Struggling with wide finger stretches on the guitar? You’re probably overlooking this simple, built-in tool that makes impossible reaches feel easy… Learn the gradual method to build your fretting hand mobility.
The Secret to Conquering Difficult Finger Stretches on Guitar
When it comes to actually doing things that have to do with scales or solos or whatever we might be playing, there are a lot of things that I want to teach you.
We’ll focus on four mistakes that we’re going to correct. Today, we’re tackling a big one: the seemingly impossible finger stretch.
The Hidden Tool You’re Not Using
First of all, one of them is a tool on the guitar that exists 100% of the time that we very rarely notice or actually use to benefit our practice routine.
I want you to take a look at the guitar. I want you to look at the spacing of frets. And then I want you to look at the spacing of frets all the way up toward the body of the guitar.
You notice that we have much smaller spaces between frets for the intonation, and then they grow and expand.
This is one of the reasons a lot of people say that they can’t stand that F major bar chord because it’s so spread out here. But that works to our benefit when we’re starting to try to stretch our hand and get some of that mobility and fluid movement in our fretting hand.
The Gradual Stretch Method: Start Small to Go Big
I’m going to teach you something that I teach a lot of people who are just starting, and they’re struggling.
I want you to realize that you can play all of your scales, your patterns, your exercises, everything higher up and slowly shift down.
Step 1: Start at the 12th Fret
Let’s act like we’re starting right here on the 12th fret of the low E string. The spaces are much smaller and more manageable. We’re going to play a simple one-octave major scale pattern.
- Low E string: 12th fret, 14th fret, 16th fret
- A string: 12th fret, 14th fret, 16th fret
- D string: 13th fret, 14th fret
I want you to ascend and descend this pattern. That’s it. That’s what it looks like.
Step 2: The “Shift Down” Technique
But why the heck does that help us with our mobility in our hands? Well, I want you to practice there, starting at that 12th fret. And once you complete that and you feel good about being able to move there, I want you to shift one fret toward the head of the guitar.
Once you feel good there, shift down. Once you feel good there, shift down. And you keep this process going.
Why This Is the Perfect Warm-Up
I highly recommend doing this as a way to warm up your hands for practice because it gradually starts to spread out your fingers until you get all the way to full reach all the way down.
This is something that will really work with getting those fingers independently working, but also the stretching of the fingers.
You can see the difference, right? You can see the starting difference. My reach here is so minimal compared to when I complete that exercise, and I am completely stretched out.
This is just a really good gradual way to stretch that hand and get more mobility.
This Applies to More Than Just One Scale
This doesn’t just apply to that major scale. This applies to anything that you want to do. We can do our minor pentatonic starting right there and just go down further through the minor pentatonic the entire way. Just going through and just shifting down one fret at a time. And it really widens your ability.
Your New Practice Routine
So, I recommend at least starting with that major scale, starting it at the 12th fret, and slowly getting to a point of going, “You know what? I think I’ve mastered it in this position. Let’s shift down.” and working through mastering it in all of these different starting zones until you feel comfortable enough to come down here and play.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is it harder to stretch my fingers on the lower frets of the guitar?
The frets are spaced farther apart toward the head of the guitar (the lower frets) and get progressively closer together as you move up the neck toward the body. This wider spacing demands a bigger stretch from your fretting hand. - How can I make difficult stretches easier?
You can use the smaller fret spacing higher up the neck to your advantage. By practicing a pattern where the frets are closer, you can build muscle memory and mobility before gradually moving the same pattern down the neck to where the frets are wider. - Where should I start this stretching exercise?
Start at the 12th fret, where the fret spacing is much more manageable. - What is the specific pattern used in this lesson?
It’s a one-octave major scale pattern:- Low E string: frets 12, 14, 16
- A string: frets 12, 14, 16
- D string: frets 13, 14
- How do I progress with this exercise?
Once you feel comfortable and can play the pattern cleanly at the 12th fret, move the entire pattern down one fret to start on the 11th. Master it there, then move to the 10th, and so on, until you reach the 1st fret. - Can I use this method for other guitar scales or patterns?
Yes, this applies to anything you want to do. You can use the same “start high, shift down” method for minor pentatonic scales or any other pattern you’re working on. - When is the best time to incorporate this into my practice?
This is a highly recommended way to warm up your hands for practice because it gradually and safely stretches your fingers.
