Exercises for improving pinky->ring->index finger accuracy on fretting hand?

Playing Technique
#1

Hi all, new to the forum and really liking what I’m reading so far. This course is already changing the way I play for the better and bringing on a level of accuracy that I never thought I would have (after 20 years of playing very, very sloppily).

Something that I’m still struggling with is the left-hand syncopation/fretting when I am not making what I’ll call “repeating” motions…if I have to move them in alternating order I ALWAYS have like…muscle freeze-up on the second part of the riff.

Has anyone ever had this issue, or figured out a good way to prevent it from happening? Lately I’ve just been practicing those motions it feels forced in a way I can’t explain when I do that.

Thanks

2 Likes
#2

Hey thanks for joining and sorry we missed this earlier! Bumping for visibility in case anyone has suggestions. I also suggest a forum search if you haven’t already, I don’t recall if this exact issue has come up but I do know we have plenty of conversations about fretting and hand sync on here!

#3

Do you have a lick and can you post a video of you playing it? And if so, please do.

#4

This might seem like an obvious suggestion but have you tried using fingers 1-2-3 for those shapes instead? Some people just don’t seem to have great dexterity in 3-4 combinations and would be better off trying 1-2-3 instead of forcing your hand to do something it just won’t do no matter how much you try to get it to.

1 Like
#5

This is definitely as I long-ago practiced lots of triple hammer-ons and pull-offs (or double? think schism by tool) and might be my go-to.

Yes - I’ll record myself doing that pickslanting intro lick where it falls apart once I have to descend and upload it later, thanks.