Finger INDEPENDENCE Workout For Guitarists: 3 Exercises That Actually Work

[@Paddyjack]

Moving the ring finger in these exercises is like doing a leg day at the gym

[@rasviriyas7863]

😂 exactly

[@bkmeahan]

I'd rather do double leg day than try to do that Caterpillar finger exercise.

[@pwatoscry2087]

Leg day is easy for a runner More like Uper body day for me

[@MoSec9]

I wish. My legs never refused to bend when I want it to.

[@jackcozad6345]

Every day is ring finger day...?

[@namelesswanderer9315]

I do this 3 times a day since January. Once when waking up, once before practice, once before going to sleep. I'm 44 and before doing this my wooden hands wouldn't move. My hands are now a LOT better and I kinda went from struggling to make E-A-D changes to practicing C and G shape Barre Chords.

[@ElNachoMacho]

I am around that age, so reading this gives me hope!

[@R0ckerb0y]

Two finger exercises I used to do back in my rocker days (which I’m just now remembering) First is just a warmup to reduce tendon inflammation and get the oils moving in the tendon sheaths. Close your hand into a relaxed fist. Now open your hand to a fully open position while counting to 5 seconds. Close it to a relaxed fist while counting to 5 seconds. Repeat this for 2-5 minutes. You’ll find your fingers can move more independently and you can jump into playing fast without cramping. Second (one I did whenever I had no guitar available, good to do while driving in traffic.. unless it makes you rear end someone. Do the following finger touch pattern. Thumb to index Thumb the middle Thumb to index Thumb to ring Thumb to index Thumb to pinky Thumb to index The the same in reverse. Start slowly but increase speed as fast as you accurately can. Do this until you feel warmed up and possibly a little tired.

[@bruceskyaus]

Me to ring finger: "MOVE you little stick insect! You'll never solo just sitting there! COME ON!" :-(

[@highr8764]

I got frustrated just by watching him moving his pinky and ring...

[@VeryPersoon]

Oh my god, I didn't realize how helpful these simple exercises would be. I (like a lot of people) have a problem where my pinkie and ring finger on my non-dominant hand is practically completely connected. So, this was my greatest worry about trying to learn an instrument. But, you've given me confidence. So, thank you.

[@MrVi9rus]

hows the progress, just wondering if these kinda movements help in the long run.

[@yohanadeleon2180]

I’m so confused. I’m not trying to be here

[@yohanadeleon2180]

I really want to try to learn

[@yohanadeleon2180]

I really like your explanation. I’m sold. You’re middle finger is th best

[@yohanadeleon2180]

It doesn’t require an anything.!!!

[@donaldboxall4969]

As a self taught senior citizen with small hands this video has been very helpful hopefully after spending some time on these exercises I can go back to some pieces I was unable to play properly because I could not configure my finger reach well enough

[@emerycomputer]

4:49 The ladder got me, gonna practice that one!

[@MrSyjdub]

Excellent content. Thank you for posting this. I really need it. From Brooklyn, NY

[@animeislife2517]

"Tension is your enemy" Thank you

[@ZmanZ247]

Very frustrating at first but over time it can be so much more beneficial than just running through scales.... just keep at it don't give up! Thumbs up all the way!

[@integralherbalism3093]

The other excercise which I learned as a stretch/warm-up. for climbing I"ve also used before practice. This consists of taking one finger at a time and trying to touch the palm of your hand with as little movement as possible from the other fingers. You can also try combinations of two fingers at a time. The tendons provide some serious restrictions however its a very good stretch for injury prevention.

[@kerryfromaj9032]

Happy New Year! I wish everyone better finger dexterity in 2021. 👉👍👈✌️👆👇🤙

[@sims1518]

Thanks man, this really helped elevate my fingerstyle playing

[@annarakannan6620]

So glad I ran into this video. Helping me a lot already. Will be doing this every day as it is an essential part of the guitar practice. Fantastic work. Thank you.

[@xpump876]

My fav String Ascend and Descend pattern exercise. Alternates each finger. Ascending on one string Play: ------------Slide the 4th up a 1/2 step>---- … .. ..keep going up the fretboard in this repeated pattern. Descending on one string Play: ----------------->----. . . ....keep going down the fretboard in this repeated pattern. (2) Classical guitar stretching {After each finger slide action described below - strum or arpeggiate the 4 strings with the picking hand} Play a Maj 7th with all 4 fingers on the top 4 strings (Locate the pinkyfinger on the bass note on D string) .. START: Slide your finger down a 1/2 step(strum), then slide your middle-finger down a 1/2 step, then slide your ring-finger down a 1/2 step and lastly slide down your pinky down a 1/2 step to create another Maj 7th a 1/2 step down from where you had 1st started.

[@sidneyyouker941]

I play both a Classical guitar the Ukulele, and this THE BEST exercise tutorial I have yet to fine. Thanks for doing this tutorial.

[@malcolmstar8036]

Brilliant. Thank you. If only I had started doing this 50 years ago. Still, better late than never. X

[@timobrown4907]

I thought I had at least a bit of finger independence, after trying these I know I need a lot more practice. Thanks for making this video. These exercises are going to help and I believe that it will have a good outcome on my playing abilities also.

[@ManBeanHu]

do you have finger indpendence now

[@hackerhaddi]

i wanna know too, do you have finger independence now?

[@juleshidalgo5374]

Love this video, perfect in also warming up the fingers before playing. Moving only the ring finger seems nearly impossible, the pinky keeps on following when you move the ring finger.

[@cahesolo9267]

Practicing these exercises is pure hell

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

It's more like Purgatory, because after suffering you get Paradise ;-)

[@DianeSpaulding-d3p]

I laughed outloud! He's so flexible and what a great exercise to limber up before playing! Def adding this to my warmups!

[@sabineriviere2465]

Amazing !! Thank you !!

[@knotwilg3596]

Very valuable. The hardest thing is indeed to move the middle finger laterally and keep the ring finger on the same fret. Actually impossible for me today. Thanks a lot!

[@nickyt1050]

Here's one: 6th and 5th strings: F, B, G, C# (w/o releasing any finger once it is placed). 5th and 4th: B♭, E, C, G♭, and so on. This can be inverted to: B♭, G♭, C, A♭. Variations: F, C, F#, C#; F, D, F#, C#; These can then be increased in distance, e.g. 6th and 4th: F, E, G, F#, and the permutations above.

[@radbackyardbbq9691]

thank you for this video. ive been practicing these daily. my pinky and ring finger have minds of their own. its tough but it is improving

[@gaijindeviant5385]

Thanks, I feel this is gonna help my playing loads, now, hopefully the discipline to practice lots.

[@The-Labbed-Life]

I've been doing the first exercise since the beginning but didn't know about the other 2! thanks Tommaso, amazing and will definitely implement that to my practice.

[@aaronstibeljr2584]

this is awesome. i really need this exercise

[@STBRetired1]

Amazing, frustrating and inspirational. You show that it CAN be done which helps motivate me to keep at it. But I'm still amazed. If I can finally get control over my fingers then maybe I won't be so ready to quit trying to play the guitar and violin. Another thing that has helped motivate me this time has been videos of little children playing the guitar and violin. It's amazing to see how their fingers just fly over the fretboard with no effort. I bet I can tie my shoes faster than they do, though.

[@steverox8141]

Great video for finger independence. very helpful. Love from India 💖

[@a5_muffin807]

Dude. This tutorial is awesome

[@rahuldeshpande3516]

this is the best video out of all thank you. I felt the difference right away man - tank you for making this video!

[@zazkoshari4654]

Bro im sweating thats harder than going to the gym

[@harrisonmore1374]

Excellent Job professor...Love from India🖤... we all gonna survive and win corona Together.........

[@chocolatefondue3402]

Thank you sooo much!! Yes it was pretty frustrating at first but this definitely has helped me overcome my finger muscle stiffness ❤️

[@chainsdreemurr1480]

How long did it take u?

[@CMM5300]

Hold all finger fingers on fret board and trill with first finger, 3 minutes. Then 2nd... 3rd.... 4th... All speeds for 3 minutes one finger a time. Next trill with every combination while keeping other fingers on string... example fret e string 5 7 while trilling b string 6 8... Do all combinations at all speeds moving fingers as minimal as possible and relax as much as possible for 3 minutes each.... I did this last night. It helps alot.

[@floydsmithjr7999]

Thats a great exercise, thanks

[@CMM5300]

@@floydsmithjr7999 that is a great exercise. It's tough to explain. It really freed my fingers up where I started getting really good isolated movements. like programming piano hammers.

[@19hhh51]

Hi, by trill, do you mean hammer-pulloff?

[@arsyam_7]

Gotta try this exercises at home everyday.. Thank you for sharing.

[@ManBeanHu]

do you have indpendence now

[@jessejorgensen3931]

I started doing that the other day. Was worried it was wrong. It seemed to help so i did it anyway. Ive taught myself a lot of bad habits.

[@namelesswanderer9315]

Thank you for these amazing videos.

[@terria1254]

Thank-you very much, helps w/fiddle and mandolin as well 💖

[@andrewsiff]

I’m 64, never played, in fact waiting on delivery of my 1st guitar. This is an outstanding lesson!!! Thank you very much!

[@IsothermeMusic]

The background music is great! 😂

[@CoenBijpost]

That fitness video song in the background 😂 You really crack me up, Tommaso!

[@MiketheNerdRanger]

Oh God, the Spok thing is actually absurdly hard. I can do the symbol, but doing the transition, especially that fast is brutal.

[@JakesGuitarThing]

After a week of doing this everyday I can do most of it pretty easily. Now have to do three fingers to really feel I'm pushing myself with the first exercise... but the last one... How on earth!? Still can barely get my hand in to the second position, let alone switch between at ease

[@GlitterallyADHD]

I’m so glad I watched to the end! Love the outtakes! So fun and it’s nice to laugh after stressing about finger dexterity! 🖖🏼

[@RutgersBL23]

Awesome video! Can't wait to work these into my routine. Thank you so much

[@anthonyjourneymusic]

Do what the late Eddie VH did when he first started playing guitar. Knowing only how to play piano he tapped on the strings as though he were playing on a piano.

[@darragiraafet7754]

4:20 in that exercice when you will decide to move 2 fingers there's one 3rd who will tell you " yo i want to move too" lol focus more on keeping the other fingers fixed when you try to make a move i dont know if that helps but that worked better for me

[@stuartcaven1]

Brilliant exercises and really well explained. I've done some of these before and I can honestly say that they really do make a difference to your guitar playing. I'd be interested to know if you have any finger exercises with the right hand when you don't have guitar handy?

[@OdaKa]

I like to use my left hand fingers as surrogate strings lol. Idk if that's good or not, but it's something.

[@minhly650]

This guy is definitely an alien. There is no human being could do that moving fingers.

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

I'm a normal human who practiced these exercises :-) You can do it too!

[@besthobbit]

My ring finger is virtually immovable lol. This should definitely help. Thank you!

[@patricklawrence9784]

AHAHAHAHAHA... I know what you mean. It was annoying and hilarious at the same time. I could not even lift it with my right hand! LOL

[@Nakkiteline]

yeah i needed to aid my left hand ring finger so it gets it should be moving side to side too 😂 this is frustratingly hard, and i've tried to learn this for ever and am still very shit even with my dominant hand, in the spock thing i mean. i've started to mess with the spock fingers in school over 15 years ago and still it's so hard 😂 now gotta learn it because i'm playing guitar and i need more mobility to my left hand fingers. it's just damn slow process, even slower than technique improvements in this early advanced stage i'm at rn lol.

[@rhodghier]

Tried this for the fisrt time. My Fingers are like Frozen Stiff. Need to Practice more. Your Left hand Fingers are awesome!

[@ununtrio]

Thank you!!!!! This is what I was looking for!!! This is so much fun! And just what I needed!!!

[@celiomarques8310]

Incrível esses exercícios. Faz tempo que tento fazer acordes com pestana no shape de "A" usando o dedo mínimo mas não consigo. Vou tentar com esses exercícios. Obrigado 😊

[@cutisizeperson8770]

me at bus: doing finger stretching exercise on iron bar people at bus : wtf is he doing???!

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

I feel your pain bro :)

[@basilreardon5783]

Brilliant hand exercises thank you

[@aakkashmalik3640]

Thanks ❤️

[@dudesons420]

I started to tap because my finger independence wasnt very good with the wring and pinky. This actually helped me a lot!! Some songs you cant tap your way out of them 😅

[@bigkeezo]

👏🏾✌🏾

[@renejohnkerkdyk5006]

Excellent video! Thank you for sharing, Tommaso! The last minute makes the video immensely applicable.

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

Thank you Rene'!

[@keithcourneyea1609]

Very useful exercises. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertcanedo7607]

very challenging, but gotta do it!

[@Tzuriah]

Excellent exercises! Thanks!

[@said.skopal]

This is amazing help.İ learn well just 3 acords lol.İ need to exercise

[@thomaslesperance6256]

Tommaso, I would love to learn from you about the correct way to position your picking hand and things to watch out for!

[@TheChondrolover]

By the way, do you recommend doing each of these exercises every day or just focus on one of them per day for 5 min at a time?

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

Either way will work :-)

[@leonardorestrepo5196]

Bassist here- my teacher is like, "you're going to unlearn every bad bassist habit and learn like a guitarist," so here we are.

[@gilydoesall]

I can’t even do the Vulcan sign. I feel like I am limited and could be progressing so much more if I could do it but my middle and ring finger simply cannot separate from each other. It honestly frustrates me so much

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

I couldn't either. Little by little, it gets better,

[@Synyproxy]

Hello, I am a beginner coin magician and I have noticed that I perform some moves better with my left hand even if I am right handed. After some reflection, I noticed I have better independent finger movmnt on my left hand because I used to play the guitar for 6 years. These exercises are helping me for my coin magic. Thank you

[@gemaf]

Come sempre Maestro sei un genio

[@klaaskabini5407]

This was helpful

[@Paladin_Mc]

I actually was looking for exercises for cardistry. I'm happy to report all of these work while holding a deck of cards. I've heard this exercise is good for cards, not sure about guitar, but cross your fingers each way. Index over middle. Middle over index. Middle over ring. Ring over Middle. Etc. Let me know if that helps guitarists as well.

[@allison1532]

I would have never connected the two, I would love to watch some suggested cardistry videos!

[@РодионМишин-ф9и]

Thanks so much man, such a useful info!!

[@floydsmithjr7999]

WTF? After almost 10 years of youtube searching, decades of hack guitar instructors and guitar players, NOBODY, not one person who’s ever existed on this planet has shown me these stretches until today. This confirms my suspicion that not only is there a simple solution to everything but also people intentionally withhold information from you to prevent you from rising to their level. My first problem: My hand is so out of shape I have to use my other hand to spread my fingers just to make the spock sign, My fretting fingers won’t even respond to my brains command to “spock out”. Talk about starting from ground zero 😡. Next: Thanks to the people on this thread Im going to look up the petrucci stretch, or whatever its called. I may end up in a wheel chair drooling in my fruit loops after this but Im doing it. No wonder I sound like a mental patient on guitar, and my sound on guitar is an insult to mental patients everywhere. Thanks guys.

[@cutisizeperson8770]

man i know what u mean i start doing guitar for 3 months and probably going on forth i watched some useful and some not very useful védios and mostly do not talk about finger stretching (some mention to be honest but not in details) and as for spoke sign i do that too ring and middle and even pinkie almost like dead weight i never though they are not moving as i though it would do sometimesi think i might hurt them as some point when i was doing sport and they disfonctioned lol well anyway i know what u mean and i hope i can spread those fingers freely and so for u (ps: i m trying to spread my fingers when typing without moving my hand as some sort of exercise XD)

[@lucasnarzary7253]

Thank you bro

[@guitarakademiet546]

These seems like great exercises. Thanks for sharing

[@therealkenk]

Great stuff. Thanks for making this video!

[@theTopCat-1]

maestro, Is there a video where you cover only the left hand "grip"? after 45 years of playing using a death grip on my electric I NEED to change this on my acoustic before my hand falls off.................

[@mariachirevolucionario]

Me ayudo mucho este ejercicio, muchas gracias

[@biswalashis123]

Good information

[@leosmith5266]

Great stuff, Tommaso!

[@bramb8613]

Thank you Tommaso! I really appreciate it!

[@josephluwagga2191]

Really this is great

[@cat_loaf943]

It becomes more frustrating, when it comes to shreddy / fast melodic patterns, where your hand must be very very relaxed. Great video, btw do you live stream?

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

Last Live Stream was this past Monday: kzbin.info/www/bejne/faGVd41_gcaDgKM :-)

[@torgomax]

Saving this video..Thanks, Subscribing!

[@zlayer4514]

I got a question, my ring finger wont let me move my middle finger like before(unless its laying on a fret), i cant even play 1234 fast cause of this

[@kie6873]

i don’t have much of an issue with my ring finger but my pinky is . a disaster . i can’t even keep it on a different fret than my ring finger when my hand is relaxed, it just slides over. hopefully these will help!

[@nachzerer4788]

Hello, thx for these exercises but i need saome clarification! In exercises 2 the thumb is sliding or lifting from the neck?

[@franticpanda2008]

This is so difficult. Which leads me to ask, why is recommended to use your non dominant hand for fretting? Wouldn't it be easy to strum with the lesser dominant hand?

[@richermorin]

this video is still relevant

[@recalled4525]

Pretty useful. Thank you!

[@khorumas]

These are great exercises! Thank you :)

[@vicpnut1]

Looked or this question in a page or two of comments and gave up…so, is it ok if on some ( or maybe even most for some of us) to manually put finger(s) into position with your other hand until the fret hand can do it itself?

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

Yes, but no forcing and no pain allowed.

[@DarrylPowis]

Love finger independence exercises :) thank you!

[@ibraheem-mostafa]

Thank you so much

[@e.s.r5809]

What's the music in this video? I'd love to know, I found myself timing these exercises to the beat like finger aerobics. 😂 Thanks very much for the video! As a right-handed pianist learning guitar, I knew my right hand was stronger and more dextrous than my left but it's surprising to realise just _how_ much more. Great LH exercises for both instruments!

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

I wrote it, as a background music for this video :-) Maybe I should release this and the others I wrote?

[@malthus101]

I literally cannot do the first exercise on the ring finger. I can move it to the low string, but it will not go behind, to the 2 high strings. Not unless I lift the pinky off entirely. Any suggestions? 😎

[@LinFiles]

Hello! I do have a request for solo movement with my Thumb. I would like to bend my thumb straight down but keep my fingers straight. Mostly the pointer finger is connected so strongly and moves down with my thumb. Can you help me bend my thumb solo?

[@theniteflites]

Great job, I like your style