# Stretching exercise ?



## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Hey guys !

As I had never got lessons (before two years ago),
I always had a quite flat learning curve !
Repeating pieces made me develop some abilities so, 
I know practice, patience and time are the key words.

I now face a technical problem, namely to stretch
my fretting fingers to play things like 3xxx7x.

I am slowly coming to it with my shorter scale guitars
but I would like to get some advices or exercises to 
accelerate my progression.

Thanks !


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Practice 3-7 stretches.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

Get one of those stress balls... do 20-30 squeezes to increase blood flow to the hand prior to stretching... you will find the stretching feels better and is more accommodating than trying to stretch the hand (or any muscle) cold. Or you could soak your hand in warm water prior to stretching.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

x3xxxx2

I don't think you should make a habit of playing stretch chords, there are always alternatives, like removing notes or a different fretting or voicing.

Your hands do not last forever.

I would be careful about exercising, you're doing a lot of time on the guitar already, and probably the computer, too.


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## teleboli (Aug 19, 2009)

I agree with Hh's. If a chord is downright uncomfortable to play I just find an alternative voicing. I've never received a hero biscuit for busting my ........ hardly ever.

I've tried the exercise in this video and it really does lengthen them by a mm or 2.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

*WARNING*: Be VERY CAREFUL AND GENTLE when doing any stretches involving the hand and wrist. 
The joints, capsules, ligaments, tendon insertions, intrinsic muscles of the hand and all other anatomical structures are very fragile and easily injured by applying too much force.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Hammerhands said:


> x3xxxx2
> 
> I don't think you should make a habit of playing stretch chords, there are always alternatives, like removing notes or a different fretting or voicing.
> 
> ...


Well, I thought about an alternative...
In fact, my example was not the actual fingering : 3xxxx7
Maybe I should try transposing in "Drop D".

Thanks @teleboli for the video.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

greco said:


> *WARNING*: Be VERY CAREFUL AND GENTLE when doing any stretches involving the hand and wrist.
> The joints, capsules, ligaments, tendon insertions, intrinsic muscles of the hand and all other anatomical structures are very fragile and easily injured by applying too much force.


Don't worry : As a health professional, I am aware of thes dangers as testified by my very low learning curve. :-/ But exercise ideas can help, don't they ? ;-)


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

mawmow said:


> Don't worry : As a health professional, I am aware of these dangers as testified by my very low learning curve. :-/ But exercise ideas can help, don't they ? ;-)


Greetings from another (retired ) health professional (Physio).
Yes, I certainly believe in gentle stretching (as related to this thread)...but with extreme caution and with reasonable expectations.


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## teleboli (Aug 19, 2009)

Here's another. You can trust her. 'She's a Dr,'


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Brian Johnston said:


> Or you could soak your hand in warm water prior to stretching.


Yeah, as the weather gets cooler, I do like warm water if my hands are feeling cold. Then I'm good to start warming up on the guitar. I don't like stretching my fingers without the guitar.

I used to do a lot of descending fretboard stretchy exercises. These days, I use legato exercise to warm up the left hand. Slow hammer on and pull off exercises with a metronome to get the blood flowing and to feel loose. Mostly eighth notes and triplets. Different finger combinations and patterns for independence. I do most of those exercises within the first four frets, then I'll pick a string and do them up and down the neck.


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

I was stretching my fret hand fingers one by one by pulling them back after (or so i thought) I was warmed up. Then i stretched my thumb and went a bit too far... its been a reoccurring pain ever since. Be Careful.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)




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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)




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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Pro advice from medical experts who have seen me personally, that's what has helped me.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

As others have said, you'll get better advice from a medical professional than you will from the internet. However...

Something that has worked for me is to capo up to a spot where I can play it (assuming that the rest of the tune doesn't move too high up the neck), then move the capo back down one fret at a time over the course of the next few years. There are a couple of tunes that I never did get into open position, but no has ever complained that I "wasn't playing it right".


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Sure I know the difference between stretch and strain.
I was just looking for ways to help progressive stretching.
Many thanks for your kind help guys !


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

mawmow said:


> Sure I know the difference between stretch and strain.
> I was just looking for ways to help progressive stretching.
> Many thanks for your kind help guys !


I have stretched but just stretches I made up. Thanks for bringing this topic up.


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