THE FINGER GYMNASIUM - Guitar Coaching XG (RH) Complete.pdf · level off technical development. ......

EXPRESS GUITAR : THE FINGER GYMNASIUM PART 1

Copyright © 2005 Mike Hayes - All rights reserved. www.guitarcoaching.com

THE

FINGER GYMNASIUM

PART 1 SPEED AND ACCURACY



TABLE OF CONTENTS • Warm Up Strategy ….....……………………………….…….…...3 • Practice Strategy.………….…………………………………..…... 4 • Mental Strategy ………………………………………………..……5 • Your Equipment………………...…………………….……………..6 • 1st and 2nd finger workout...………….…………...…………...…...7 • 2nd and 3rd finger workout…………………………..…….....……..9 • 1st, 2nd and 3rd finger workout ………………………..…………..11 • 3rd and 4th finger workout…………………………...……...……..13 • Quadraphonic finger workout………………………………………15 • Quadraphonic finger independence session ……………………… 18

Welcome to the FINGER GYMNASIUM, here you will discover a collection of important warm up exercises to develop your speed, accuracy on the guitar. Like any good health spa you will find a variety of finger fitness programs, each carefully designed to gradually increase your technical ability on the guitar. First, read through the Finger Gym warm up strategy and practice strategy then simply select the program you require. If you are a new player I recommend practicing the Finger Gym program in sequence as they appear in this book. Guitarists who already have an established technique can start at any exercise relevant to their particular needs, they will also find this program useful in maintaining their existing technique.



Warm Up Strategy At the beginning of each practice session, warm up for 5 minutes by playing notes* all over the fingerboard. Play very slowly, low, high, and medium pitches to develop a feel for string travel at a given picking area. Notes played high up on the neck have a much greater string travel than the low ones and can create coordination problems between the left and right hands. Both hands must connect with the string simultaneously. A most common mistake is to blame the left hand when the right hand is at fault, or vice versa. Watch out for this. *notes - a note is when you play a single string. All exercises in the Finger Gymnasium Part 1 are single string (note) exercises.



Practice Strategy Highly effective practice sessions follow the format below : • Warm up for 5 minutes by playing notes all over the fingerboard. • Break ! Set the guitar down, stand up and stretch, etc. • Finger Gym Program (using AUDIO training tracks) relevant to your current

level off technical development. Care should be taken not to sacrifice accuracy and precision in order to meet the tempo goals. These will come in time.

• Break ! Rest away from the guitar • Play Songs from the EXPRESS GUITAR MANUAL.



The Mental Strategy Every guitarist desiring to improve their skill level must learn to work with their nervous system not against it. For the most part guitarists usually practice alone and think that they are the only people on the planet who are encountering these mental or physical blocks. As you progress through the Finger Gymnasium training program, you will go encounter periods in which you are activating new nerve junctures, both in the brain and throughout other parts of the body. This type of growth work draws a tremendous amount of systemic energies. The overall physical feeling is like pulling a elephant uphill, and the psychological spin-off is that we are getting nowhere. This will persist for some time. This happens to everyone! We then tend to go into a natural state of rest, “a plateau.” During this period, we tend to feel we have the world by the tail and great progress is taking place. Actually the reverse is true. The progress was made during the uphill climb, not during the rest period. The rest period will continue for some time. Don’t worry about it. Then the road will become very rough again, and we will become aware of our weaknesses. This will last until we select the specific area to attach first. We will then begin the uphill climb again and plateau again only to meet our deficiencies face to face again. So, on and on it goes, but your practice regimen must remain constant. This pattern continues for every advancing guitarist, the trick is to know that it happens to everyone, keep going and you will continue to experience gradual improvement. The secret to attaining a exceptional guitar technique is to take ‘baby steps” every day in the direction of your technical goals.



Your equipment EQUIPMENT CHECK LIST • Guitar action adjusted (please refer to EXPRESS GUITAR MANUAL page 77.) • Use medium to heavy thickness picks (refer to EXPRESS GUITAR Manual page 11.) • If you are reading from a printed page, I recommend using a music stand. • Make sure your practice environment is well lit. (using full spectrum lighting) • A guitar stand is useful during the breaks (also you tend to play your guitar more if it is visible.)



FINGER GYM PROGRAM Objective : To develop coordination and stamina of your 1st and 2nd fingers of your left hand. Preparation Step 1 Clear your work area of all things not pertaining to this workout. Step 2 Tune your guitar. Step 3 Warm up : Play notes slowly at all points of the fingerboard. Objective : is to eliminate any coordination problems between the left and right hands. Step 4 Break ! Put the guitar down, stand up stretch, etc. The Program Step 5 Select the AUDIO training track for this session.

Step 6 Break ! Rest away from the guitar. Practice visualizing yourself playing the project the way you wished you had.



1st and 2nd finger workout : level 1

1st finger

2nd finger

• Hold 1st finger down for both notes. • Pick down for the first note and up for the second note. • Play each exercise twice on each string. (e.g., 1st finger, 2nd finger, 1st finger, 2nd finger) • Repeat the exercise on every string.

Practice with AUDIO 1 = level 1 • When you can produce a clear tone with perfect synchronization

between both hands (no buzzes or flams) proceed to the next level.







FINGER GYM PROGRAM Objective : To develop coordination and stamina of your 2nd and 3rd fingers of your left hand. Preparation Step 1 Clear your work area of all things not pertaining to this workout. Step 2 Tune your guitar. Step 3 Warm up : Play notes slowly at all points of the fingerboard. Objective : is to eliminate any coordination problems between the left and right hands. Step 4 Break ! Put the guitar down, stand up stretch, etc. The Program Step 5 Select the AUDIO training track for this session.




2nd and 3rd finger workout : level 4

3rd finger

2nd finger

• Hold 2nd finger down for both notes. • Pick down for the first note and up for the second note. • Play each exercise twice on each string. (e.g., 2nd finger, 3rd finger, 2nd finger, 3rd finger) • Repeat the exercise on every string.









FINGER GYM PROGRAM Objective : To develop coordination and stamina of your 1st and 3rd fingers of your left hand. Preparation Step 1 Clear your work area of all things not pertaining to this workout. Step 2 Tune your guitar. Step 3 Warm up : Play notes slowly at all points of the fingerboard. Objective : is to eliminate any coordination problems between the left and right hands. Step 4 Break ! Put the guitar down, stand up stretch, etc. The Program Step 5 Select the AUDIO training track for this session.




1st and 3rd finger workout : level 7

3rd finger

1st finger

• Hold 1st finger down for both notes. • Pick down for the first note and up for the second note. • Play each exercise twice on each string. (e.g., 1st finger, 3rd finger, 1st finger, 3rd finger) • Repeat the exercise on every string.









FINGER GYM PROGRAM Objective : To develop coordination and stamina of your 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers of your left hand. Preparation Step 1 Clear your work area of all things not pertaining to this workout. Step 2 Tune your guitar. Step 3 Warm up : Play notes slowly at all points of the fingerboard. Objective : is to eliminate any coordination problems between the left and right hands. Step 4 Break ! Put the guitar down, stand up stretch, etc. The Program Step 5 Select the AUDIO training track for this session.




1st , 2nd and 3rd finger workout : level 10

3rd finger

1st finger

• Hold 1st finger down for all notes. • Pick down for the first note and up for the second note and down for the third note. • Think of the word *pine - ap - ple * to get the correct rhythm for this exercise. • Play each exercise twice on each string. (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd finger, 1st, 2nd, 3rd finger) • Repeat the exercise on every string.







2nd finger



FINGER GYM PROGRAM Objective : To develop coordination and stamina of your 3rd and 4th fingers of your left hand. Preparation Step 1 Clear your work area of all things not pertaining to this workout. Step 2 Tune your guitar. Step 3 Warm up : Play notes slowly at all points of the fingerboard. Objective : is to eliminate any coordination problems between the left and right hands. Step 4 Break ! Put the guitar down, stand up stretch, etc. The Program Step 5 Select the AUDIO training track for this session.




3rd and 4th finger workout : level 13

3rd finger

• Hold 1st finger down for all notes. • Pick down for the first note and up for the second note and down for the third note up for the

fourth note. • Play each exercise twice on each string. (e.g., 3rd, 4th finger, 3rd, 4th finger) • Repeat the exercise on every string.







4th finger



FINGER GYM PROGRAM Objective : To develop coordination and stamina of your 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers of your left hand. Preparation Step 1 Clear your work area of all things not pertaining to this workout. Step 2 Tune your guitar. Step 3 Warm up : Play notes slowly at all points of the fingerboard. Objective : is to eliminate any coordination problems between the left and right hands. Step 4 Break ! Put the guitar down, stand up stretch, etc. The Program Step 5 Select the AUDIO training track for this session.




1st , 2nd , 3rd and 4th finger workout : level 16

3rd finger

1st finger

• Hold 1st finger down for all notes. • Pick down for the first note and up for the second note and down for the third note up for the

fourth note. • Play each exercise twice on each string. (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th finger, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th finger) • Repeat the exercise on every string.







2nd finger

4th finger



FINGER GYM PROGRAM Objective : To develop coordination and stamina of your 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers of your left hand. Preparation Step 1 Clear your work area of all things not pertaining to this workout. Step 2 Tune your guitar. Step 3 Warm up : Play notes slowly at all points of the fingerboard. Objective : is to eliminate any coordination problems between the left and right hands. Step 4 Break ! Put the guitar down, stand up stretch, etc. The Program Step 5 Select the AUDIO training track for this session.




Quadraphonic finger independence session : level 19

Play notes in the following sequence. • 6th string : 1st fret = 1st finger, 2nd fret = 2nd finger, 3rd fret = 3rd finger, 4th fret = 4th finger. • 5th string : 2nd fret - 2nd finger, 3rd fret = 3rd finger, 4th fret = 4th finger, 1st fret = 1st finger. • 4th string : 3rd fret = 3rd finger, 4th fret = 4th finger, 1st fret = 1st finger, 2nd fret = 2nd finger. • 3rd string : 4th fret = 4th finger, 1st fret = 1st finger, 2nd fret = 2nd finger, 3rd fret = 3rd finger. • 2nd string : 1st fret = 1st finger, 2nd fret = 2nd finger, 3rd fret = 3rd finger, 4th fret = 4th finger. • 1st string : 2nd fret = 2nd finger, 3rd fret = 3rd finger, 4th fret = 4th finger, 1st fret = 1st finger.





Practice with AUDIO 21 = level 21 • Great work! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back

for your diligence, and a special reward for your successful completion of part 1 of the Finger Gymnasium.



Congratulations on your progress !

Don’t forget to check out :

THE FINGER GYMNASIUM PART 2 STYLE AND CRAFT

Featuring : • Hammer on • Pull off • Slides • More quadraphonic sequences • Linear scales • Lateral scales

The FINGER GYMNASIUM PART 2 is part of the EXPRESS GUITAR VOLUME 2 bonus package.

THE FINGER GYMNASIUM - Guitar Coaching XG (RH) Complete.pdf · level off technical development. ......

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