4 DAILY EXERCISES to develop a great LEFT HAND

I just put together a new video that I hope might be useful to many of you to use as a daily routine.
The point of this video is that as you play you keep listening to my indications about how your hand should be positioned and how it should be working to maximize efficiency and gradually get rid of tension or unwanted movements.
My aim and hope are that by playing along with this video every day for 15min it helps you to integrate these essential concepts into your playing in a very smooth and easy way manner and develop a much more steady, precise, and effortless Left Hand Technique.
I hope you enjoy it and please, let me know what you think about it! 🤗
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♦Thank you for watching my video!♦

[@johnlay3040]

Merce is serious about her program. She is here to teach, not just entertain. ❤

[@kgregg47]

This play-along style of lesson is the best, because you can give other pointers as you are moving through the exercise to help me stay conscious of all the other things I should be doing to keep playing it correctly. More please!

[@MerceFont]

Thank you!!! I'll bring some more in the channel in the next days :) I wish you a great weekend and happy practicing!

[@robertfantazo4751]

I practice with you. It's like having a teacher by your side and what you have to add to it verbally is very helpful

[@MerceFont]

Thank you! that's the whole point of the workouts, glad you enjoy them!

[@theyamahac40]

This content is beautiful. Please keep doing what you want to do. The editing, the remarks, the design and methodology are all perfect.

[@MerceFont]

Thank you! Will do!

[@WhaleBluePRS]

I have been using this for approximately one month now and my left has improved noticeably.. I have been playing many years and have always been meticulous about my technique. This has been invaluable in helping me refine my left hand even further. Very useful video for daily warm-up and trouble-shooting. Thank you and well done!

[@MerceFont]

Thats so great to hear!!! really happy it works for you :)

[@dougtube2006]

Hi… I really appreciate what you’re doing here. I am an older player Who studied but I started classical guitar very late after 10 years of not really knowing how to do it. To make a long story shorter, I tried to brute force things and 40 years later I have focal dystonia of the left hand. So given that the fretting hand has always been my struggle I’ve decided to retrain to play left-handed. I am three years into it. I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to overcome the dystonic movements with my picking hand. At any rate I didn’t really start at the beginning level when I started classical guitar which I think has been my downfall. So again thanks for being generous with your knowledge and experience.

[@WhaleBluePRS]

This is also a fantastic workout for the right hand thumb. I do this exclusively with "p" and I have noticed an improvement in accuracy of late.

[@MerceFont]

awesome!!!

[@lawrence1960]

Thx Merce. Added this to my morning practice. 3;30 am to 6:15 am. This is when I do my mechanics. Then 8 hour job, then back home to practice some more. Projects and performance coming up. I think we need a lesson soon.

[@WhaleBluePRS]

1:53 for use for daily workout

[@chouteserginah1354]

My best prof on the internet 🎉😊

[@FilmFlam]

Great lesson. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@MerceFont]

You're very welcome!

[@falconeasel6293]

This will improve your technique in the best way. She has a great way of reminding you to concentrate on different and important aspects. Love this warm up.❤

[@flaviamuccini5681]

Yes, prcticing together is such a great idea. I felt your patience and concentrtion, and you gave a lot of tips. Thank you!

[@adamdean2923]

Thank you Merce I love your lessons There are simple things that I've never learned. I appreciate your effort

[@MerceFont]

Happy to hear that!

[@souhardyaadhikari7822]

Thank you very much. I've never seen such a precised video for the left hand. Nice.

[@cbpQ1]

Yes, I like this and several others of your videos that I have recently discovered! I need these type of exercises and love the format of playing along with you in the exercise. Way to go, girl! ¡ Mil gracias!

[@umitsuhudidonmezdemir3798]

New exercises, thank you, teacher

[@MerceFont]

Glad you like them!

[@nickrobinson2023]

Building up technique on a solid foundation. Magnificent practice for all levels. Thanks for illustrating how it is done properly. Job well done!

[@jmscnny]

These simple exercises really highlight the weaknesses in my technique. I like your style of instruction.

[@MerceFont]

Glad you like them!

[@abgmusic6797]

Thank you merce. I really like this educational series youre putting out. On a side note you have the perfect voice for a book reading ASMR. Yes please?

[@MerceFont]

thank you! :) I didn't even know book reading asmr was even a thing... :D hahaha

[@scottkleyla7752]

Absolute begginer here, one season of guitar study and new to smart phone systems also.Just now completed this exercise 03/18/2022-with some confidence and sense of mastery. The instructions were clear and precise with the fingers charts for aids made these lessons navigable and refined. The 1 finger began to stress/crab with 3 & 2 finding relaxation and control with concentration as recomended. This week study is all left hand stretches and location on second position. The fingers on 5th fret and closed scale in A begin to make sense now. Onword ever Upword Friend!Will like and share now OK?OH MY STRINGS ARE WORN!

[@MerceFont]

Thank you for sharing scott! Very much appreciated and keep up with your good practice sessions! :)

[@scottkleyla7752]

Returned to study 09/03/2022 alignment has improved with thumb behind finger in play and arm doing the reguired wrist positions with fret accuracy and less tension. Guitar position in classical setting for control the proper form, played outdoors in a hammock for performance camping with some degradation to accuracy but people were amazed the FG YAMAHA 700S could even produce such music sound. Being in tune compared to others out of tune is my explanation for crowd response. Have a great day "MAESTRO", STAY SAFE.Thank you so much it makes me so happy and able to share beautiful music at absolute beginer level- JOY - the song about "You are my SUNSHINE" is the best ever now!

[@mikelnavarro69]

Thanks Mercè. Very useful and a good warm-up!!

[@MerceFont]

Merci! Espero que sigui de utilitat! :)

[@pinktigerstudios9920]

I really enjoy these lessons thanks Merce!

[@MerceFont]

Happy to read that!

[@tomb374]

once again very helpful Merce... I can see where this will help a lot with positioning and clean fretting

[@MerceFont]

Indeed, this is not for developing crazy stretching or any complex technique, just the contrary, improve the basic elements, positioning, strength, control, cleanliness. Something useful to do from time to time at any level :) Happy practicing tom!

[@mogenlogen]

I've done this follow along lesson so many times now since I discovered your channel like three months ago, supergood lesson!! Big thanks!

[@deeproyal7067]

Thank you soooooooooo much ❤

[@jamiecooksey9037]

Oh my goodness, simple exercise but it's the technique and discipline of the fingers. I realise playing electric and steel acoustic I have got into some bad habits that are not suited to classical guitar. As I moved to fingerstyle I began to appreciate classical guitar pieces and I find I am pretty much having to start over 😭 . Hopefully with your lessons, patience and time I will become more proficient. Thank you so much.

[@scottkleyla7752]

We're having fun today friend INDIANA USA 11/27/2022- these exercises show progress when repeated over time- absolute beginner here so I learn over and over and over with minimum change but massive improvements- LOL

[@flpmlks5181]

as i can see, teachers don´t really care about your fundamentals. noone never told me about proper techniques and about the fact that free fingers shouldn´t dancing around :D but honestly, i understand. if they would teach you exercises like this in first year, majority would quit, because it´s pretty challenging, frustrating and for kids just boring. i feel after 20+ years of playing like i am useless :D

[@chuan-kangshih78]

I just downloaded this video and will practice with you everyday. Thank you. Please make more of this kind.

[@MerceFont]

will do!

[@lk8398]

huge thanks for editing the video, it’s so easy to follow, also the content is 👍

[@MerceFont]

thank you! very happy to read your feedback, it helps me a lot for future videos! :)

[@loutrotechaud2598]

Thank you for teaching this. You explain so well all the important details I need to develop proper technique.

[@spaceboi_ux]

I play an electric guitar & I want to improve my foundation to play some progressive metal. Can I use these exercises as well or is it specifically for classical guitar players?

[@williamwhittington7294]

It has been awhile since I contacted you, but I will tell you what I think I have learned with your drills. I have improved, but it cannot be measured from one day to the next, however I can see, hear and feel the progress over a month. The big problem with my left hand is my thumb was not in the correct position. It was lagging behind when I transitioned down the neck. My fingers on the left hand are staying closer to the strings than ever before, and because of this minimal movement I touch the strings much lighter than before. I have also noticed that before I do the meter drills, it is my requirement to have the piece fully memorized. I still use the metronome to drive through new sheet music. I am trying to add new finger patterns to simpler music which I sing to, just to see where the new technique goes. This mornings practice was off the chart for my skills, and I try to treat each piece of music that is placed in front of me the same. The problem before was that I could play a more difficult piece better than the simpler pieces, so I felt I was not giving the simpler scores the proper attention. I still feel stuck in a rut even though I am slowly progressing. I know it might be difficult for a person like you that has been playing all your life to have to listen to a want to be guitar players goals, like mine. Your exercises are important and I view a lot of other players on youtube, but you are the only one that breaks the basics down at our level. My final question is how do you know when you are in a rut or a pit where you feel you can not climb out?

[@MerceFont]

Dear William, I'm happy the exercises are slowly helping you 😊 What you are experiencing, the feeling ob being in a rut is normal, sometimes we seem to hit a plateu and we don't feel improvement even if the practice is correct, and one day suddenly it clicks. Sometimes events like a small audition, a lesson, a masterclasses, participate in a guitar festival, etc... can really help these clicks to happen. Sometimes just simply keep going with practice and this jump will come (that's very common when you study in a conservatory, you just keep pushing as strongly as you can before recital day comes, deadlines help giving you this pressure of course). In my case what helps the most when you feel stuck is focusing less on exercises and develop technique + musicality mostly with repertoire. It is also a lot more fun when you set yourself daily goals of 'I'm going to make this 2 bars sound waaay better by the end of the day'. This forces you to be more analytic and a lot more intentional with what your fingers are doing and the daily small improvements give you the sense of moving forward. With such practice you might also feel physically on your hands that you are doing an effort that your fingers weren't used to, for instance: when you try to develop a perfect legato you start pushing the stretches on every chord change, every movement, just that bit more to connect notes better and that's a huge hand workout (let alone the phrasing possibilities that it opens as you play). This really helps me to push my technique to a higher limit and couples it together with musicality development, which at the end of the day, it what's the most enjoyable during practice :) Hope this makes sense to you and helps you in your practice sessions! Do let me know in some days if you find the way into this kind of practice 😊

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci beaucoup. I'm using these for my tenor and baritone ukulele.

[@mrWorldwideJuan]

This format of video happens to be an Excellent learning/practice tool. Thanks so much. Highly looking forward to seeing more of this!

[@MerceFont]

Muchas gracias Juan!!!! I'll try to bring more of these workouts in the channel, for sure! :) Share it with other guitarist that you know might like it as well, it will help me a lot!

[@upwhite6610]

Thank you for being patient giving an important demonstration teaching basic essential left hand skills. It’s really helpful.

[@oldmanandthesea7039]

Very good routine to train the finger muscles. One comment. The guitar sound is competing with your narration which helps us to understand the whole idea behind this rather mechanical routines. Thanks for your very informative videos.

[@andrewmallard2301]

Simple and specific, thank you.

[@idamehrnoush8833]

Great resource!

[@MerceFont]

Thanks!

[@djfuel100]

Thank you Merce, you make excellent practise videos.

[@MerceFont]

Glad you like them!

[@timjohnson3080]

Really useful exercise. Thanks for posting this Merce! Also useful tip to keep an eye on positioning to keep the 4th finger from stretching across the fret board.

[@MerceFont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@timchambers7068]

First time trying it today! My hand is sore now, who knew that little movements could be so useful. Thank you! I really like this style of video and the commentary during the exercise is helpful also.

[@MerceFont]

Wonderful! I'll be preparing some more of these workouts then :)

[@ahaspoukamei3003]

Intresting

[@oscaralfaro9905]

Moltes gràcies!!... súper útil poder fer l'exercisi amb el vídeo. Ideal per els que aprenem :)

[@MerceFont]

de res! moltes grácies a tu pel comentari, m'alegra que et sigui útil per estudiar, intentaré portar mes videos com aquest en el canal doncs :)

[@informaciondesarroll]

I really enjoy your exercises. Thank you.

[@MerceFont]

Glad you like them!

[@diegovillegass.6433]

Gracias , muy útil

[@MerceFont]

:)

[@tomsim1657]

Merce -- thank you for this lesson. I'm an older beginner and this will help me build a good foundation. I very much enjoy your excellent videos. Thanks again!

[@MerceFont]

Wonderful! You are so very welcome! :)

[@okilfeathermusic]

quina classe més magnifica, moltes gràcies Mercè!

[@MerceFont]

😊

[@HuynhDuan303]

Very good❤

[@shihonage69]

Thanks!

[@MerceFont]

:)

[@LetzBeaFranque]

This is great! I played along with the whole thing. This is really helpful.

[@MerceFont]

Awesome! happy to play together virtually! 😁😊

[@jayrussell26]

Just followed along - good routine, video really nice idea and well executed. Thanks, Merce.

[@MerceFont]

Glad you liked it!

[@k.robintaylor8272]

I plan to practice this!

[@JL-wj8ts]

I am trying to get back into playing after many decades of neglect and have found these exercises extremely useful. May I be so bold as to suggest a variation which has helped me control the positions of my free fingers when playing just the single first finger. It is very easy to play a note with the first finger behind a fret but saw in the beginning that my free fingers were all over the place and away from the fretboard. Trying to keep them just above the adjacent frets I decided just in the case of the first finger part of the exercise, to play the note and then place simultaneously the second, third and fourth fingers on the three frets above, play the top note (fourth finger) and then descending notes back to the first finger before moving on. I hope this makes sense. It has helped me to control my hand/finger positions while using the first finger. With combinations of fingers the free fingers more naturally stay in “formation”.

[@chrisquinones7970]

Thank you very much for all your videos!! These are Master Classes!! I love the beauty of the music at the reach of our finger tips!! I'm determined to master my guitar. Con la ayuda de artistas como tú es posible. Muchas gracias. ❤❤. Un fuerte abrazo!

[@MerceFont]

muchisimas gracias! un saludo y a estudiar fuerte pues!

[@andyhamilton9459]

This is a great format, especially as you gave reminders along the way. Is anyone else’s hand tired after doing this? I guess I’m not in shape yet after restarting guitar practice after several years off.

[@MerceFont]

Thank you Andy! Yeah I myself would have liked to have such 'workout guides' so I'll be bringing many new exercises in the future for you to practice with! :)

[@johnchunga7633]

Awesome

[@chantale6919]

Super merci 😊

[@burtmantooth8913]

Your accent is so gorgeous. :) ❤😊

[@tritone3284]

God bless you.

[@Qbm2109]

Gracias Merce

[@elphyu2142]

Thankyou very much

[@MerceFont]

Most welcome :)

[@jz4901]

Súper video and great format as well! Muchas gracias y un abrazo desde Canadá. Jz

[@MerceFont]

Muchas gracias jz!!! Me alegro que le guste el formato workout!! 🙌🏻

[@stephenmichalski2643]

Your instructional video's are just what I've always needed. Sooooo great......thank you. Can I ask you a question via your website about Patron?

[@MerceFont]

Thanks a lot Stephen! Absolutely, you can start up any discussion in the Forum (tag me so I also get the notification please) or open a private chat window. Whatever is easiest for you :)

[@mariacallas9962]

👏👏👏 Merci merci!

[@lelandgaunt7130]

If you want to make this exercise a lot more productive, do it with "hammer ons from nowhere". Dont use the picking/strumming hand at all. Sound every note with hammers and pull offs. Also throw in 1st and 4th finger combination and 2nd and 4th fingers. 1st and 4th is VERY important. You can also add 1,2,4 and 1,3,4 at the end. This was my routine for a few years many years ago. You will never have to worry about your fretting hand again. The only thing thay helped me conquer difficult Joe Satriani songs and Randy Rhodes's demonic trills.

[@sejdailkbahar3801]

Wauhhh...Love the way you give exersises, thx a lot for this... Iam an older beginner and surching to learn this at the right way.. Eaven i wil not probebly do concerts, but this wil help me so much on getting no injuries and get better faster💕🙏🙏🌹🌹🌹

[@MerceFont]

Awesome! Happy practicing sejda!

[@sejdailkbahar3801]

@@MerceFont thx🙏

[@ZIONSCHRISTIAN]

Thx a lot Merce...I'm having a lot of problems with my pinky finger....hopefully this exercise u teach will help me to improve that

[@MerceFont]

Yes it will!

[@vineghe]

that's so cool!

[@josephprem1644]

Soon you will be famous in this world

[@tonyn1926]

She already is. I know her, and I am across the world from her, and I generally know no one, not even my neighbor !

[@inemmichaelofficial3488]

Thank you greatly

[@MerceFont]

😊

[@anotherbigfootwithinternet2147]

Thanks to you my ring and middle finger actually work

[@MerceFont]

yaaay that's great!

[@stevesteven5257]

amazing teaching..thanks

[@MerceFont]

So nice of you!

[@john19655]

Great video and yes very helpful .A challenge to control fingers not engaged on the fret. That will take some real effort.thank you.

[@MerceFont]

I'm sure you can do it! If it helps, lower the speed of the playback until you can follow through the routine without struggling with the patterns. Only then is worth increasing the speed 😊

[@emmapacios9592]

Thank you!!!

[@darrylboom5973]

Thank you!

[@MerceFont]

You're welcome!

[@jp1freak]

i really love your videos, keep it going!!!

[@MerceFont]

Thank you! Will do!

[@roxievazz9570]

excellent

[@MerceFont]

Many many thanks

[@gulumayroz]

Beautiful ❤️🙏🌈🌹👍

[@samnam715]

I love this have you got a guitar lesson series somewhere

[@MerceFont]

working on it... :)

[@PavanKUmar-zm4nc]

Hello Merce, Thank you 🙏🏻 so much for this wonderful lesson and demonstrations. I couldn’t watch live, as I was working this weekend, but was happy to watch it now and follow. It’s so valuable and I wish I had someone to teach such details and guide early on. I am now wondering if I can unlearn all the bad and incorrect habits I developed on fretboard/ guitar, but will try. Thanks a million again for your time and effort and this valuable session. Have wonderful week ahead.

[@MerceFont]

Dear Pavan, with attention and patience you can definitely correct any habit you build in the past that you find imperfect or incorrect. That is also a bit the idea I had behind this video, that from a very elemental concept, as you play it you can listen the voiceover reminding you of what to take care so that we avoid this 'empty practice' where we are just repeating without direction or real purpose. I wish you a great week as well! :)

[@PavanKUmar-zm4nc]

Merce Font Thank you 🙏🏻 so much, Dear Merce, not only for the lessons, but for taking time to read the comments and respond, and mainly for the insight offered and the encouragement to correct and re-learn. I will diligently follow the video and practice. Best Wishes to you.

[@rethcidonl.elmedulan4961]

Very talented and super pretty guitarist 💖👍

[@umitsuhudidonmezdemir3798]

I prefer you do and we do like this

[@nik8ivnv]

Cool! What if we "glue" inactive fingers on the 6th string or 1st string and do this workout?😮

[@giuseppe237]

Grazie!!!

[@davehumphreys1725]

Thanks for the video. Just one small point. Your English is excellent, but, the correct word is 'inactive' not 'unactive' when you talked about the unused fingers. My problem is one of time. If I spent time doing all of the exercises that you recommend in this and other videos, there would be no time left to actually practice any pieces! Could you suggest a routine that lasts about 15 mins that would cover the most important exercises?

[@MerceFont]

Yes, you are so right, for some reason I don't comprehend I keep saying that even though I am fully aware is with 'in'..... my brain just decided that in my spoken english will remain forever unactive... hahaha

[@davehumphreys1725]

@@MerceFont Even though I'm English, I frequently get them mixed up too!! Take care and stay covid-safe.

[@mitsanut5869]

👍👍👍

[@ynschannel_]

Esos ejercicios si no me equivoco son del libro del Scott Tennant que tiene ejercicios muy eficientes, pero también son los ejercicios más lógicos por su naturaleza y efectivos porque calientan y posicionan los dedos de manera muy equilibrada. Si solo puedo hacer un ejercicio para calentar hago ese y para mano derecha trémolo.

[@Trooman20]

Thank you Merce, this is a really helpful video! I have one issue with my wrist, as soon as stop playing and turn my hand over, the area of the bone in my wrist hurts really bad, I have tried a lot of things but i can't seem to figure out the issue

[@MerceFont]

Hi Trooman! I'm sorry to read that! Without seeing you play is difficult to know why this might be happening. Have you suffered any injuries in the past there?

[@Trooman20]

@@MerceFont I haven't but my wrist pain is gone thankfully, turns out i just had to hold the guitar a bit higher

[@MerceFont]

@@Trooman20 glad you found a fix!🥳

[@violaoclassicoecia4685]

Muito legal! Obrigado :)

[@MerceFont]

🙏🏻

[@umitsuhudidonmezdemir3798]

Dear Teacher, 3 weeks past and 3and4 fingers hard is broken, I wish ı met you 30 years ago

[@MerceFont]

Happy that the video helps you! 🙏🏻

[@user-ji4zx9ur9j]

I watched your video about finger independence exercise. Do you need to do warmup exercises before doing finger independence exercises? I'm asking especially because I've heard that finger independence exercises are particularly hard on your tendons. Supposedly it comes from the fact that fingers share many tendons together and when we move only one finger it causes the neighbor tendons to rub against each other which can easily lead to inflammation and even tendonitis. That's why they recommend not to do more than 15 minutes of finger independence exercises a day.

[@petjobedet4650]

Did you show or mention the position and pressure of the thumb when doing these?

[@zu0832]

How should the arm and elbow move as the fingers ascend and descend?

[@MerceFont]

The arm should accompany the hand in a very small motion going forwards as you need to raise your hand up to the 6th string and back to the neutral position (besides your body) when arriving again on the 1st string. The movement is very small but it helps a lot to develop precision if you get smooth transitioning from one string to the next :)

[@infmda4365]

So HAWT!!!

[@huliojose5683]

This lady is super cute with super cute hands but shes a porfessional guitarist lol 😁 Baby hands...

[@adhimat526]

The forth of my finger was still difficult to be practised, i do this until about 6 months long but still falure..

[@au4240]

Can I get 4 daily exercise score?

[@umitsuhudidonmezdemir3798]

3-4-3-4 aplying, my fingers i and m flying sky not standing above string ? help teacher

[@MerceFont]

In that case, stop for a moment, relax fingers 1 and 2 and try to actively keep them hovering over the string you are currently playing. You will need to 'teach them' to remain in the resting position and avoid them to get used to being tensed when not playing. Every time they do that, stop and readress them.

[@umitsuhudidonmezdemir3798]

@@MerceFont I am learning, but my fingers didn't obey me, thank you, young teacher, stop and keep on them above the interested string

[@ZIONSCHRISTIAN]

i am having issues with the stretch between my second and third fingers on my left hand... can u help? ;-)

[@MerceFont]

Well, horizontal stretch with in the 2 and 3 is probably the hardest. Try first to gain control in the mobility. As you develop the movement, stretch will improve as well. Just be careful don't push it too hard too soon! :)