Exercises
Jolly No 1
A simple semi-chromatic exercise designed to help students gain finger strength and independence. Starting on the 4th string initially before introducing the rest of the strings, Jolly No 1 is one of the first exercises I teach students and it is always in 5th position or further up the neck if the student is smaller in stature so as there is no need to stretch. All the technical information relating to the use of the left hand in playing the guitar that follows is based on the fundamental notion of the hands span of a minor 3rd at it's core.
Key Issues:
1. Separation of 1st and 2nd fingers at all times - This is the key to eventually finding the correct palm and wrist angle by encouraging the establishment of a platform using the muscle and skeletal system at the back of the hand from which the fingers work.
2. As each finger goes on the last finger lifts so there is only ever one finger on the fretboard at a time and alerts the student to the transfer of weight between each finger in the hand.
Jolly No 2
Jolly No 2 The introduction of the open string after the plucked note enforces point 2 above teaching the student that it is just as important to think about taking the finger off as it is to place it on a note.
Jolly No 3
Jolly No 3 I pinched from Steve Vai and is a brilliant exercise to help students to develop a balanced hand and overcome the fingers being too far away from the fretboard by using all the fingers to start each segment of the scale on each string.
- 6th 1234
- 5th 2341
- 4th 3412
- 3rd 4123
- 2nd 1234
- 1st 2341
- 1st 3412
- 2nd 4123
- 3rd 1234
- 4th 2341
- 5th 3412
- 6th 4123
Jolly No 4
Jolly No 4 helps the student to overcome the fear of moving around the guitar by teaching them a secure mechanism to use in order to successfully achieve that movement.
The key issue:
1. The only time I advocate keeping a finger on whilst using the others is when I am moving up (tonally speaking - towards the 12th fret) a string. In this circumstance I keep the 1st finger on and use it as a guide to slide to the next position. On the way back down it acts as a false guide finger switching to the 4th once the position required is arrived at. This results in a seamless connection.
2. I talk about the use of the upper arm memory of positions on the fretboard as the instigator of the movement and that the hand always maintains it's natural shape. This is critical as students are all too ready to to compress the hand (squeeze the fingers together) to get their 1st finger to the required fret on the way up and the 4th finger to the required fret on the way down.