Exercise 1

Click here for the TablEdit file.

The picture shows a very important Exercise moving up and down each string one fret at a time.

For this Exercise you should use only your first finger for Fret 1 notes; your 2nd finger for Fret 2; etc, etc. A zero means 'play the string open - don't touch it at all'.

When you add Finger 2, keep Finger 1 in place - don't lift it up. When you add Finger 3, keep Fingers 1 and 2 in place touching the fretboard. And the same goes when you add Finger 4 - all other fingers should also be down on the frets.

This hurts, especially as you move from the easier thinnest string to the others - and on string 6 you shriek with pain!

But this Exercise does lots of things together:

1 You must play each note very clearly by pressing the string JUST BEHIND the fret. Not on top of it; not with a gap showing in front of your finger; but exactly up to and behind it. If it doesn't sound clean and clear - adjust your finger.

2 It strengthens your hand muscles - especially the one between your thumb and first finger - you get a great pinch after a year or two.

3 It stretches the span distance between your first and fourth fingers so you can reach the shapes for more difficult chords later.

4 It challenges you to follow all those earlier rules as you speed up the fingering of the notes.

You will find the hardest bit moving back from Fret 4 to Fret 3 cleanly - everybody does, especially as you speed up.