If you’ve been playing guitar for any length of time you may notice stiffness in the arms or hands, or perhaps you’ve sustained an injury along the way. In any case you may want to start working on a series of flexibility, coordination and strength exercises. These exercises can offset the negative effects of practice. Players that practice over an hour a day can especially benefit from these exercises.
Those of you who have studied my method understand the important principles governing positioning and movement on the guitar and their benefits for technique and efficient playing. Another benefit of these skills is that you should be able to practice without incurring injuries due to misuse of the hands. But even the cleanest technique doesn’t save the hands from hours of practice. Flexibility will keep the hands ready for play. In addition, the coordination exercises will help isolate important joints that don’t get much attention and strengthening will help protect from injuries caused by overuse.
There are a myriad of stretches and exercises but those within the scope of this article have been chosen for their direct impact, allowing you to get the greatest result with a minimal time commitment.
I’d suggest going slowly here; for the first few weeks start with the first level of exercises under each category: A. Flexibility; B. Coordination; and C. Strength. Then proceed to the second and in some instances the third level only when comfortable. Follow the directives to the exercises below and your hands should be, well, in good hands.
DISCLAIMER: None of the following exercises should cause pain or even discomfort. Moderation is the key; if you currently do no stretching then start slow, adding new exercises every few weeks. Sharp pain, residual pain or any loss of strength should signal the player to stop and seek medical help. These exercises are therapeutic and not intended to cure injuries. In addition, if you’re currently experiencing an injury, do not proceed with these exercises until you’ve first addressed your injury.
The final part of this article also discusses some therapies for the player’s who hands feel fatigued or a bit sore.
A. Flexibility
Level I
General Stretch – Extensors
With the arm either fully extended or bent at the elbow flex the hand at the wrist, palm down, forming as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. Grab the large knuckles with the opposite hand, pulling down and towards the elbow, holding for :30 seconds. (Illustration below)
General Stretch – Flexors
With the arm either fully extended or bent at the elbow extend the hand at the wrist, palm up, forming as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. With the other hand grab the fingers and placing the thumb of the non-stretching hand against the knuckle, under fingers. Pull downward, holding for :30 seconds.
If you’re new to stretching you might want to stay with the above exercises before proceeding.
[Note: The concept of bending the wrist at 90 degrees is to exhaust the flexors or extensor, which in turn makes the stretches effective.]
Level II
Finger Stretch – Extensors
With the arm either fully extended or bent at the elbow, palm down, flex the hand at the wrist, palm facing downward, forming as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. Grab the tip of a finger and pull inward towards the elbow. Be careful to start slow here – applying too much force can strain or pull your extensor muscles. Repeat with all fingers. To stretch the thumb, pull the thumb across the palm of the hand. Hold each finger for :15 seconds. (Illustration below)
Finger Stretch – Flexors
With the arm either fully extended or bent at the elbow, palm up, extend the hand at the wrist, forming as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. With the index finger of the non-stretching hand grab the tip of the finger on the hand to be stretched. While pulling the finger down from the tip joint push up into the middle knuckle with the thumb. Hold for :15 seconds. Repeat on all fingers. To stretch the extensors of the thumb reach under the hand and grab the tip of the thumb and towards the elbow. (Illustration below)
You should be getting some pretty good flexibility. Stay with these exercises for a few weeks before moving on to the next level.
Level III
Finger Stretch of Extensors with Opposed Motion
With the arm either fully extended or bent at the elbow flex the hand at the wrist, palm down, coming as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. Grab the finger at the tip and pull inward and towards the elbow. When you’ve fully flexed the finger fully extend all the other fingers in a flapping motion 20 times. There is no opposed motion stretch for the thumb.
Finger Stretch of Flexors with Opposed Motion
With the arm either fully extended or bent at the elbow and extend the hand at the wrist, palm upward coming as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. With the non-stretching hand grab the all fingers but one. The finger that is not engaged flexes from the middle knuckle only. Try to keep from pulling inward from the large knuckle. Flex 20 times per finger. There is no opposed motion stretch for the thumb.
Level IV
Abductor Stretch and Twist
With the opposing hand spread two adjacent fingers horizontally and hold for :20 seconds. Then, keeping the opposed hand still, rotate the hand so as to swivel between the two fingers. This is a great stretch for the ligaments around the knuckle joints.
B. Coordination
Level I
Middle Knuckle Isolation
Holding the hands out straight, fingers pressing together at the knuckle and the middle joint, flex from the a single finger from middle knuckle only until the finger is at a 90 degree angle to the other fingers. Flex 20 times per finger. Remember to keep the non-moving fingers steady, straight and held together. (Illustration below)
Level II
Middle Knuckle Alternation, Adjacent Fingers
Just as in the previous exercise, hold the hands out straight, flex from the fingers’ middle knuckle only – until the finger is at a 90 degree angle to the other fingers. Now extend the finger that is flexed while simultaneously extending the adjacent finger. The fingers should pass each other at midway (45 degree angle) and finish at a 90 degree angle to each other. Repeat with each finger of the hand. Remember to still keep the non-moving fingers steady, (straight and held together).
Level III
Middle Knuckle Isolation, Non-Adjacent Fingers
Holding the hands out straight, fingers pressing together at the knuckle and the middle joint, flex every other finger (on the right hand that would be the I and A fingers, on the left hand that would be fingers 1 and 3) from the fingers’ middle knuckle only – until the fingers are at a 90 degree angle to the other fingers. Flex 20 times per set of fingers.
C. Strength
There are a number of tools available to guitarists for strengthening the hands but I like to focus on equally effective exercises that can be done anywhere, anytime. In 1979 I was part of a Strength Study for classical guitarists at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. We were tested before and after practicing the following exercises and our strength improved greatly.
Extend and Flex
Hold the arms out and fully extend the fingers outward and extend them sideways as far as possible, then flex the fingers into a tight fist. Both hands can be done simultaneously. Start out with 25 repetitions. If you can, build up to 100 reps.
The Fan
Hold the arms out, palms upward with fingers fully extended. Begin to rotate the hands by puling the thumbs towards the palms, followed by the index, middle and other fingers, rotating the the hands so that finally the palms are facing downward and all the fingers are covering the thumbs. Squeeze as hard as comfortable.
Now repeat in the opposite manner; rotating outward first from the little fingers followed by the ring, middle, index and thumbs. The hands should be spread wide open with as much force as possible, palms facing upward. Start out with 25 repetitions. If you can, build up to 100 reps.
Both hands can be done simultaneously.
Therapeutics
Contrast Therapy
I’m not a big fan of icing except under extreme circumstances. A more effective way of dealing with fatigued hands and muscle soreness is by alternating soaking the hands in cold and hot water. By alternating between the two temperatures you’re restricting and opening the capillaries and removing excess lactic acid. It’s a bit of a hassle (be sure to grab a towel before you get started). Water in the cold container should be between 50-59°F, and water in the hot container should be between 95-113°F.
You can fill up a couple of large bowls one with cold water and the other with hot tap water. Put both hands in the cold water for about a minute and then the hot water for the same duration. I like to repeat about four times, ending with the hot bath.
If you’d like to treat your arms as well you can either fill up two sides of the kitchen sink or, use the bottom parts of an unused kitty litter container.
This should be avoided if you’re concerned about arrhythmia, if have you open wounds, heart issues, high blood pressure or deep vein thrombosis.
Paraffin Wax Treatment
If you want the deluxe treatment I’d highly recommend purchasing a professional grade paraffin wax bath. It’s more involved than the cold/hot bath treatment as the wax can take up to 8 hours to melt but it can really keep the hands feeling fresh.
