Left hand finger stretching?

Buco

I'm wondering if anyone has done left hand finger stretching exercises of this kind and if it helped:
say you grab a chord that involves a challenging stretch, you assist the hold with your right hand for 20 seconds take a break and repeat one more time.
This would come after a warm up of some sort involving scales or something similar so the stretching isn't done cold.
Stupid or it might help?

Jim Kaznosky

I've never heard of anything like this but would be interested to hear more.

T1mothy

Ill just drop this here

kevingcox

I find the best way for me has been to take my time and hit the chord, hold it a bit, remove my hand and relax, rinse and repeat. Do this for a minute or two every day.

I wouldn't use my other hand because that doesn't build strength or dexterity plus you might pull something too hard and do damage.

Buco

There are a few chords that always gave me trouble. They're not common GJ voicings though so I don't use them enough to naturally get more flexible.

Assisted stretching is used in yoga and sports and such so why not in our world?
I saw people recommending basic finger stretches and different fingering exercises designed for flexibility. But nothing of this kind. I think you have to get passed your comfort zone just a little bit with taking care not to exaggerate.

kevingcox wrote: »

I find the best way for me has been to take my time and hit the chord, hold it a bit, remove my hand and relax, rinse and repeat. Do this for a minute or two every day.

I wouldn't use my other hand because that doesn't build strength or dexterity plus you might pull something too hard and do damage.

I'm talking just flexibility here, but your way is exactly what I'm thinking with that little bit of assist and a push.

T1mothy wrote: »

Ill just drop this here

That's an excellent video and a great answer to a lot of questions but it still doesn't address my issue, what I'm talking here is a kind of a stretch that my fingers don't yet naturally reach on their own so I need to help them get there.

I think I'm gonna try this for a month and see what happens.

kevorkazito

I learned stretches from a bass player that really help me. It gives you crazy dexterity from what I have experienced.

When I'm in the sauna I sit with my hands on my knees palm up. Then you curl one at a time each finger. You try to touch your finger print to the center of of your palm. After you do the five digits then you hold you hand out in front with palm facing your face and gently push you fingers back.

You can do some mad extensions when you work that dexterity. It's also great to work your inner forearm with low weight wrist curls. Let the weight roll down to the the first two knuckles. Totally chases away tennis elbow.

John Petrucci has a guitar player workout. I'm too lazy to do all that. If you are doing Olympic level playing you may wanna dig on his workout.

P S. Ignore all this if you are under 45 lol

Buco

@kevorkazito I knew that sauna I built will come in handy some day.
I'll try those too, all of those combined will take no more then 5 minutes a day. While mathematically I'm under 45, I'm barely escaping that bracket and I can't ignore the reality.
I was kidding about the sauna, I hope it's not the crucial part of dexterity builder.

Jazzaferri

Check out musicianshealth.com. Lots of good info and recommended stretches. I've being doing their stretches for years and they have really helped.

Buco

Thanks Jay. I did those stretches today too.
I'll combine those with my ideas and other tips from this thread and and come up with a routine and do it for a time.
Looking forward to find out the results.

kevorkazito

Buco wrote: »

@kevorkazito
I was kidding about the sauna, I hope it's not the crucial part of dexterity builder.

No, it isn't necessary however all that sinew will be pliable.

You don't want to be too flexible. New research out says that athletes who are most flexible get hurt more. Also stretching before exercise increases chances of injury. Makes sense sense the stress damages the tissue.

Buco

The little bit of marshal arts I've done in the past I was always thought to warm up before stretching, jogging and jumps. Our trainer was big on flexibility but always stressing out that the only way to stretch is after a warm up, never cold.
So my strategy here will be to do some scales and just noodle for a while, maybe 10 minutes before I approach any of this stretching business.