Have you ever seen a great guitarist like Jimi Hendrix, Joe Satriani, or Steve Vai play the guitar with one finger? Absolutely not, but that’s precisely how many young guitarists spend their first couple of years learning to play the guitar. I call it the “one-finger of doom syndrome” because it’s guaranteed to self-destruct their best efforts to improve on the guitar.
But there is hope, and that hope is the finger exercise for ‘guitar awesomeness!’
Finger Exercises for Finger Speed, Strength, and Dexterity
Finger exercises are a great way to improve finger speed, strength, and dexterity. Here are three finger exercises to help kids skyrocket their guitar playing skills.
Set 1: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 4, 3, 2, 1 
Set 2: 2, 3, 4, 1, and 3, 2, 1, 4
Set 3: 1, 4, 3, 2 and 4, 1, 2, 3
Finger Exercises Make Great Warm-Ups
Finger exercises are a great way to warm-up your fingers before shredding on the guitar. For maximum results, practice these three finger exercises every day for the first three to five minutes of your guitar practice routine.
Practice with a Metronome
Practice each set up-and-down the neck from the first fret until the 12th fret. Set the metronome to 60 beats-per-minute and play Set #1 in half notes. When that’s easy, move on to quarter notes before finishing with eighth notes. Once you can play eighth notes clearly and accurately at 60 beats-per-minute, it’s time to increase the tempo.
Keep at it every day, and you’ll surprise yourself with the results!
At the Rock Dojo, we believe every kid has the potential to make great music. Call us today at (503) 484-6417 to book private lessons or group classes in Portland, OR. You can also host a group guitar class at your home this summer! If you want to support the Rock Dojo, consider purchasing a Rock Dojo T-Shirt.
