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Finger Guitar

by Manuel Marino | Guitar, Music

Photo by ~diP

Correct finger placement on the frets can be challenging for guitar beginners. However, with finger stretching exercises, they can improve their dexterity and play full chords.

Let’s start with an exercise I call “finger push-ups.” This exercise is beneficial for both hands, regardless of whether you are left-handed or right-handed. However, we will focus on the hand that plays on the guitar neck.

1. Place your fingertips on a flat surface, ensuring that your knuckles are pointing upward and your fingers are nicely curved. Lift your index finger and hold it there for 3 seconds, then return it to the starting position. Repeat this with each finger, one at a time. The ring finger is usually the most challenging to work with. Next, move on to combinations. Lift your first two fingers and hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then return them. Then, take the third and fourth fingers together and hold for 3 to 5 seconds before returning them. Once you become comfortable with the combinations, try a repetitive “push-up” pattern of about 10 repetitions. Start with the first two fingers doing 10 repetitions, then move on to the next two fingers doing 10 repetitions. Afterward, alternate