Good Warm Up For Guitar

Posted by on 14th March 2010 in Arts And Entertainment

Gene B Phillips asked:

One of the necessary parts of being a fantastic guitar player is the guitar warm up routine. I cannot stress to you beginner players how vital it truly is that you simply warm up ahead of each play session. I know that you might be excited to learn songs, but you must understand that the warm up is going to strengthen your fingers, forearms, picking hand, and it can help you develop excellent habits. So, always devote some time to warming up, even if it’s only for 5 minutes.

One of the most popular exercises to warm up with is what I will call the 1- 2- 3- 4 step ladder. I completely just made that up as of the moment because I don’t know the correct name for this warm up. Nevertheless what you need to do is you start with your picking hand(the one that holds down the notes) and you place it at the 1st fret(the fret closest to the end of the neck).

You first place your index finger on the 1st fret on the fattest string. With the string held down, pick that string with your other hand.

Now, the next move is to bring your trusty 2nd finger and place it at the 2nd fret on the exact same string. Thus, you’ll be placing your middle finger next to your first finger, essentially. Now pick the identical string once again. Ensure that the note is ringing clear. It may hurt to press down, but that is why you warm up daily: ) It is necessary for your fingers used to this sensation and to strengthen them.

The next shift is to place the 3rd finger at the third fret of the identical fat string. Once again, pick the string ensuring that it’s sounding flawless. Are you starting to understand the pattern here? I hope so! I’m sorry for not offering pics or video tutorials. It’s quite tough to describe in text, but if you understand finger placements on the guitar, you should be able to figure it out!

The next move will be hardest. You have to take your trusty pinky and place it on the fourth fret of the fattest string! It will be a tough stretch for you, but it is WAY worth practicing. There are many musicians who neglect their pinky. Do not overlook the pinky. If you do, you may regret it further down the road. Learn to care for the pinky and use it as frequently as possible. You will be amazed at how powerful it will become!

For the next step, you are going to repeat this whole pattern for the next string. So, take your favorite index finger and place it on the 1st fret on the second fattest string(the 5th string). Strum it and then proceed to your middle finger, ring finger, and then pinky again.

Do this routine on all of the strings for this warm up. Replicate this work out the opposite way if you wish. This is a great warm up that will realistically make you a much better guitar player than 95% of newbies out there.

Most newbie guitarists fail to practice properly. One of the keys to correct practice is correct form. It’s important that you do this warm-up regularly prior to playing to build up strength and excellent habits. I still do this warm-up everyday. I guarantee that you will have terrific speed and strength within just one month of doing this which will make you an incredible country guitar player.