The Guitar Exercise that Changed My Life
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2022
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When I first started playing the guitar, I was obsessed with not wasting any time, and figured out a very annoying way to practice while in school, without my guitar. I eventually made into a great guitar practice tool that has been very useful for myself as well as many of my students. I want to share it with you and i hope you enjoy this little video.
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If you enjoyed the video and learned something new, could you please hit the 👍button, it really helps a lot! Thank you so much everyone! Andre
I'll do one better and subscribe as well. This particular video is going to help me so much as a 3 week beginner. Can't wait to see what other knowledge you have to share!
@@TeamFRYFTW welcome! I think you’ll find a lot of stuff you can use in previous videos, too! Best, Andre
One time I was in Guitar Center. Some dude was playing and was so good a small crowd had gathered around him to listen. Somebody complimented him and said ‘You’re really talented’. He said ‘Yeah people say that all the time and I always tell them it isn’t talent…it’s hard work’
When I first moved to America in 1998, I had a basic knowledge of English (it was actually quite good for back then!). I was playing guitar in a local music shop when someone came up to me and said: “dude, you’re sick. Your playing is the shit, man.” I was shocked someone would walk up to a stranger and call them shit and sick! I mumbled something, turned it off and went home, quite depressed… when I told the guy at the store what happened, he told me what the guy actually meant!
@@andretonelli Oh man, that’s funny!
@@andretonellihahah that's funny
@@willbluefield5776 No. There is no human on this planet that was born with the ability to play any instrument. Until we can plug a USB T cable (USB 17.0), into a port inserted in our heads that conveys the music we hear in our brains into audible sound, all musicians have to put in hard work to get to the point where they can use their musical talent/gifts. To be able to fully express what you hear in your head takes a lifetime of practice for many. After 40 years, I can still barely scratch the surface of what I hear in my head. Have I practiced like a fiend? No I have not. Maybe if that was my only responsibility in life, I could get there. But it doesn't just require musical ability and talent. I honestly think it also requires the ability to understand how chords work and to understand music theory to a very deep degree to be able to fully unleash all that a creative person hears in their head. Which is why I think it's so uncommon.
@willbluefield5776 agreed that there are extraordinary but rare examples like Mozart. But even he required repetition to get his body to do what his brain conjured up. Having played violin, piano (just barely) and guitar, my personal opinion is that piano is by far the least difficult to mechanically operate and to gain substantial physical proficience. Also, you can't play out of tune if you wanted to, unlike stringed instruments, so its easier. There is a reason people type on a "keyboard". Its the most natural interface. This takes nothibg away from Mozart's genius. We know his name, not because of his technical ability (crazy how Mozart could play 64th notes at 200 bpm!!!!). Nobody cares about that. Its his writing ability. There is, no way, in fact, to know just how technically proficient he was other than anecdotes. But we do have fairly detailed accounts of just how many hours a day he spent writing and playing the piano/harpsichord (8 hours!). And look how much our standards have changed with UA-cam showing the world just how many impressive amazing guitarist exist. Far more than most realized. I'm stunned by some of the stuff I see/hear. But nobody is moved by that like they are by an amazing song, something that moves you deeply. THAT is what is innate. The ability to transcribe the music you hear in your head requires learning to read music, learning to play those notes on the piano in order to vet your ideas.
I believe you are conflating instrumentalist and song writer.
Impressive guitar playing ability heard in a music store is not about someone strumming an acoustic guitar and singing the latest song they've written, its blowing oeople away with instrumental virtuosity.
I was born with musical ideas in my head. From my earliest memories, I could hum a solo with any kind if music due to that innate improv ability. An ability which I was just born with. Zero work involved. Zero practice. Trying to put those sounds in my head into audible reality requires lots of practice. It may have required less for mozart than many or most, but one does not simply walk up to an instrument they've never played and bust out a perfect scale.
When I first picked up guitar 40 years ago my college roommate showed me exactly these exercises. I practiced for hours before learning any actual music. 5 years later when I first started playing with other musicians they heard me noodling and said “okay you play lead” even though I didn’t know shit.
😀
that's jazz!
: D
@@emankayker8257 lol
Very well said.
I always get "this doesn't work and it's a waste of time" but I'm hear to say it does work, it allows you to focus more on the technique than the notes, your focus is more directed to pick and hand sync , great lesson !!!
I am pretty much a beginner and I started off not liking this exercise. However, in just a few days of playing every combination I am noticing a significant improvement in my playing, speed and accuracy. Thank You...
That’s great to hear, Jeff! Andre
impressive dedication. you are off to a great start!
How about your “musicality”? If you’re “pretty much a beginner” you shouldn’t be worrying about speed to much.
@@spacejockey4746 this is but one exercise. Also it's not intended to improve musicality. It is intended to improve technique which, in turn, allows one to express their misicality. You can have all the ideas you want but if you can't play the instrument, it doesnt matter.
Amazing clear simple goals.
Pushing 60 years old, finally decided to learn how to play, can't afford lessons. This exorcise is simple genius. Even with my untrained eyes and ears I understand the value. Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that! Andre
My teacher's oldest student is 71. It's never too late. How are you coming along a month later?
just 70 (weird!) and bought a guitar....this is a good exercise I think
I was self-taught at around 10 years old. I played consistently until my late 20s. I played chords/rhythm with emphasis on my right hand for "flourish" (right-handed)
After a 35 year hiatus I have begun trying to play again. Now 64 years old.
I still remember each chord, but not the order they go in to play any of the large catalog I used to play.
But I have started learning songs I never played before, primarily rock. I also am learning lead riffs and solos.
The exercise you show in this video is helping immensely. This might help stave off the arthritis that is increasing in my fingers.
Being new and clumsy to this I found picking each note 4 times helps. Then 3 times, then 2, then 1.
Old dog relearning and old, and new, trick.
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing that, Patrick! This kind of comments fill me with joy. I hope you'll find some of the other vies useful, as well. Andre
Ah! Thank you Patrick! I thought I was just a lamer for doing that.
always use a metronome while practicing and use your voice too along with the notes. Amazing how that works
I wouldn't say always unless you are planning to always play with a click on stage, when recording, etc
That exercise my teacher showed me 40 years ago but as a 12 years old I didn't understand the point but a few years later I incorporated it in my practice routine. Highly recommended!
Hi Ales, sometimes we’re just not ready for things, but we never know when they will click. Thanks for stopping by! Andre
How many reps or how much time would you say is good to practice with his per day?
@@RainingsandstoneHalf an hour per day as is very intense and boring at the begging.
You know, I have a very addictive personality. When I do something I try it to the absolute max, it used to be things that were not good for me, about 6 months ago I bought my first guitar, a squire tele. I playing about 3-4 hours a day, work on scales everyday, and in between work on songs that I’ve wanted to learn. I do hand stretching to work on my range of motion, and decided to look for something new to add, and by the end up doing this my hand was actually sore lol, those weird combos work awesome. So big thanks, I will definitely be adding this to my practice routine, and hopefully help me along on my guitar journey here.
Congratulations on starting with the guitar. It will be an awesome journey! Sounds like you have your routine figured out, too! Andre
Have you tried MMA?
@@MarceloPinto-fw5sw no, never got to big into mma stuff. It’s kinda funny though when I look back on comments from when a while ago, an seeing the things I was working on, an how much farther along I’ve come with the guitar.
Very nice to see the channel growing it's been coming and you are working very hard for your community.. thanks man.. 🔥🎸
With 26 years of guitar practicing under the belt I must say this video is hands down one of the most important I've ever seen. This really is going to take your guitar ability to the next level. Thank you.
Thank you Tonio for the kind words! Andre
You have played 26 years (now 27)...i am 70 and just started so at 97 maybe i will master it!
Lots of guitar players share their expertise, I think this is one of the best. Many thanks to you and God bless you ❤😊
Fat deal
For those of us who were less fortunate not being able to take lessons, (very expensive) this is such good information and I hope you will continue to pass on these great tips and exercises on to us. Thank you for sharing.
Not planning to stop posting videos. anytime soon… Though UA-cam’s mysterious choices when it comes to showing my videos or not is MADDENING! 😀 thanks for the kind words.
I don't quite understand, YT works perfectly 😂 I have posted over 1000 help/type practice what I call video tabs (chord stuff) as I thought people would me like, oh this is awesome an easy way to practice and its free. I know I can't collect a dime from it because it's all copyright stuff and I certainly wouldn't continue after this many uploads and not even 150 subscribers. Man I can hardly, get a like or a comment. Sometimes I think they are hoping I will just go away and give it up. I don't mind as I started all this as a online backup for myself, but a had shown a friend and he was like "man you have to make these public" so I did and managed to connect to a few people but I thought I'd have 1000'a by now because it's all done for you. Just click and play. I'm not schooled in music, it has all been done on my own. I never started playing until I was 40, learning the most basic stuff from J. Sandercoe. I used to post on guitar sites but rather be on my own. If you ever bored drop by and check it out. Some are better than others, I know that, but I don't claim to be the worlds best or anything. I hate typing all the lyrics, I will try to find what I think are the best until tabs and just tweak them if I can. It's not against the law, but some people who submit transcriptions my not like me say that I just regurgitate stuff. If I just did that I would be cheating myself. I do enjoy the challenge and the reward of playing along and it sounds pretty good I think. I'm not into lead playing, and I guess for the subs I have right now are happy about that or I might stop what I'm doing.
Something that I kind of had intuited, but never really considered is that because I was a guitar autodidact, if I saw a Barre chord that seemed to throw off the rhythm while I gradually positioned my fingers and then... usually get maybe 3 notes to ring out with the occasional fret buzz
Guitar Tricks is not expensive and awesome. No excuses not to learn these days.
There is much variation among teachers...
Thank you, Im a 62 year old trying to learn to play. I will work on this :) ciao bello
You're awesome - thank you! I'm including this as a part of my warm up routine.
Yeah, these types of exercises are great. I hope you don't mind me adding that I think it's helpful to also use a metronome and then try quarter, eighths, triplets and sixteenths (when you can do them evenly) always start slow and don't move up the speed until you can play the spacings evenly . Doing that with the metronome really helped my sense of time that carried over into other playing situations. You also can do all of these exercises legato -just pick the first note. Stop if you feel any pain. Nice video!
Absolutely!
When you say stop when you feel pain, does that just mean take a break for the day/ hour(s) to give your hand some rest??
@@jessed6151 I think it means to take a break until pain disappears. It doesn't take long usually
I second the metronome. Its a priceless tool.
Drum backing tracks on UA-cam are also good
I have been using this exercise on my students for 20 years, my guitar teacher showed it to me over 35 years ago, great dexterity exercise and so many variations on the theme.
I did this practice about 15 minutes yesterday and then about 10 minutes today. I then decided to test my newfound coordination by playing through Landslide, specifically where Buckingham solos over the travis picking. I couldn't believe it. I sailed through what is usually a very tricky part for me. Wow!
Great.
Great video! I do two of the permutations as part of my warmup and after watching your video I will start with a couple of the latter ones you showed us all.
I've been working on this the last two weeks and I love it. It really forces me to break those muscle memory moves that lead my hand before by mind can even think about it. Thank you
Exactly the kind of exercises I need right now. The relaxing at every note thing already working wonders. Thank you very much
Thanks for the combinations that will keep me busy awhile!
Andre this is great advice and very useful way of practicing working the fingers even when not sitting with the guitar
This IS the BEST explanation of this finger exercise that I’ve seen yet. I’ve been to other channels but they don’t explain the exercises like you do. Thank you. You’re a tremendous help.❤👍🏽 Subscribed!!
This is a great thing to work on. Has to be a big benefit. Thanks so much
Thank you. I generally lack motivation to practice but I played along with the exercises in this video. God bless.
Good! I learned this elsewhere and did this for a couple of months but had stopped and forgotten about it- this got me started again. The "4 times on each" is helpful as is the thoughtfulness about the differences of each one. I will re-start doing this now every day!
BTW, this pattern is easy to remember as it is in "dictionary order " (called in mathematics "lexicographic order",
that is, all possible words with letters abcd are ordered in the dictionary, abcd abdc adbc adcb, then starting with "b" and so on. The number of patterns is (# ways to choose 1st letter) x (# ways to choose 2nd given that)x(
# ways to choose 3rd given that )x( # ways to choose 4nd given that)= 4x3x2x1 = 24 as he said. This is called "4 factorial" and is written 4!
Cheers!
Thank you for sharing this practice routine.
That first tip is so spot on! There are no shortcuts. You have to put in the hard work. I needed to hear that right now! Thanks! Rock on!🤘
Thank you for sharing! I’m trying again to learn guitar and I’m really committed to sticking with it this time, but it’s been hard to figure out how to start without lessons. I appreciate you sharing your expertise!
Good luck! Andre
This is a fantastic practice routine man thank you for exposing me to it!
Very welcome Nick! Andre
Thank you for showing! This is very helpful!
Thank you for this I will add this to my practice routine.
These are very good exercises and have been part of my routine for something like 50 years. One way to play those exercises that is very good for finger independence is to play them and keep your finger down as long as possible while moving from string to string. It does not work with all permutations but it works for most of them and will really develop your finger strength and independence.
Nice job Andre. Good stuff.
Great presentation. Clear and understandable demonstration. Thank you.
Just what I was looking for. You are the man Andre! Mille Grazie.
Michael Toth in Vancouver was the teacher who showed me this in 1978. After career and kids “paused” my guitar playing for 35 years, I picked up guitar again and this was my first step back.
Thank you both.
same here - feels great, doesn't it? I'm amazed that some things you never lose. When I was nine, getting my ring finger to play the basic D chord was a real challenge. So were fretted chords. And I never lost being able to do fingerpicking patterns, even a tremelo.
I took lessons in 1972 as a 10 year old, now picking it back up at 60. I figure by 70 I'll be touring, lol. Never too late to be rock star.
@@nancymarshall1312 You go girl!!!
@@dianegordon5366 thank you Diane, appreciate it.
I tried to teach these to my young niece years ago, suggesting they would help her fingers get stronger and familiar with positions in prep for other stuff. The commitment for practice always changes the plan. I found when applied to modes, and using string skipping and adjacent string plucking it was possible to open up this idea to soloing and jamming in really cool ways. Thanks for the post Andre, I now feel I should revisit my practice sessions like I used to in the old days.
Hi John, thanks for sharing. It always feels great to know when these videos inspire people in a small way. Cheers! Andre
Thank you so much for sharing this, much appreciated ❤
This is the best video i have found that covers this exercise. Very well layed out.
This is one of the first exercises I ever learned when practicing guitar.
Subscribed! Can't wait to try these!
Thank you from Ireland 🇮🇪 I must start incorporating this into my practice for 15 mins a day thanks my man !! Brian 🎸🎸
Thanks for this! I'm going to start adding this to my practice routine.
I played guitar between 17 and 21 and these exercises always where our warm-up exercises before we went on. I want to play again and this is what I start with now, just get strength and mobility in my fingers again, the rest comes later. Awesome stuff.
In the same boat, I wanna rebuild my strength and technique because I already learned a lot about playing guitar and still have a lot of the muscle memory but my fingers won't cooperate
Thank you for the video. I am literally just starting my self learning guitar journey today.. I'll be trying this out 🙏
Good luck! Andre
Thank you. This is good advice early in the day, I will probably spend the rest of the week on it.
That's excellent, what a wonderful teacher you are. Most grateful to you. I'm starting on these straight away.
That’s very kind Neil, thank you very much. Andre
Incorporating this routine from today
Ill comment here exactly 1 years after practicing this everyday.
Thanks for the advice
Ive been looking for something like this .
Big appreciation 🔥
Please do! Andre
Same. I wonder how much of a difference it will make
We'll wait here then?
Yessir
Waiting patiently 🙏🏾
This is super helpful. Trying to get outta guitar limbo and I’ve had so many ppl say scales but I feel like I’d be jumpin ahead as a beginner. Thank you for this vid
Not really. You are procrastinating is all cause you think it's too hard. I've been there. You will do everything and anything to avoid theory. Scales are easy. Def. start with the major scale. Learn the degrees of that scale- how they get numbers like I, IV, V. Learn the formula W, W, H, W, W, W, H step, etc. Guitar Tricks is a great website if you want lessons. Chris S. is great.
Saw your vids. Looks like you can play somewhat. You sound fine. Surprised you don't know scales. Take some lessons. It will open many doors. It did for me. You are a better singer than me- that's for sure!
Just started learning yesterday and was looking for some good exercises to just get used to handling it and what not and this seems to be helping a ton!
Força Milan!! Per sempre!
Hey Andre, this video popped up in my feed as I'm teaching myself the basics of guitar after spending thirty plus years playing drums. I'd seen players mention the 1234 method before but never any permutations, I'm looking forward to spending a couple of (no doubt) frustrating hours this afternoon trying these exercises out and incorporating it in my practice routine. Thanks for this. Subscribed.
That's great to hear Alex! Thank you, Andre
Exactly what my teacher showed me and it really is a great practice routine! Thanks for sharing.
Many thanks! I just found this gem. I’m just learning intervals, and this will definitely help me out! I just subscribed and am excited to check your other lessons.
great stuff Andre I love it love the exercise
Thankyou Andre, you are a Star Sir! These are incredibly useful combinations!
Thanks, I’m glad this helps! Andre
Hi. Long time player here taking a moment to applaud your presentation of a very "basic" technique that fits in with my guitar playing philosophy. This short video can provide a go to place for budding players to maintain interest when things get a little "ho hum" as well as established players for warm ups and coordination excercises. I've done similar runs but you've expanded on mine and presented solid basis for beginners to established players. Thank You.
Thank you so much John! Andre
God bless you brother ❤️ Thank you for teaching
Thanks for this video. I'm a rhythm guitarist but this really helps improve my lead practice.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. You are helping a lot of people out including me. I'm frustrated because I'm having to go back to basics because my knowledge is mixed but this time discipline is keeping me straight.
I'm 72 y/o and have been playing acoustic guitar 6 and 12 string fingerstyle since 1975. I originally learned, by ear, on an electric guitar in 1968. Recently, I bought an Epiphone Sheraton 2. Going from finger picking to using a plectrum is a challenge itself. But I'm very happy I found you on UA-cam. Using your finger exercises, I'm sure I'll get it eventually. BTW, I've looked all over UA-cam for good electric guitar teaching, and so far you are the best. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing that! Amazing how UA-cam puts people together like that. I was born years after you even started to play, are probably thousands of miles away, and yet here we are! Glad I could help you a bit in your progress. May I suggest you check out some other of my videos, I have a lot out there that will help you with picking. Andre
Appreciate it, it has helped me too over the years
Love you man, really great job ❤❤❤
you are really onto something with the relaxation while finding the finger movements that cause the most tension. Great stuff.
The guitar exercise that changed my life: time.
Ha! Absolutely spot on. But if you’ve got less time than you’d like, I’ve just made a video about that: The Secret to EFFECTIVE PRACTICE
ua-cam.com/video/YsdrJvZ3hts/v-deo.html
You mean effort over time
😁😁😁😂😂😂😂
One of the major problems with people, they can't figure out that things are going to take time, that's why people tailgate on the freeway, freak out when they have to wait in line, and want to be a guitar god without practicing.
I've spent a lot of time with the guitar in my lap i don't think I've learned anything yet
Thank you for this exercise lesson
Great Lesson!!!Thank you!!!
Really helpful. I just started out (again) and came across your channel. 2 years ago I gave up, mostly due to myself. Now I watched several videos and some say ‘don’t give up’. Those simple words really help. These excercices look simple, but there is a lot to them. I found your tips really helpful
And wrote them down, definitely gonna watch more of your videos and hold on to playing. I found it really essential to monitor my progress, getting better every day little by little but also accepting that sometimes you are allowed to have a bad day. Then it is important to come back to your guitar the next day and do your routines. Thank Andre!
Thank you! And welcome to the channel! Andre
Some words of encouragement...Every guitarist has been there, and they will all tell you the same thing - it's worth it. When I first played Wish You Were Here accousitc and Shine On You Crazy Diamond electric properly for the first time (Floyd fan, abviously) I felt like a guitar god! I'm not much good, but just knocking out the odd blues riff now and then is pure therapy. Whatever or whoever inspires you, keep at it. It will improve your life in ways you least expect - musical people tend to be more 'rounded individuals' - philisophically speaking. Even the most tortured souls are exorcised through their playing! Make them fingers bleed...!!!
I've been playing on & off for 50 years and find this very helpful! You have a new subscriber sir. 👍🏻👍🏻🎸
Thank you! And welcome! Andre
Thank you! These exercises helped immediately!
This guitar exercise regimen is fantastic!
☆☆☆☆☆
💯
I learned chromatic finger exercises from an old Jazz guitarists several decades ago. I still use them to warm up and invented some interesting "shapes" along the way. I even use them in solos from time to time...that gets some interesting looks from my bandmates! LOL. Thanks, some nice spins on "finger exercises" here!
Very useful exercises and advice, thank you Andre!
You are very welcome! Andre
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
👍
Thanks so much for teaching us how to be the best! This is very helpful to me and l always remember this tips from you!
🙌🏼
Thank you! Andre
When i was studying the Chinese pipa lute, my teacher taught me a variation of this kind of exercise that used the first 4 notes of a major scale instead of chromatic. But the exercise was that i ran through every combination 4 times, beginning with all combos starting on 1st finger, then all combos starting on 2nd finger etc. It was a great exercise and i sometimes use it on other instruments, including guitar, but i'm going to add this version now too!
Great video!! THE most important one. No doubt. We neglect it because it is simple. It is simple and powerful. Thanks for reminding us.
Thank you! Andre
Great video ❤
I just bought a guitar a few days ago and have been a bit anxious about how to start learning. This is very helpful, thanks for sharing.
A clear presentation and a valuable lesson
on what should be the FIRST thing students
should practice BEFORE tackling music theory
and scale practice!
No explanation of tempo, precision, incremental development, common challenges, pushing past sticky points, time requirements and so on and so on. Too much missing to really be very useful. Especially for an exercise that is extremely common.
@@theoriginalheartstrummer You are obviously a competent musician but your reading skills suck!
I clearly praised what I regard as a vital first step! What you mention certainly follows.
This is like the Hanon exercises that young pianists go through for independence in the fingers.
Excellent! Thank you!
Many thanks, a very thoughtful and helpful demonstration of a great excersie for finger control and strength.
Thanks for reminding me to do this today.
I started doing this exercise a couple years or so so ago after playing for 15 years.
I started with a quite a quick pace of 16ths at 90bpm (I had been playing for a long time so this was pretty straightforward, players with less experience would probably start with half this speed)
I would do 3 of these rows a day from fret 1 to 12 up and down then move on to the next 3 overlapping with the last two I did the day before (day 1 row 1+2+3, day 2 row 2+3+4, etc) This cycle takes 6 days
1 2 3 4 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 3
1 2 4 3 2 3 1 4 3 4 1 2 4 1 3 2
1 3 2 4 2 1 3 4 3 2 1 4 4 2 3 1
1 3 4 2 2 4 3 1 3 2 4 1 4 2 3 1
1 4 2 3 2 1 3 4 3 4 1 2 4 3 1 2
1 4 3 2 2 1 4 3 3 4 2 1 4 3 2 1
It took 5 weeks of bumping up the tempo 10bpm a week to get this up to 140bpm
That's when it starts getting very difficult to progress much further. And I would separate things into one row I would do faster, say 160bpm and the other rows I would do at an established speed.
Eventually there's a point where you have to mentally group the notes differently, instead of thinking of 4 separate notes at 180bpm once I got to that it was just a sequence.
It took a few months to get to 185-200bpm which is where I decided to stop because I was getting diminishing returns in affecting other parts of my guitar playing and it was just becoming about doing the exercise. Now I just do a column or two a few times a week or whenever I feel my chops getting rusty.
This whole process was very beneficial in ways that I didn't anticipate it would be. I was able to whip my fingers around for single note lines a lot better for sure. However the most improvement I got from this was the ability to play independent lines on the guitar much better and with fantastic legato because I was able to get my fingers where I wanted them much faster and more accurately.
Overall the most important thing here is using the metronome to force yourself to solve the movements required and strip away anything that is superfluous to movements which you will be forced to do in transitioning between strings once you get past 120bpm
Thanks for sharing that Michael!
You lost me after your 10,000th word.😂
Great video Andre - for anyone serious about using 100% of their capabilities.
I remember doing these exercises on the piano as a child, both hands at the same time - rub your belly and pat your head while tap dancing kind of stuff. There is an inherent weakness in the link between your third and fourth fingers that many people will ignore for their whole playing life.
I agree with you completely about how much this will improve your chops. The thing that got to be a "problem" for me (as a kid) was, once I could do this smoothly (at even a slow tempo) it was so hypnotic I would lose myself in the exercise.
If I had the discipline now, I had back then - I would have been doing this with the strings a long time ago. It seems impossible at first but you get it down quicker than you think if you do it every day - make a game of it. If you can't get through a section without errors, slow the metronome down and go until you can get it right. It gets to be very satisfying when you can build up even a little speed, just don't faster than you do it clean.
Very good points! I’ve also got another “variation” of this I will have to make a video about at some point…
Great advise! Thank you!
ive been doing varied exercises that use the 1-2-3-4 and they helped me so much with having confidence in my finger movement and with switching chords. now that ive seen all of these variations i can apply the same exercises with all of those different variations to become even more proficient with my fretting fingers.
This is a random video suggestion but it’s great. I have done those excercises for years and think they’re great. I think players should also experiment with with varying time signatures. Play the notes in 3/4 or 5/8 groupings. And if you want to make it worse, emphasise individual notes in each group. Say you play the easiest one: 1234. Put an emphasis on one. Then on 2 , then on 3 , etc etc …. Change dynamics, etc.. it’s endless … this is a great and helpful video. Thank you :)
Great suggestions Sebastian, and thank you! Andre
I have been teaching this for years, taught to me by a student of pat Martino's who was an incredible guitarist.
Wow..!! This is great..!! Thank you..!!
Thanks I have been looking for something like this. I live on a sailboat and am teaching myself to play guitar
These combinations are great exercises for the left hand when played on a single string. If you play them of four adjacent strings and maintain alternate picking, they are great right hand exercises.
Excellent idea. Just what I needed to hear. Thanks
It has also occurred to me not long ago that you don't always need the guitar in your hands to practice the guitar - a table or even your thumb will do. A very powerful realization. But to these exercises I would also add pressing more than one finger at a time (e.g. 1+3 together, then 2+4 together, or: 1+3+4 together then 2, and so forth. Quite a few permutations.). In real life playing this helps with combining melodic lines with chords during improvisation or just regular playing.
Yeah, I noticed this a number of years ago with a foot ruler--the kind from grade school w/ the brass edge. You can practice all sorts of single "string" licks and exercises with that. Finger combinations, hammer-ons, pull-offs, tapping, etc.
Yes that's a good suggestion B M
Thank you for this!!!
how simple its brilliant, common sense, thanks,
I have a hand injury, cut the Ulnar nerve just under little finger while diving. It really slowed me up and I thought seeing as I'm not Django Rhinehart I might be stuck playing slide. I pushed through and with exercises like this I can play nearly as accurately as i did for 30 years before the accident. Great exercises there, got some new ones now, Thanks so much. 🍻
That’s great to hear, Adam. Congratulations on working your way back to form! Andre
Psoriatic arthritis in my hands cuts my play time considerably. The exercise emphasizes play and hand dexterity. I was gifted this by my teacher , forgot his name sadly, it’s been about 25 years but I do this for about 30 minutes a day
This exact concept was explored in the 1970s in a now hard-to-find book called Quadrophonic Fingering by Mitch Holder.
I think the book pumping nylon goes over it
This is great and I will adopt it.