Do You Warm Up Your Fingers To Play?

[adorshki]

When I remember, or if it's gonna be a "serious take", I start by shaking my arms a little, loose from the elbows, wrists flopping around loose at the ends, fingers extended loose, too.

Then get the shoulders relaxed. little shrugging, reach over each one, get the traps and rhomboids relaxed with some finger pressure/rubbing.

Then a little more dedicated "wrist flopping" before proceeding to the fingers specifically:

Yeah, I crack the knuckles with a gentle little pull, they're usually primed to go after the wrist-flopping. Then I hold my hands out in front, roughly boxing position with loose fists, as if ready play, and start with, say:

"Left hand index finger up (then down again)" then "right hand index up/down". Then repeat the "left index up" but successively rotate which finger goes "up" on the right hand, down to the pinky. Repeat for middle finger of left hand, and so forth down to left-hand pinky of left hand, so all the right side fingers get exercised for each finger of the left.

Repeat starting with "right hand hand index up".

Think that's what, like 32 reps by the time you've done both hands? Hell I even repeat the whole thing backwards sometimes.

Then do a little "random patterns" between hands, try to tune in to the "coordination control zone". Gets your brain tuned up for the left/right hemispherical interaction, too.

I need all the help I can get.

 

[krysh]

I just play.

 

[johnreardon]

I just play.

And me. The only 'care' I take over my fingers is try to make sure I don't damage them when setting up equipment ready to do a gig

 

[GGJaguar]

Nope. Just play.

 

[crank]

Nope

 

[Rich Cohen]

I just play, but I've noticed that after a few minutes of play my fingers work better. Duh.

 

[richardp69]

No, but I do try to work them a bit to help with the arthritis that's becoming more and more of an issue for me. Good thing I don't play guitar with my legs because they've gotten really bad now. Ahh.......................the Golden Years.

 

[GardMan]

Sometimes in the winter I have to run them under hot water for a minute or two...

 

[geoguy]

Definitely no knuckle cracking for me.

 

[spoox]

Sometimes I'll warm up on ukulele before playing guitar--my fingers have always been stiff, and the fact that I destroyed the joint in my left pinky catching a softball in high school doesn't help. It's permanently crooked, and sometimes locks up when I'm playing, but damn it looks great when holding a teacup!
That's actually one of the reasons I returned to steel guitar after high school--sometimes it was so useless in playing my Polara I realized I was having no
problem with a Steven's steel bar. But then I broke my right thumb when thrown from my mule 30 years ago and it can lock up so I often play Dobro with a flat pick. I just realized all these years the gods have been trying to send me subtle messages about my playing...

 

[dreadnut]

My hands are always warm.

 

[Teleguy61]

Like any exercise, I feel it is beneficial if one loosens up first.
We are using muscles, after all.
I have an exercise of scales and arpeggios, at increasing speeds, along with some picking routines that seem to work for me.
If I loosen up correctly, my hand will drop into the playing position I like very easily.

 

[adorshki]

Like any exercise, I feel it is beneficial if one loosens up first.
We are using muscles, after all.
I have an exercise of scales and arpeggios, at increasing speeds, along with some picking routines that seem to work for me.
If I loosen up correctly, my hand will drop into the playing position I like very easily.

Yeah, forgot to mention I do that too, after the "stretching exercises".

 

[Westerly Wood]

I type a lot at work so my fingers are ready to go. Plus I got too much scar tissue in wrist from surgery and extra stretching only makes matters worse.

got to say: the F30R has vanished my shoulder issues. I have to use the Br once a week for like 90 minutes. No issues anymore, as the rest of week is the F30R. Winning.

 

[HeyMikey]

Yep, I stretch each finger, hands and wrists, then wiggle ‘em all around. Finger cardio. Otherwise they are stiff and it takes a couple songs to warm up. Hell, I have to stretch just to get out of bed in the morning or for pretty much anything else I do these days.

 

[Guildedagain]

I just grab the guitar and marvel at how my fingers absolutely refuse to do what I want them to. I used to be dyslexic at writing and typing and then it got worse, same with my playing.

 

[Opsimath]

When I remember, or if it's gonna be a "serious take", I start by shaking my arms a little, loose from the elbows, wrists flopping around loose at the ends, fingers extended loose, too.

Then get the shoulders relaxed. little shrugging, reach over each one, get the traps and rhomboids relaxed with some finger pressure/rubbing.

Then a little more dedicated "wrist flopping" before proceeding to the fingers specifically:

Yeah, I crack the knuckles with a gentle little pull, they're usually primed to go after the wrist-flopping. Then I hold my hands out in front, roughly boxing position with loose fists, as if ready play, and start with, say:

"Left hand index finger up (then down again)" then "right hand index up/down". Then repeat the "left index up" but successively rotate which finger goes "up" on the right hand, down to the pinky. Repeat for middle finger of left hand, and so forth down to left-hand pinky of left hand, so all the right side fingers get exercised for each finger of the left.

Repeat starting with "right hand hand index up".

Think that's what, like 32 reps by the time you've done both hands? Hell I even repeat the whole thing backwards sometimes.

Then do a little "random patterns" between hands, try to tune in to the "coordination control zone". Gets your brain tuned up for the left/right hemispherical interaction, too.

I need all the help I can get.

By the time I finished all that play time would be over.

 

[fronobulax]

I just play but I may choose what I play first to help get everything moving.

 

[Nuuska]

Definitely no knuckle cracking for me.

In my youth knuckle cracking was great fun - plus I could do the same with my neck - looked quite dramatic when I grabbed my head and twisted and caused the cracking - naturally I did it simply by twisting my neck without hands - but it looked much better.

In the school the girl sitting in front of me was schocked every time I did it.

Can't do it no more - perhaps if I help with my hands - but I may die trying - so maybe better not

 

[adorshki]

I type a lot at work so my fingers are ready to go. Plus I got too much scar tissue in wrist from surgery and extra stretching only makes matters worse.

I typed a lot too, but the ergonomics are more like keyboard playing, no pun intended. Typing also stimulates nails to grow faster.

got to say: the F30R has vanished my shoulder issues. I have to use the Br once a week for like 90 minutes. No issues anymore, as the rest of week is the F30R. Winning.

E-e-xcellent!