Reading the Charts
I will use exercise #1 to help illustrate how to go about read and play these exercises.
Exercise #1
E|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
B|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
G|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
D|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
A|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
E|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
1 2
2 3
3 4
In the exercise posted above, the "O's" indicate which frets and strings to play for the pattern and the numbers underneath represent the fingers that you use to play these patterns.
1 = First Finger
2 = Second Finger
3 = Third Finger
4 = Fourth Finger
Some exercises (like the one shown above) have more than one set of numbers underneath the pattern. This indicates that you should play the same exercise over again using different fingers. So for example, the first time though you would play Exercise #1 using only your first and second fingers to play all the way through the exercise (as explained below). Then you would start over and play through the entire exercise again only this time using your second and third fingers. Then you'd play through it one last time using your third and fourth fingers. So you will run through this same pattern three times in order exercise each of your fingers. You can also run through certain exercises more than once if you would like to work on specific fingers (usually the third and fouth fingers).
Playing The Exercises
The idea for playing the patterns mentioned above is to
start on the first fret and using the fingers indicated for each fret, play the pattern moving across the fretboard (changing strings but staying on the same fret) until you get to the last string. Then play the pattern in
reverse coming back across the fretboard so that you end up back in the same position you started from. Now move your fingers up to the next fret and repeat the patttern again at the 2nd fret, then at the 3rd fret, etc... Continue this all the way up until your first finger reaches the 12th fret (you can go higher if you wish).
I will demonstrate the way that I practice these exercises using Exercise #1:
E|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
B|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
G|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
D|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
A|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
E|-O-|-O-|---|---|---|
1 2
Tablature:
Red = First Finger
Blue = Second Finger
d = down stroke
u = up stroke
E|----------------------1-2-1------------------------------------------ (High E String)
B|------------------1-2-------2-1--------------------------------------
G|--------------1-2---------------2-1--------------------------etc...--
D|----------1-2-----------------------2-1-----------------2-3----------
A|------1-2-------------------------------2-1---------2-3--------------
E|--1-2---------------------------------------2-1-2-3------------------ (Low E String)
d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d
I only play the 2nd fret on the high E string one time instead of two. So the 2nd fret is both the end of the forward pattern AND the start of the reverse pattern (coming back across the fretboard).
When the pattern comes back to the low E string, after playing the 1st fret with the first finger the first finger immediately
slides up to play the 2nd fret (which starts the pattern over at the 2nd fret). Also notice that the direction of the picking changes. Instead of starting on a down stroke, it is not starting on an up stroke. This will help with your picking hand as well since you will switch the direction everytime you start the pattern on a new fret. So your picking hand will get a little bit of a work out as well.
Back to Finger Exercises
