Warm Up Exercises

Dilbert · #1 11-09-2004, 07:07 AM

I mentioned in another post, that I had suffered from some muscle fatigue during a gig at the weekend. It was suggested that I should warm up and I am ashamed to say it is something I have never really considered properly other than tuning up and "noodling" for 30 seconds or so.

What warm up exercises do you do? How long do you do it for? Are scales enough or do you have other things you like to do?

I think this may be useful, not only for me, but for those starting out.

ME@VT · #2 11-09-2004, 07:50 AM

Just make something up.

Dave Matthews originally used a riff for a warm up that later turned into his hit song Satellite. Check out a tab for that

It wills stretch out your fingers.

I have heard arpeggios are good for warming up as well...

Hope that helps,

Devon

DJanzen · #3 11-09-2004, 09:05 AM

I warm up with 'Stairway to Heaven', or 'Landslide'... or sometimes 'Freebird'...

Sorry.

DJanzen

harlon · #4 11-09-2004, 02:22 PM

Hey, Dilbert. Is your muscle fatigue happening in your right hand or left hand?? Sometimes I get both - left hand if I'm doing some freaky leads, and right hand if I jump into some quick fingerpicking stuff without being warm. What I do for the left hand is run some silly scales (they don't even need to be real scales. As Devon suggested, just make something up. - Although real scales may help more in the long run). Find something that gives your fingers a bit of a problem (muscle-wise) and run it slowly, then faster. Then let them rest a bit before you jump into something.

As for right hand, I just bar a chord and travis pick it. Nothing fancy, but start slow then get faster. You'll feel the muscles working. I try to use all of the strings, which forces my right hand fingers to move a bit further.

There doesn't have to be musical beauty in warming up. Just find something that works. I'm sure if you search the net you'll find some good finger exercises. Hope I helped.

Good luck!

DJanzen · #5 11-09-2004, 03:31 PM

Good suggestions, Harlon. I'm playing tonight, but this time not without a proper warm-up.

DJanzen

mashalhendrix · #6 11-09-2004, 03:43 PM

there is a good warm up exercise for the right hand... Start on the 1st frte first string first finger and play the note then on the same string do 2nd fret second finger. do 3rd and foruth finger on that string then do second string the same way. After you finish 6 srring then do the same thing on the next 4 frets but continue on the 6th string down.

mashalhendrix · #7 11-09-2004, 03:45 PM

OH! i mean left hand sorry!

harlon · #8 11-09-2004, 08:26 PM

Quote:

OH! i mean left hand sorry!

Yup - I knew what you meant!! And you're right - that's very simple but effective exercise. I've used it in teaching for years. Good advice!!

Dilbert · #9 11-10-2004, 06:58 AM

Thanks guys. Satalite is a good one. I can play it round once or twice before I balls up. As Devon said, it is a real hand stretcher and a good one. It is interesting that it came about from warm up exercises and that I might now use it for that very purpose

. I am a big Dave Mathews fan so this will be no hardship for me at all and if it means I can then play it properly then this is a double whammy.

I will also try and use the one suggested by Marshalhendrix. That one is probably a better on to start with and then when warmed up a little move to Satalite.

Harlon. The fatigue was in the left hand and in particular my first finger. 4 days on and it still aches a bit. I am hoping that these patterns and riff will help exercise the muscles and things will get back to normal.

Thanks again for the input everyone.

mapletrees · #10 11-10-2004, 09:08 AM

they work wonders on those cold damp foggy days.....

you must have those in the UK....

mapletrees · #11 11-10-2004, 12:18 PM

on a related note...

have you ever tried an Eggsercizer?

just google on the word...

thoroughly addictive...

a minute or two with one of the lower resistance ones just to get some blood and fluid moving through the muscles and joints of your hands might be beneficial...

another basic 'fluid to the fingers' warm-up exercise....hold your hands over your head....sitting or standing doesn't matter...shake your hands (sort of vigorously...let 'em flop about a little bit....)...do it 20 or 30 seconds.....stop...and as you put your arms back down to your side, you should feel the blood rushing/pounding into your hands.....repeat it a couple of times...you should have a lot of fluid in your hands.....

some people swear they feel nothing when they do that....????...my hands fill with fluid and I become aware of my pulse...

everyone's different...

Jeff M posted a killer stretching exercise a while ago....

mapletrees · #12 11-10-2004, 01:41 PM

the only complaint about the Eggsercizers...

I wish they were just a bit larger...

Dilbert · #13 11-10-2004, 02:16 PM

Hey Mapletrees, the hands above the head thing? Wow, I feel the blood running out first and then the blood rushing back. Very strange, but it does seem to do something.

Yoder · #14 11-10-2004, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mashalhendrix

there is a good warm up exercise for the right hand... Start on the 1st frte first string first finger and play the note then on the same string do 2nd fret second finger. do 3rd and foruth finger on that string then do second string the same way. After you finish 6 srring then do the same thing on the next 4 frets but continue on the 6th string down.

I do that, and then work back starting with the pinky. Once I get back to the beginning I then do it on the next string. Once I have done it with all strings and finish with the high e string, then I work may way back up to Lo E string.

I read that Joe Satriana, has a large pickle jar of warm water that he soaks his hands in before going on stage.