Dexterity exercises?

[MichaelAndrew3435]

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but I thought I'd post a thread about them. How important do you guys think they are in developing finger strength and flexibility? I've been doing more of them recently and I feel like it's helped me with barre chords that require my hand to be in funky positions, or it could just be in my head.

 

[jerryo]

Don't know if this has been discussed before, but I thought I'd post a thread about them. How important do you guys think they are in developing finger strength and flexibility? I've been doing more of them recently and I feel like it's helped me with barre chords that require my hand to be in funky positions, or it could just be in my head.

I talked to a guy once who was going up and down the neck
playing chords and expressing note runs in between,
it looked like a crab had gotten loose on the fret board
and it sounded good to boot.
I asked him could he 'see' the scales underneath and he said yes.
It takes a lot of practice to see at that level.
Strength comes from simply playing i feel.

I wonder how many people see the scales or the degrees within a scale
automatically or instinctively when they look down at the board.
Jazz guys are like gunslingers when it comes to chords.
They are fast and melodic , i have always wanted to do what they do
but seem to fall short.

 

[Tazz3]

I go up and down the fret broad like a spider iam trying to get my pinky working and strong
As the others iam sure it takes yesrs

 

[MichaelAndrew3435]

I talked to a guy once who was going up and down the neck
playing chords and expressing note runs in between,
it looked like a crab had gotten loose on the fret board
and it sounded good to boot.
I asked him could he 'see' the scales underneath and he said yes.
It takes a lot of practice to see at that level.
Strength comes from simply playing i feel.

I wonder how many people see the scales or the degrees within a scale
automatically or instinctively when they look down at the board.
Jazz guys are like gunslingers when it comes to chords.
They are fast and melodic , i have always wanted to do what they do
but seem to fall short.

I agree that strength comes from playing too, but I'm curious about the benefits of other exercises you can do on the fretboard to increase strength and flexibility. I've been playing for 2 years now and I don't feel like I've made much progress during the past year in terms of technical playing. A lot of that probably has to do with me playing the same simple scales and chords instead of practicing chords that require more stretching of the fingers.

 

[Philuk]

I just learn songs. Any technique that you want has a real world application in a song.

You can do exercises, sure they help, but I wouldn't spend more time doing stuff like at over learning songs and understanding how to actually use those techniques.

When I wanted to learn hammer ons and pull offs I could have done an exercise, instead I learned the Thunderstruck intro. When I wanted to learn how to unison bend and get them sounding in pitch and intense I learned the All Along The Watchtower solo. Barre chords were learned just by learning loads of rock and indie stuff, etc.

I see the scales when I play, but I know the Ionian, Aeolian modes inside out so it kinda goes hand in hand. The other major scale modes I'm okay with, I know the scales from knowing Ionian, I'm just not as sharp with phrasing and note selection. It's just practice, when I pull my finger out I'll start playing more phyrigian, I just don't know when I'll use it!

 

[Midnight Blues]

Personally, I think they're very important and I 'd recommend that you do them before you begin playing. Great way to build strength and speed.

Here's some good ones that were in Guitar Player:

Warm-Up Time: 11 Exercises That Will Help You Play Even Better | GuitarPlayer

 

[jerryo]

Songs ... ... pick a song
There are complete walkthroughs on you tube by some darn good pickers
Dairy of a Madman (Ozzy) is my latest project .

When you figure a song , your essentially being educated by a world class artist.
Thats a lesson thats hard to pass up.

 

[Midnight Blues]

Hey MA, don't know if you saw this, but thought you might be interested in this Thread that colchar started?:

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/guitar-lessons/349193-20-quickfire-exercises.html

 

[revtime]

I do these when warming up. I go slow and spend about 20 minutes on them. It takes me awhile to get warmed up. Probably why I have these marathon playing sessions at night. I really like my playing when I am good and warmed up.
I hate someone handing me a guitar cold. I am lukewarm at best and a train wreck at worst. Its hard to say "Hang around for 30 minutes I get much better"

 

[Sloppy Joe]

Classical guitar instruction- that's where lots of great dexterity excercises come from. Are they important? Yes, if you want to play with finesse, skill, accuracy, articulation, control....