As I'm in Driver's Ed right now, I have two hours of virtually nothing to do. I feel like I'm wasting my time, and I was wondering if there are any finger exercises to do on a tabletop to build up strength and dexterity. I've been lifting up sets of left hand fingers back and forth, like lifting up 1 3 and then lifting up 2 4, and then dropping 1 3. Simple stuff like that. Anything else I can do?

the Gripmaster exercise tool, worked wonders for me.

Well there's one thing you could do... :hiding:

that doesn't exercise your grip.

It just gives you tendinitis :rolleyes:

Fret your arm.

how about under the table?
do push-ups using your fingertips...

Not to sound like a know it all but if you really feel like you need to increase your finger strength, and aren't just asking for advice because you want to be doing something to feel like your not waisting your time, you should invest some time for actual grip training.

There are three types of hand strength: pinching strength, crushing strength and static hold strength. What you want to work on is pinching strength, but the other types will also help in developing total hand strength and endurance through synergistic effect.

The little individual finger grip thingys are ok, but you really don't need to work each individual finger independently to get results. If your worried about being able to use each finger independently its much more productive to work on that by practicing technique than developing strength in each finger independent of one another.

Believe it or not, the absolute best exercises to develop pinching strength is to get two wight lifting plates and pinch them together between your thumb and fingers and just hold them for a period of time without letting them slip apart. Start with two five (or ten if that's too light) pound plates and work your way up as your strength increases. You can also try holding three plates (like three ten pounders) if the jump between ten and 25 pounds is too much.

I really don't believe that you need a lot of strength to play the bass. IMO, you need coordination. If you can press the string down to the fret/fingerboard, then you probably have enough strength to play the bass.

Mental practice is time well spent. It's harder than it sounds. It takes a lot of concentration and focus. It's hard to play the instrument in your mind without the instrument in your hand. You can visualize you way around the fingerboard. You can do this with anything: scales (in one octave, two octaves, or more). You can visualize scales up one string, across strings, and a combination of both with shifting. You can do the same thing with arpeggios. You can also visualize scale patterns and arpeggio patterns through chord changes.

The sky is the limit.
Joe

the Gripmaster exercise tool, worked wonders for me.

A big +1. I have a long commute. I keep it in my car. I try to work it 10 minutes each hand in the morning and 10 minutes each hand in the evening. I also have those rough caps on the plungers to help me keep my caluses. I can tell the difference.

The reason I work the gripmaster is not so much to increase my finger strength but rather to improve the stamina of my forearm tendons to prevent cramping at the end of a 4-hour gig.

The reason I work the gripmaster is not so much to increase my finger strength but rather to improve the stamina of my forearm tendons to prevent cramping at the end of a 4-hour gig.

My classmate who is a body-builder and a personal trainer, says that "For such a small guy, you've got some great forearm muscles" :rolleyes: I tell him it's because of the bass playing.

but yes, a big +1 on the gripmaster. Had it not been for the gripmaster, I would not have been able to play with my pinky. Before then, I was stuck on two finger and three fingers fretting patterns.

Sure, one may argue that if you had enough strength to fret down the string, that's all that's necessarry. But I'm a small guy, and simple practice tools like the gripmaster have done wonders for my playing (and now everyone asks me to open jars for them ;))

Flog the Dolphin!

My fingers are plenty strong enough, I guess I asked the wrong question. I meant to ask how to improve stamina while I have nothing else to do. Something useful to do with my fingers while I don't have a bass to practice specific things. (During practice for the musical, school, drivers ed, that kind of thing.

My fingers are plenty strong enough, I guess I asked the wrong question. I meant to ask how to improve stamina while I have nothing else to do.

No problem. It's cool.

I don't know if there is anything you can do to accurately mimic bass playing without having the actual instrument in hand.

You can; however, do the mental exercises that I mentioned a few posts ago. I honestly believe that it's time well spent. Give it a try. It won't cost ya' nuthin'. ;)

Joe

You can; however, do the mental exercises that I mentioned a few posts ago. I honestly believe that it's time well spent. Give it a try. It won't cost ya' nuthin'. ;)

Joe

:smug:

But Joe is right. If anything, go over scales, modes, songs, chords...maybe even scribble down a few new licks on a napkin.

For me, I either always have a backpacker guitar with me, or a mandolin, so I always have something musical at my disposal.

Or, I carry two drumsticks and a block or rubber and my mp3 player, to keep my rhythm chops up and to enhance my dexterity.

If all else fails, I just slap my hands against things as if it were a drum :cool:

I got my left hand damaged a while back. The Doctors made it look good, and the therapist got things going again, but it was my bar tender that got things working the way they should. He had me roll poker chips…

By holding several chips between index finger and thumb, I roll the chips under the fingers, and let them drop from the ring / pinky fingers. You roll them so you are holding them on edge. Start with the finger tips and over time, work you way in…

Next, flip the chips over the knuckles. Start far out, and over time, work your way in. This helps me move my fingers in ways I couldn’t do before the accident…

Don’t know if this will help or not, so good luck…

TDY :cool:

It sounds like I should learn some little hand tricks.

After i injured my hand, i waas advised to not only work on clamping pressure but just as important, rebound muscles... which is the opening of the hand from fist to fingers out.

Those spring loaded machines, are great for clamping but not rebound strength... I was doing 2 different things to accomplish this.

1. i would put all the tips of my fingers together on one hand and place a rubber band around them ( kinda like making a duck face , lol), and SLOWLY spread my fingers out.... basically the reverse of the grip machines.

2. place a single piece of paper on a flat surface and place my hand in the middle of it, then i would try to "wad" the paper up in my hand without letting my fingertips leave the table. After i had the majority of the paper 'balled' up in my hand i would the remove my hand from table and continue to squeeze it until it was as compressed as possible..

This will make your hands feel wonderful afterwards, it is a very natural series of motions for the hands, and promotes blood flow like crazy. My doctor is awesome.

As far as the recovery muscles are concerned think of it like this... kinda like doing bench presses and all you were doing was lifting the weights and your spotters were lowering them back to your chest for you... makes sense ??


Enjoy,
JON

It sounds like I should learn some little hand tricks.

Here's some tricks with a lighter.

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=27002

and here's some more:

http://www.zippyvideos.com/185907920732155.html

As I'm in Driver's Ed right now, I have two hours of virtually nothing to do. I feel like I'm wasting my time, and I was wondering if there are any finger exercises to do on a tabletop to build up strength and dexterity. I've been lifting up sets of left hand fingers back and forth, like lifting up 1 3 and then lifting up 2 4, and then dropping 1 3. Simple stuff like that. Anything else I can do?

Don't get sucked into the "physical conditioning" paradigm of playing the bass. Music is a form of art - not a type of sport. The physical aspect of it is relatively inconsequential. You should be able to develop all the strength and dexterity you need to play the instrument...simply by playing the instrument...

MM

meev,

Which level Gripmaster did you use?

I use "Medium"

...it's the heaviest level that Musiciansfriend.com sells...I hear there's a heavy, but I'm pretty sure I won't be touching that one, ever. :rolleyes:

You should be able to develop all the strength and dexterity you need to play the instrument...simply by playing the instrument...

MM

yes, but we're talking about passive things that can be done when you don't have the bass/guitar/violin/instrument with you.

Like I mentioned, I was unable to play using my pinky until I got my gripmaster, and squeezed the heck of it throughout the day for a few weeks. It saved me from what would have been very painful and disheartening practice sessions.

Lift weights.

Lift weights.

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

As I'm in Driver's Ed right now, I have two hours of virtually nothing to do. I feel like I'm wasting my time, and I was wondering if there are any finger exercises to do on a tabletop to build up strength and dexterity. I've been lifting up sets of left hand fingers back and forth, like lifting up 1 3 and then lifting up 2 4, and then dropping 1 3. Simple stuff like that. Anything else I can do?

These finger excercises really work.
http://www.cafepress.com/cowlingsystem.181435911

Don't get sucked into the "physical conditioning" paradigm of playing the bass. Music is a form of art - not a type of sport. The physical aspect of it is relatively inconsequential. You should be able to develop all the strength and dexterity you need to play the instrument...simply by playing the instrument...

MM

I completely agree with MysticMichael and Bassist4Life. Being a BASSIST is not a physical competition. You mentioned stamina in one of your posts. That is precisely the area in which you need to focus. Stamina and endurance are only achieved by exercise. Your exercise should include daily rehearsals (alone or w/a group). If playing bass is going to be a serious part of your future, you shouldn't jeopardize injuring yourself on some $3.99 gadget.

Peace.

My doctor strongly advised against those hand machines, especially the one with the coil in the middle that you squeeze. He said it was an un-natural motion.... I had to take my bass into his office so he could see exactly what my hands, arms and fingers were doing. Years later i still do what he suggested and have never had any problems since...

I had to take my bass into his office so he could see exactly what my hands, arms and fingers were doing.

It's so cool that your doctor had you do that!

Joe

I think the best thing you can do to strengthen your fingers is to play the bass. I bought the finger grip tool and was told it could strain your fingers. I havent used it much nor do I know much about the advantages/disadvantages of the tool but I really think just giving your fingers some rest is a good way to go. That's just my opinion though.

... I really think just giving your fingers some rest is a good way to go. That's just my opinion though.


Exactly my doctor told me to stop playing for 2-3 months...

so. i stopped playing with my right hand (plucking hand) and worked on my left hand doing trills and just hammering on my scales and such, that was the single best thing i ever did for my left hand...

As I'm in Driver's Ed right now, I have two hours of virtually nothing to do. Anything else I can do?

You COULD try paying attention! :eyebrow: Who knows you might learn something... I, for one, will feel a whole lot safer on the road. :hiding:

My classmate who is a body-builder and a personal trainer, says that "For such a small guy, you've got some great forearm muscles" :rolleyes: I tell him it's because of the bass playing.

He's just hitting on you.

that doesn't exercise your grip.

It just gives you tendinitis :rolleyes:

I thought it made you go blind. :eek::cool:

I thought it made you go blind. :eek::cool:

And deaf and you get hairy palms.

All of that.

He's just hitting on you.

yea, too bad he doesn't swing that way :rolleyes:

yea, too bad he doesn't swing that way :rolleyes:

You'll get over it. :)

You'll get over it. :)

heh :smug:

You could practice different left hand finger patterns on your desk. I.e. going 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 3 2 4 1 4 2 3 3 1 23etc
it's a lot quieter than drumming on the desk and will help you with those tricky riffs.
For the right hand just moving the two fingers alternating as fast as you can to speed up your fingerstyle playing if you do the two finger thing (I'll often use three myself on straight 8th patterns).


I drive everyone nuts cause I'm originally a drummer and still tend to play rhythms on everything within reach... I also steal lighters and cigarette packs and play with them until the owner swipes it back :). My band mates have learned to let me play with the lighter if they don't want me banging on the table.... what stinks is half the time I don't realize I'm beating on the table until someone gets annoyed :ninja::ninja: So practicing finger patterns keeps me out of trouble when there's nothing for my fidgety fingers to swipe.....

...Mental practice is time well spent...
So true . . . and I try to ALWAYS be conscious of the fingering/intervals when listening to ANY music . . . it also helps keep your "ear training" in shape . . .

...it's a lot quieter than drumming on the desk...
Before going on stage to play, I usually "warm-up" (AND toughen up my callouses) by hitting the fingers and thumb of both hands against something hard (like the wall or a table top), alternating, 1st left, then right, going through all of the fingers (and thumb) several times . . . actually hitting them fairly hard, making a lot of sound . . . I do that sometimes when I don't have anything better to do, too, just for the exercise . . .

:cool:

Try these:

Start by clenching your fist. Then move your hand around with the fist kept as tight as possible. This strengthens and lengthens the muscles in your forearm, leading to more flexibility than gripmaster type exercises.

Make a "spock" sign. Then switch it so the middle two fingers are touching and the outer ones are still stretched out. Go back and forth. Find other similar ways of grouping your fingers and combine them in patterns. This is good for individual finger control (i.e. your ring finger being able to move without the pinkie following and vice-versa)

Isometrics: With a good, gentle curve to your fingers, press on the desk as hard as you can. Also do this with each finger individually. If you want to get your right hand into the action, make the "executive power triangle," with your fingers pressing against each other, but with nice, gentle curves. Press harder until you can't maintain those curves.

Drum your fingers on the table. Do different patterns (1234, 1324, 1432, etc.). Concentrate on evenness, power, and speed.

You could practice different left hand finger patterns on your desk. I.e. going 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 3 2 4 1 4 2 3 3 1 23etc
it's a lot quieter than drumming on the desk and will help you with those tricky riffs.
For the right hand just moving the two fingers alternating as fast as you can to speed up your fingerstyle playing if you do the two finger thing (I'll often use three myself on straight 8th patterns).


I drive everyone nuts cause I'm originally a drummer and still tend to play rhythms on everything within reach... I also steal lighters and cigarette packs and play with them until the owner swipes it back :). My band mates have learned to let me play with the lighter if they don't want me banging on the table.... what stinks is half the time I don't realize I'm beating on the table until someone gets annoyed :ninja::ninja: So practicing finger patterns keeps me out of trouble when there's nothing for my fidgety fingers to swipe.....

Totally agree. The best way to increase strength and stamina is practice. practice. practice. if you have a piano, the best hand strength and flexibility training belongs to hanon. if you can run all 50 of his exercises at speed (they're mostly scales), you'll have some really strong fingers that can fly up and down the fretboard.

as far as the latter half of that...

my friends and i call it 'mps' or 'mad percussionist syndrome'.

Wow this thread is still here! Thanks for all the replies guys. Maybe we should keep this as a thread dedicated to some finger exercises for finger dexterity or something like that. Thanks again for all the advice!

Acually the "grip masters" do very little. You close your hands under pressure 10's of thousands of time per day so a grip master is really futile. You need to get a bag of rubber bands... put them over your fingertips and slowly spread your fingers against the resistance. This stregthens the muscle and tendon group on the out side of the hand allowing you to push the string down instead of contracting your palm to pull your fingers down. You will also have to use your dexterity to keep your fingers even or you shoot the rubber bands across the room. This drasticly improves dxterity and control over your fingers. When you push your fingers down to fret the notes you will use much less pressure on the fingerboard so you will in fact be able to play more nimbly, cleaner and faster. With less effort to get it done, you will have much more staying power to play longer at one time.

Hello there!

I have hand and tendon strengthening excercises that may help you. They have helped a lot of people in the past, including myself.

I do them before I play. It's a good habit to get into...

Here you go:

http://mrlamius.blogspot.com/2008/02/bass-tips5-hand-and-tendon-excercises.html

I really don't believe that you need a lot of strength to play the bass. IMO, you need coordination. If you can press the string down to the fret/fingerboard, then you probably have enough strength to play the bass.

Mental practice is time well spent. It's harder than it sounds. It takes a lot of concentration and focus. It's hard to play the instrument in your mind without the instrument in your hand. You can visualize you way around the fingerboard. You can do this with anything: scales (in one octave, two octaves, or more). You can visualize scales up one string, across strings, and a combination of both with shifting. You can do the same thing with arpeggios. You can also visualize scale patterns and arpeggio patterns through chord changes.

The sky is the limit.
Joe

You need massive hand strength to play my 7 string bass.

Twirl a pencil inbetween your fingers. Looping it over/under each finger in turn then back.
Left hand and right. In both directions. No fair taping it against your leg or a surface.

You'll drop it, so be prepared.

Great for flexibility (and that becomes more important, especially with age)

JohnBarr's idea above this post is a really good one as well.

:)

If you just want something to do with your hands whilst sitting behind a table, do what i did when bored in class for a week and learn to roll a coin across your nuckles (there're video's on youtube showing how).

I need more strength in my pinkie, and am trying to train myself to use it independently, rather than with my ring finger. Having small hands, I *need* that pinkie so that I can play more smoothly.

So, I press a jackball between my pinkie and thumb, per my teacher's advice. I decided to go ahead and use it for the other fingers, too, so I will have more strength and endurance. I like to do pushups against a wall, and when I do, I put my weight on my fingers, using the tips against the wall. Makes the pushup more challenging, and strengthens the fingers.

I also stretch my fingers. I extend them slowly, as far out and apart as they will go. Then I stretch each one against something...the table, the wall, the steering wheel. Then extend again.

We're using those muscles, just like we use any others in our bodies, and they need to be strong and flexible. It is especially important for those with smaller hands. Also, as I get older, it becomes more difficult to remain flexible, so the stretching is very important to me.

Cherie