How to Increase Finger Dexterity
From your Guitar Guide

If you're interested in building your finger dexterity for guitar playing, here's a great exercise that will help you.

Difficulty Level: Hard    Time Required: 20 minutes

1. Choose a starting note on the sixth string. For now, choose A (fifth fret).
2. Apply this principle: play starting note, play the note up a tone(two frets), then down a semitone(one fret) from the second note. Repeat the process for two full octaves.
3. Restriction: never use the the same finger to play two notes in a row.
4. Restriction: never move your fretting hand out of your starting position.
5. Notes on the fourth and fifth frets will be played by first finger only. Notes on sixth fret will be played by second finger only. Notes on seventh fret will be played by third finger only. Notes on eighth and ninth frets will be played by fourth finger only.
6. Be sure to use alternate picking for the duration of the exercise.
7. When you've played a full two octave pattern, play it backwards (down two frets, up one fret) until you've reached your starting note again.
   

Tips:

1. Here is documentation for the exercise starting on the fifth fret. Bracketed notes indicate which finger to use in fretting the note. 5/6(1) 7/6(3) 6/6(2) 8/6(4) 7/6(3) 4/5(1) 8/6(4) 5/5(1) 9/6(4) 6/5(2) 5/5(1) 7/5(3) 6/5(2) 8/5(4) 7/5(3) 4/4(1) 8/5(4) 5/4(1) 9/5(4) 6/4(2) 5/4(1) 7/4(3) 6/4(2) 8/4(4) 7/4(3) 4/3(1) 8/4(4) 5/3(1) 9/4(4) 6/3(2) 5/3(1) 7/3(3) 6/3(2) 8/3(4) 7/3(3) 5/2(1) 8/3(4) 6/2(2) 5/2(1) 7/2(3) 6/2(2) 8/2(4) 7/2(3) 4/1(1) 8/2(4) 5/1(1)
2. Be especially patient. This is an exceedingly difficult exercise that will take time to master.
3. Try the same exercise, applying different intervals (eg. up three frets, down two frets). The possibilities are limitless.

Related Information:

• Importance of Warming Up
• Harmonic Minor Scale
• Phrygian Dominant Scale
  

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