Comments

• steteak Kern County, California✭ Paris Swing

  December 2013 Posts: 50

  I will, thank you @Jazzaferri

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• Bones Moderator

  December 2013 Posts: 3,319

  Yes, no reason to push too hard especially since you just need to release/damp it right after the strum anyway.
• guitarnowski Peru, ILNew Gitane, etc., etc.,

  December 2013 Posts: 37

  If you're going to get one of those spring loaded strength trainers, be careful not to overuse it. I gave myself a heck of a case of tendonitis once from getting a little to enthused about using one.
  In an unrelated event, after some minor hand surgery the physical therapist gave me some pink clay-type stuff for squeezing and building strength, and it's quite nice with apparently fewer risks to your tendons. Really, it feels great to use it!
• Buco NOVA, DCDeity Ivanovski maple/spruce

  December 2013 Posts: 4,735

  
  

  swingnation wrote: »

  
  Here's a great tool I learned from Stephane Wrembel for strengthening your fingers..
  
  
  J

  Thank you for sharing this! I'm gonna use it.
  
  I don't buy using strengthening devices for instrument playing. Really?
  I don't think you need anything but the time on your instrument. If you think you need more then what your guitar can already provide stick a higher bridge in there, that'll give you a workout.
  
  Buco
  

  Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
• anthon_74 Marin county, CA✭✭✭✭ Alta Mira M 01

  December 2013 Posts: 561

  Dude, when I was in about my 3rd year playing django on a selmer style guitar, I got bad tendinitis in both wrists. I think its a right of passage for all players to go through a physical adjustment when learning this style.
  Sometimes I find you just have to ease up a bit, or really vary what you're practicing so you limit the amount of repetitive motion stress.
  
  Cheers
  Anthony
• Jazzaferri Victoria B.C.Moderator Dunn Ultrafox, DuPont MDC20 Gretsch Chet Atkins CG

  December 2013 Posts: 3,707

  I think building up atrength in ones fingers with a squeezing device is likely going to slow you down....wrong muscles and wrong type of exercise

  The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
• Jazzaferri Victoria B.C.Moderator Dunn Ultrafox, DuPont MDC20 Gretsch Chet Atkins CG

  December 2013 Posts: 3,707

  If you really need to strengthen fingers for this ....practicing something like the changes for swing 42 up the fretboard where the action is highest......play it until you get the burn...stop...rest until recovered then repeat several times

  

  The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
• steteak Kern County, California✭ Paris Swing

  December 2013 Posts: 50

  @Jazzaferri Thank you, I will try that. Between the Wrembel exercise and four note chords and transposition of Swing '42 up the neck, I can feel and hear a difference. I can slowly play the progression! How do some of you approach increasing your ability to play faster progressions?

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• kevingcox Nova Scotia✭✭✭✭ Dupont MD50

  December 2013 Posts: 298

  Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
  
• Jazzaferri Victoria B.C.Moderator Dunn Ultrafox, DuPont MDC20 Gretsch Chet Atkins CG

  December 2013 Posts: 3,707

  AMEN

  The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed