# Strengthening individual fingers?



## groovemasta (Sep 26, 2011)

Lately I've notice my ring finger is considerably weak compared to my others, is this normal? are there any effective ways to strengthen it, all I have heard of is holding all your fingers down you don't want and pulling off and hammering on with the selected finger but its not working too well.

is there any other exercises you guys have done to strengthen an isolated finger?


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## Maniacal (Sep 26, 2011)

Trills.


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## ShadyDavey (Sep 26, 2011)

^^ When all's said and done trills are still a fab way to strengthen fingers. Also hammering diagonally across strings to avoid a predication towards linear strength - Shawn Lane especially built a lot of licks on the idea of one finger per string hammer-on's.


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## Dayn (Sep 26, 2011)

I'm going to be original and suggest trills. Index-middle, index-ring, index-pinky... middle-ring, middle-pinky... ring-pinky. At least a minute on each, or try to last that long at least to build up strength and endurance. Try not to tense up, though. There's honestly not much else you can do besides that, or maybe bending practice to build strength.

Though is your ring finger not strong, or is it simply unco-ordinated? I had a similar problem with my ring finger and benefited from finger-independence exercises. I'd put all four fingers on the table, then lift up the index, and put it down. Lift the middle, put it down... and repeat. That helped me as well.


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## Winspear (Sep 26, 2011)

Dayn said:


> I'm going to be original and suggest trills. Index-middle, index-ring, index-pinky... middle-ring, middle-pinky... ring-pinky.
> 
> I'd put all four fingers on the table, then lift up the index, and put it down. Lift the middle, put it down... and repeat. That helped me as well.



 For sure.

Also a simple two note per string chromatic exercise with that exact finger pattern can help. When doing the ring-pinky, you really have to concentrate at first to not let your index+middle fingers stick away from the board at an awkward angle. Try and keep all your fingers close by at all times. Practicing it two notes per string with that finger pattern seems a lot more beneficial to me than the typical 1-2-3-4. You can really feel it working your fingers on the last two combinations.


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## Cabinet (Sep 26, 2011)

Practice pull offs and hammer ons to a metronome and focus on your timing. Like I do hammer on/pull offs doing 8th notes at 100 bpm. I make sure that all the notes come out clearly and my timing is correct. Also because I focus on a really snappy pull off by using the very very tip of my finger it's not uncommon for my fingers to feel a little hot after a 3 minute session.


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## groovemasta (Sep 26, 2011)

Hmm, alright I've been doing most of these and have made some progress I just wanted to see if there was anything else i could be doing, it seems more of a finger independence issue but i thought that would be due to strength. Thanks for the replies


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## aWoodenShip (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks for this thread. I was just going to put one up like it. I made the bad habit of avoiding my ring finger the past few years as it wasn't as strong as the other 3. And now I find I hate my technique and wanted to make the ring finger stronger and more coordinated.


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## USMarine75 (Sep 27, 2011)

This:







Gripmaster Hand/Finger excerciser... this one does individual fingers.


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## groovemasta (Sep 28, 2011)

USMarine75 said:


> This:
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do you own one? and is it available in stores?


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## iloki (Sep 29, 2011)

I've seen several devices for finger strength and I've always wanted to try one but at the same time I'm apprehensive because it's difficult to find comprehensive, credible reviews of them..


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## SirMyghin (Sep 29, 2011)

Finger strengthening devices are just a token that guitarists will buy anything that they believe will help your playing. What helps your playing, is playing, not some finger dowhacky.


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## Maniacal (Sep 29, 2011)

I agree, just because you can crush a babies face with your hand doesn't mean you can shred. 

I spent a lot of time with these devices and didn't notice any improvement at all. 

Instead, I trilled for 20+ minutes with each finger and stretched every day for a few months. That helped a lot.


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## groovemasta (Sep 29, 2011)

im not really into the devices haha i just realized i can't really lift my ring finger independently, I'm not really sure if that's related to anatomy or strength but it seems like a small problem I wanted to improve.


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## groovemasta (Sep 29, 2011)

The table method has been working pretty good I've doing it the past few days during class and i can already feel an improvement.


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## kcyrowolf (Oct 8, 2011)

I highly recommend checking out The Original Cowling System, by following the link below.

Hand Strengthening Exercises - The Cowling System & "MARGIN" or "RESERVE"

I haven't practised it much, but from reading through a lot of it, it makes sense. I would avoid silly hand exercising devices. I have heard they can do more damage than good, and that is the impression I get from picking one up and trying it as well.


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## orakle (Oct 8, 2011)

USMarine75 said:


> This:
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everyone that says a Gripmaster is shit is cause they : a) never owned one b) didnt know how to correctly use it (frequency, intensity, duration)
c) are clueless about anatomy





giving course so kids/teens, I found that finger and wrist strength are the factors limiting their progress, I suggested them to try the Gripmaster Light (and use my program), and hell did they progress faster

proper hand/finger and wrist training is really important because once you've got great strength and stability I find it much easier to focus on speed and control

for the purpose of playing guitar, I dont suggest going over 7 pounds per finger (which is the Gripmaster Medium)

however, if you want to strengthen your hand for lets say bodybuilding, rock climbing or whatever, you can go higher

remember, strength is not acquired in 1 day, its a slow process that is based on progression, dont overdo any exercise if you wanna avoid injuries


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## Explorer (Oct 8, 2011)

Regarding the Gripmaster, I'm about to start doing hand therapy after surgery on my left hand (right hand soon to follow), and I'm determined to not screw up my ability to play. My doctor has put a limit on how much I can pick up of 5 pounds, and that's with all my fingers involved. 

Anyone who's used weights in a gym or other group setting has seen the person who goes macho and overdoes it. Be the one who progresses intelligently, without overdoing it to the point you hurt yourself. 

Once I get back to that minimum level, I'll be using the puniest Gripmaster available to get back to snuff. 

----

I remember seeing the Cowling Institute mentioned on a magic forum... hold on a second...

Tabman's Tribute to Cowling Institute of Finger Dexterity


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## Mordacain (Oct 8, 2011)

USMarine75 said:


> This:
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Yea, the grip master is great stuff. I have the Planet Waves one with the removeable pad that has simulated strings to build or keep your callouses tough as well. I had a nice 10 minute routine going I would use a couple of times during a work-shift.

Just be careful not to overdo it in a sitting, you can strain your muscles pretty easily


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## SirMyghin (Oct 8, 2011)

orakle said:


> everyone that says a Gripmaster is shit is cause they : a) never owned one b) didnt know how to correctly use it (frequency, intensity, duration)
> c) are clueless about anatomy



Or you could, you know, just do some wrist curls or deadlifting (or both if you need it), the deadlifts will build all the hand strength you will ever need permitting you don't use aids like straps. Chin ups too, work well enough, even just hanging from a bar for extended periods. Farmers walks can also be that special kind of fun with your gym partner.

You are correct, I have not owned one. I can however grab and hold a whole lot of weight in a single hand. Devices like those in particular lock your motion into a single path, single path motion increases the strain on certains parts and the incidence of repetitive strain injuries. It also isolates further, which is not beneficial as it can allow you to achieve muscular imbalance to a greater degree, through the removal of the need for stabilization. 

I am clueless about anatomy though, so what do I know. Train for what you want to achieve, do you have students spending as long trilling and such to compare with the gripmaster? You of course need a controlled study to present a valid result.


Sorry to hear about your hand(s) Explorer, hope you can recover adequately.


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## kcyrowolf (Oct 16, 2011)

^ I hope my recommendation of the Cowling System isn't going to be associated with this blatant advertising.


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## snigloid (Oct 16, 2011)

orakle said:


> everyone that says a Gripmaster is shit is cause they : a) never owned one b) didnt know how to correctly use it (frequency, intensity, duration)
> c) are clueless about anatomy
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> 
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You said you have a routine please reply to me asap send me a message or I will give you my email I have the 7 lb gripmaster and I want to try really good techniques, thanks.


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## ShadyDavey (Oct 17, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Finger strengthening devices are just a token that guitarists will buy anything that they believe will help your playing. What helps your playing, is playing, not some finger dowhacky.





Great for those times when for whatever reason you can't pick up a guitar but if you want strong guitar-playing fingers....play that guitar! 

(I Keep meaning to get a cheap strat copy and string it with 10's or 11's for finger-strengthening but haven't got around to it).


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