Alternate Fingers: Exercises

[uncle psychosis]

Hey folks

I'm teaching myself to play fingerstyle (I also play with a pick).

One thing that is holding me back is that one of my plucking fingers is more dominant than the other. So rather than alternating between them I tend to use one a lot more than the other.

Anyone got any good exercises for trying to sort this out and get used to alternating them?

[Coilte]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyow9osYbxQ

Edited August 18, 2014 by icastle
Link Fixed.

[visog]

I had the same when I went to the Billy Sheehan three finger pluck... Just run your usual scale patterns in threes and emphasise your downbeats.

[Old_Ben]

You could try not using the more dominant finger as much just to build up the strength and fluidity of your other fingers as well, so if your dominant finger is your index finger, try using your middle finger for single note runs to get used to using it as much as the other finger.
Then when you feel more confident, start to do simple scales up and down the neck using both.

[Number6]

I actually use a drumming exercise of paradiddles with my fingers (google it if you don't know what it is) which is basically Left Right Left Left then Right Left Right Right.....drumming my fingers on the side. It is an excellent coordination exercise and may help.

[gapiro]

And one important thing is that you then stop yourself from sliding down strings - for example if you have say E to E octve down (fret 7 of A string to open E) - then you must learn to use the alternate finger rather then slide from the string above.

Good example - Bon Jovi Livin on a Prayer

In tab form,
It is all too tempting to go

[font=courier new,courier,monospace] L R R L R L R L
G|-------------------|
D|o-----------------o|
A|o---7---5-------5-o|
E|--0---7---0-0-7----|
should be :
L R L R L R L R
G|-------------------|
D|o-----------------o|
A|o---7---5-------5-o|
E|--0---7---0-0-7----|[/font]

Paradiddles are good too , like above just do it on a desk or something at work (and wind up your colleagues)

Edited September 19, 2014 by gapiro

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1411128641' post='2556731']
And one important thing is that you then stop yourself from sliding down strings - for example if you have say E to E octve down (fret 7 of A string to open E) - then you must learn to use the alternate finger rather then slide from the string above.
[/quote]

Mega thread bump...but thats the exact opposite to what several bass teachers have taught me.