Conditioning Your Left Hand

There is nothing in your everyday life that will prepare your hands for playing a stringed instrument. Playing guitar feels strange and uncomfortable when you first start. Your hands are not used to performing the movements required to play.

The first step for any beginner is conditioning your hands, especially your left hand. This is easy if you approach it systematically.

Here are some easy conditioning steps for your left hand. These are still positions. They don't involve any movement. These still positions will produce a moderate strain in your hand. The longer you do them, the less strain you experience. Getting your hands used to these positions will cut your practice and learning time by months.

Using these conditioning steps during your first two months of playing increases your chances of success. The tension you feel in your hands at first will change to a relaxed and comfortable feeling. Watch any good player, they're not tense. The better they are, the more relaxed they are.

Even though they don't involve any movement, these positions will create 'muscle memory.' Remember, your hands stay completely still. You don't have to play anything with your right. You should see noticeable results after just a few sessions of 10 minutes each. Do these exercises while you for watch TV.