Right hand exercises away from steel?

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

Can anyone recommend exercises for right hand dexterity and/or strength aside from playing? I am looking to increase stamina and decrease cramps. I've squeezed a tennis ball with my left hand for years, for standard guitar playing, but I'm wondering if there's something for my picking hand too.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Those chrome Ben-Wa balls are helpfull also there are piano exercises where you do alternate tapping with your fingers on the table, chair, desk (people in restuarants or standing in line at the checkout counter love this) or on the steering wheel while you are sitting in traffic.

Kevin Chriss · From: Carmel, IN, USA

I just bought Joe Wright's Technique Bundle. It is all about the physical part of playing steel. This is a fantastic book, and it will build your right hand as well as give you speed.

James Morehead · From: Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.

Hi David, I may be way off to what you mean by your question, and I hope this doesn't sound too goofy, but this is what I am doing. (This is only a stretching excersise, maybe a little isometric, then a mind excersise. This is something that I came up with, and if I am off base, please, someone more acomplished please help us out!!) I am very new to steel playing, and when I try to play, I find I tend to forget to keep good positioning in mind--I get caught up with this lick is neat, that lick is cool' to how'd that work again again? So I decided to focus on training my hand to the point of "second nature". Other wise I find myself practicing incorrectly. (practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect!!)Depending on how you choose to hold your hand to pick and block, what I am trying now is is to teach myself to keep my ring finger and little finger straight,(I want to learn to palm block some) while I curl my middle and index finger and try to touch my palm. At first, I had to prop my ring and little finger on a table edge to do this. Your arm will beg for mercy and "burn" for about 3 days, then you will find you can do this stretch without a prop. Next, train your mind to "split" your straight fingers from curl fingers, so you can actually do this by shear will, with out a prop. When I got to this point, I practiced holding my fingers in a picking position and try to move your fingers in a picking motion---yet try not to let your straight fingers bend. Don't forget to keep your thumb in position, too. This kicked my butt for awhile, but is getting easier now. You will feel weird when you try to pick your steel for real, but you will find your co-ordination will be better yet. My right hand is loosening up and doing things I couldn't before. Hope this doesn't sound too crazy, but it seems to works for me. (My wife still wants to know how long until my picking is fit for listening)

Chris Scruggs · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

"Right hand" excercise? Wait a second, everybody! I didn't know this was one of "those" websites

!

Emmett Roch · From: Texas Hill Country

Those of us with carpal tunnel syndrome are well familiar with this problem. One of the most effective things for me is to hold my arms straight out in front of me, rest my palms on a surface (table, dashboard of the car, my steel, etc.) and lift my hands up as far as they will go (stop when it starts to hurt) and relax them, about 10-15 times in a row.

I also constantly play "air steel" with my fingers when listening to the radio, or mentally figuring out a lick...not sure if it actually helps, but I figure it can't hurt anything.

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GFI S-12 extended E9

Johan Jansen · From: Europe

jOE wRIGHT!!!

[This message was edited by Johan Jansen on 13 June 2003 at 07:36 AM.]

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I have Joe Wright's picking course and find it useful, but I get cramps in my ring finger when I practice a lot (I use three fingerpicks) and I am wondering if some kind of tennis-ball squeezing routine would be helpful or detrimental for this.

Bob Carlson · From: Surprise AZ.

As part of my morning exercise I squezze a hand spring 15 times. I also have a light tension "Grip Master" which is made for six string players. You hold it in the palm of your hand and can work out all four fingers. I use them on both hands. It helps for things like dealing cards etc etc also. You can get a "Grip Master" from Musicians Friend. I would suggest a light tension...unless you're a real strong man.

Bob

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I just got a "Gripmaster", on the recommendation of John Gettes, and I think it's just what I was looking for. I already figured out it makes a big difference to exercise my right hand picking fingers in palm-down playing position, rather than the "natural" feeling palm up staring-at-your-fingers position. I got the blue light tensioned one, and it feels about right.

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I use Joe Wright's Technique Bundle, and I practice by tapping on a surface when I'm not at the steel.

To me, there are two big challenges:

Rolling towards the thumb is so much easier/faster than rolling away from the thumb.
It's hard to separate the signals to my second and third finger. They always want to move together.

Mrs. Lee notices my fidgity right hand and says "Don't you ever stop playing music?" When watching TV or listening to the radio in the car, I have a tendency to play along with my right hand, or by drumming. I can't help myself!

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

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