Question RE: Hand Exercises

bamagirl · #1 September 20th, 2006

I read the suggestion regarding strengthening the left hand, to place the hand flat and lift the 1st and 3rd fingers, then the 2nd and 4th, repeat.

I was sitting in the car line at my daughter's school and it occured to me to try another method. I actually just held me left hand (made sure nobody saw me doing this and thought I was bizarro) in the same position as the chords I've been learning. Just as if the guitar was in my hand. I was amazed to find out that I was able to replicate the stretching that is tiring my hand out. Also I was able to work on making that last digit of my fingers bend downward independently, which is a problem for me. After doing just a bit of this, I felt tightness in my lower arm muscles and my hand muscles. Which is good, no pain no gain, right?

Anyone ever tried this, at times when you don't have your guitar but want to build on the hand placement and strengthening?? I know there's no way I am precisely positioning my fingering but at this point I'm having to look at the fretboard for all the chords anyway. It will be much longer before I'm able to master doing chords without looking at my hands.

BTW speaking of bizarro, how wild is it that my left hand fingers may actually get LONGER over time with playing??!! Anyway, interesting idea I had, thought I would throw it out to you all for feedback.

krissovo · #2 September 20th, 2006

I have tried that but for some reason without a reference point my fingers go all over the place. I used a stress ball at work and that helps for the quick chord changing songs.

Lastly if I place my palms ontop of each other and stretch my fingers out my left hand fingers overlap my right by at least 5 centimenters, am I deforming myself?????

Bodies · #3 September 20th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by krissovo

I have tried that but for some reason without a reference point my fingers go all over the place. I used a stress ball at work and that helps for the quick chord changing songs.

Lastly if I place my palms ontop of each other and stretch my fingers out my left hand fingers overlap my right by at least 5 centimenters, am I deforming myself?????

You made me check my fingers and my left hand fingers can indeed stretch longer than my right hand ones. By no means is it 5 centimeters though but they're a little longer. I'm not sure it's because of the guitar though...

Besides, it doesn't really matter, right. It's not as though anyone will be checking out our fingers so closely anytime soon.

Justapicker · #4 September 20th, 2006

It's also good to visualize the chord formations when you are away from the guitar. When I'm trying to learn a new classical guitar piece I often try and visualize the score and the different fingerings as I'm falling asleep. It's amazing what you can "see", and that sort of mental practice translates into easier playing.

Quote:

[qb]Lastly if I place my palms ontop of each other and stretch my fingers out my left hand fingers overlap my right by at least 5 centimenters, am I deforming myself?????[/qb]

Nah. You'll not only develop a longer stretch over time, the muscle on the pinky side of your fretting hand will become more developed and your fretting hand fingers will become longer than your picking hand fingers. After 35 years my left hand fingers are almost a half inch longer than my right hand fingers!

bamagirl · #5 September 20th, 2006

AAAHHHH !!! This IS bizarrrrroo!! After a couple of months, my left fingers are slightly longer than my right. I tried a dozen times, palms exactly together, middle of fingers inside creases together, made sure a zillion times I wasn't TRYING to make it line up this way.... oh my OH MY GOSH. It's not so much as yours but already there is a difference. WOW who'da thought??!!

bamagirl · #6 September 20th, 2006

What do left-handed people do to play the guitar?? Should I look into becoming an ambidextrous guitarist?? LOL!!! Kidding, but that was oh so weird to run across. Obviously I should have expected (big duh) the fingers to stretch when I am looking for ways to (BIG duh) stretch my fingers. This is just so comical. I'd never have thought it.

krissovo · #7 September 20th, 2006

I have only been playing 9 months so that is about .75 cm per annum and that means if the rate growth carries on I will have the fingers of a camelon on my left hand in 10 years and be able to scale tall buildings like superman

wjp01908 · #8 September 21st, 2006

This is really weird - I`ve just had a look and like justapickers, my L. hand fingers are all just under half an inch (12.5mm for you metric types!) longer than my R.

I`m not sure if this is down to playing though - I`ll check the rest of the family when they get home and see if this could be down to natural variation.

Will

krissovo · #9 September 21st, 2006

Look what you started now bamagirl!

thatdoesntsoundright · #10 September 21st, 2006

I wonder how long kirk's fingers are??

Clancy · #11 September 21st, 2006

hmm, I've never played guitar but the fingers on my left hand are longer than on my right... quite a bit longer... interesting.

Clancy

krissovo · #12 September 21st, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatdoesntsoundright

I wonder how long kirk's fingers are??

Probably like this fella on the left:

Clancy · #13 September 21st, 2006

Kirk doesn't have very long fingers at all actually.

and I just checked, his fingers are the same length on both hands...

Clancy

WernHalen · #14 September 21st, 2006

I've been playing for a couple of years and all my fingers are the same length... I can stretch the same width with both hands as well.

What I do sometimes is I use my wrist of my right hand as a fret board and practice a couple of scale like movements to warm up etc. (I have not done that in ages though)

coldethyl · #15 September 21st, 2006

Now you've got me looking at my finger length too!

By the looks, my fingers on my left hand are longer than those on my right. But hey, that's okay 'cause I fret with the left hand.