In this lesson, we'll be taking a look at four basic stretches for guitar players. Stretching is important for two reasons: It's key to having as productive a practice session as possible, and it's also going to help make sure you avoid any injuries. With these four guitar stretches, you should be able to build a solid daily stretching routine.
Learn more about building dexterity for the guitar with this free lesson: Building Guitar Finger Dexterity
Stretch #1
Put our your hand in front of you with your palm facing away. Grab your fingers with your other hand and gently pull towards yourself. You don't want it to hurt, but you should make sure you're pulling hard enough to feel the stretch. Hold it for 20 or 30 seconds then switch to the other arm. Be sure to go back and forth a few times.
Stretch #2
This stretch is a speedier alternative to the first stretch we looked at. Spread all your fingers apart and put them together tip to tip. Gently push your hands together until you feel a stretch. Hold it for 20 or 30 seconds, shake it out, and do it again a few times.
Stretch #3
For the next stretch, we'll target a different area of our arm. Reach out your arm with your palm facing downwards and make a fist. Then grab your fist with your other hand and gently pull downwards towards the floor. The same things apply with this stretch. Don't pull too hard and hold it for 20 or 30 seconds. Switch hands and go back and forth a couple of times.
Stretch #4
The last stretch we'll look at is actually more of a massage than a stretch. Grab one of your fingers between your thumb and index finger. While pulling, roll your finger back and forth. This will really help limber up the individual finger. Do this for all of your fingers and be careful not to pull or roll too violently.
This lesson is just a small excerpt from Guitareo. There, you can fast track your progress on the guitar with step-by-step video lessons, fun play-along songs, and all the community support you need. If you want to watch the rest of the series that this lesson was taken from and continue to build on your momentum, you can head over to Guitareo.com and try it risk-free for 90 days.
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