.
If you are interested in more exercises, please check out Guitar Finger Exercises for more information.
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