Strengthening Your Fretting Hand

One of the things I hear most often from students--young and older alike--is that their fretting hand tires easily, and aches after playing a song.  And that's to be expected at first--there aren't many times in life besides guitar-playing where you will find your hand and fingers in some truly unusual positions!

But like anything else--running, playing sports, yoga, dancing, etc--with proper strengthening exercises and the passage of time, you will find that your fretting hand will become stronger and stronger, and you won't even feel tired after hours of playing!  You will also develop calluses on your fretting fingers that will serve you well as you progress in your playing.  (p.s. Wear those calluses as a badge of honor!  You're a guitarist!)

One simple warm-up you can do before you practice is simply to spend a few minutes gently squeezing a tennis ball, or a small piece of citrus fruit such as a Clementine orange in your hands for a few minutes.  This will warm up your fingers and joints as well as the tendons and muscles in your hand that control finger movement.

Another thing you can do to strengthen your weaker fingers (your ring finger and pinky) is simply to start with the first string of the guitar, and put your first finger on the first fret.  Play that "F" note.  Keeping your first finger in place, add your second finger to the second fret play the note, then add your third and fourth fingers to their frets.

I demonstrate this exercise in the video below, and you will find that by doing this exercise both forward and backward, you will not only strengthen those weaker fingers, but you will acquire accuracy and dexterity that will help you make cleaner chords, play better solos, and so on.

Please watch the video, try these exercises, and above all--enjoy the music you are sending out into the Universe!  Happy Pickin'!

Video on Strengthening Your Hand