Finger Exercise Guide - Updated Sep 12/07

**SatanCow** · Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

Updated Wednesday, September 12 @ 5:45 PM
Hi guys,

Some people are having problems with Hammer ons and Pull offs, and it actually makes perfect sense to me as to why you are having these problems. Some people have a problem Hammering on, and others a problem Pulling off. This is a problem I encountered in my early days as a guitarist.

Almost all guitarists have problems with both. Just that one is more dominant than the other, so it seams the guitarist that their is little to no problem with the other skill. Our hands were simply not mechanically designed to preform hammer ons and pull offs. The tendons in our hands cross the backs of our hands in such a way that make the fingers pull each other.

Here's an example.

look at your hand and wiggle your pinky finger. You will notice your ring finger moves as well. Most people think their pinky is weak, but rather it is that your ring finger is holding your pinky finger back. The same is true when you wiggle your middle finger. You will notice the ring finger moves as well on it's own.

One more example to further demonstrate the mechanics of the hands tendons:

1: place your middle finger bent on the table with the second nuckle touching the table
Sorry about the picture quality

(refer to picture)
2: Lift your index finger. You should not have a problem.
3: Lift your pinky finger. You should not have a problem.
4: Now try to lift your ring finger. This should not be possible, unless your double jointed or something.

I hope this is starting to show you the limitations of the hand. At this point you might feel frustrated as to how you can do anything about this. Don't worry, I have something that will help. Guitarists do a series of finger exercises for the purposes of gaining strength, mobility and dexterity in the fingers. Triplets will help to a degree, but when their peppered at random places in a solo, their not helping as much as they could.

Here is a Chart you can use to practice. A few notes first about this. Be careful with these exercises. You could cause lasting damage to your hand if you over do it. Go through the whole thing no more than 3 times a day. Always do this before you start playing, and take a 5 minute break after doing it. We want to strengthen your hand, not give you tendinitis or arthritis.

Here's the files:

All Difficulties, Click Track Only
====================
Discontinued, the ones below are better!!!

Hard Difficulty, With Music
=================
Chart -> http://www.savefile.com/files/1049226
.OGG File: Drums and Guitar
Offset: None
Length: 1:26
BPM: 120
Notes: This is the hard difficulty of the HoPo/Finger stretching exercise. The background music is made in a midi sequencer, and the guitar is actually a bass (best I had) so it might sound weird. The hard difficulty chart will be the same in every difficulty.

Medium Difficulty, With Music
=================
Chart -> http://www.savefile.com/files/1050755
.OGG File: Drums and Guitar
Offset: None
Length: 2:52
BPM: 60
Notes: This is the Medium difficulty of the HoPo/Finger stretching exercise. This may be too slow to use HoPo's on, you may have to pick the whole thing, I'm not sure. The background music is made in a midi sequencer, and the guitar is actually a bass (best I had) so it might sound weird. The Medium difficulty chart will be the same in every difficulty.

Easy Difficulty, With Music
=================
Chart -> http://www.savefile.com/files/1050772
.OGG File: Drums and Guitar
Offset: None
Length: 4:18
BPM: 40
Notes: This is the Easy difficulty of the HoPo/Finger stretching exercise. You will probably not be able to do HoPo's on this as it will be too slow. The background music is made in a midi sequencer, and the guitar is actually a bass (best I had) so it might sound weird. The Easy difficulty chart will be the same in every difficulty.

Link to the Whole Project: http://www.savefile.com/projects/808533766

If you find the speed too much, play the exercise slowed down a step or 2 in practice. The goal is not to make it to the end, so their is no star power. The goal is to hit each note consistently. When you find your easily completing the difficulty level with 100% every time, then move up. These exercises are both ascending (Hammer On) and descending(Pull Off) in one exercise.

VERY IMPORTANT:

If you feel a burning sensation in your hand or forearm this is OK, it's lactic acid in your muscels making them stronger. If this sensation becomes very painful, STOP. If you feel painful aching in your fingers, wrist or elbow, STOP. Pain is your body's way of telling you your not ready to finish this exercise. Listen to your body. I probably could not finish this even on easy as it's 5 minutes long.

This whole thing is a pretty rough idea, any suggestions welcome.
Hope this helps.

Andy

**suicyd** · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 61

Very cool! Thank you very much.

For those of us who don't have the ability to make customs or don't have the USB adapter, is there a particular section of any song to play on practice mode that would work as well?

**SatanCow** · Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

I'm not really that great at guitar hero, but the ones that were mentioned to me were "freebird" on hard to get used to HoPos. I personally like the solo section of "woman" on hard as well. But as I said, I'm not that great at guitar hero.

**Cryomaniac** · Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 172

I'm a 360 owner, so I can't do this....

Is there any part of some solo that is perhaps similar?

EDIT: Nvm, I guess you just answered that.....

**SatanCow** · Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

I'm not able to use customs either yet, so here's a low tech version. All you need is a flat surface and your fingers. Think of your fingers like this:

1 Index
2 Middle
3 Ring
4 Pinky

On the table or where ever tap the finger that is associated with the number in the order below.

1 2 3 4 1 2 4 1 3 4
Then do it backwards
4 3 1 4 2 1 4 3 2 1

You can also tap this out on the Guitar Hero controllers fret buttons.

If that dosen't make sense just ask, I'll answer any questions.

**tadjinar** · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 48

Cool-- I don't have the ability to play customs yet, but I'm looking forward to trying this because it sounds like a good idea

Thanks!
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**the4stringking23** · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 421

I just would like to say thanks for all of your great ideas!! I have one question though. Regarding speed, I really struggle with back and forth sections like this:

Do you have any advice for improving my technique at this?
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**Cryomaniac** · Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 172

**the4stringking23** · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 421

**SatanCow** · Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

Cryomaniac: If you catch yourself doing it out of boredom catch yourself and change hands. You'll find the off hand will catch up to the other one.

the4stringking23: for trills like that I would suggest just practicing it on the Guitar Hero fret buttons like I mentioned to, Cryomaniac, you would pratice something different.

Try this. I'll put fret colors when the finger I want you to use under it. Hopefully it will make sense.

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
G R G R G R G R

1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2
R Y R Y R Y R Y
2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
Y B Y B Y B Y B
3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4
B O B O B O B O

Then backwards

**Fanoran** · Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 27

Yeah, i'm on a 360 as well but this is all making sense.

Something I might have to give a try because I do play every day. lol.

**Antec** · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 871

Looks REALLY REALLY FUN.

I dont have a modded ps2, but i did put it into ghex. To bad it is laggin' otherwise I would grab my SG and play along with ghex.

If someone gets a good video going, that would be great to practice with.

Nice work.
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**SatanCow** · Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

I find Ghex lags for me to, here is how I fix it:

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del
your processes will come up.
Find Ghex.exe in the processes and right click it.
Click on "Set Priority" and chose "High"
choosing "realtime" might make it crash altogether.

This gets rid of lag in preview for me with both Ghex and Feedback.

Hope this helps.

**Superninja** · Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:56 am Post subject:

wow...thanks for all the info! For me, I am better at decending...and now, I DO recall I would tap my fingers agenst my school desk in decending order...hmmm...its like, when I try accending, 1 goes down, then 2-4 go down at almost the same time.
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XBOX LIVE GAMERTAG: superninja55
GOALS:
[X] Get the log! (september 2nd, 2007)
[X] 5 star Jordan
[] get good at 2 handed picking (can easily get 100% on artierial black solo A now)
[] nail freebird solo C (yeah right...)
[] 5* six (4.9?! Are you kidding me?!)
[] Try not to drive normal people crazy about GH before GHIII hits shelves.
[] get a girlfriend

**DougieDougDoug** · Joined: 04 Aug 2007 Posts: 821 Location: Essex, England

This sounds really cool, but I don't have a modded ps2/ ghex

Anyone with the ability to do so fancy making a youtube of them to play along with? My fingers could sure use being more nimble.