Left Hand Warm Up

These two exercises will help you warm up your fretting hand. If you haven't already done so, please go do the "right hand warm-up" exercise on my page. The first exercise is really just a simple run in E minor, but it is a good warmup because it uses all four fingers and three strings. Repeat the lick over and over in a cycle. As before in my previous lesson, use a metronome and start slowly. You are not trying to be Yngwie Malmsteen with this. The main goal is to warm up your hands to prevent injury. I have had tendonitis in my left arm before, and it is bad news for guitar players! The second exercise is the same pattern, but the key is C minor, therefore the fingering is a little different. Don't forget alternate picking!

Key - E minor/C minor
Ex.1 (E minor)
E |-------------12----------15-14-|-12----12-------------------------|
B |----12-13-15----15-13-12-------|----15----15-13-12----------------|
G |-14----------------------------|----------------------------------|
D |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|

Ex.2 (C minor)
E |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
G |-------------12----------15-14-|-12----12-------------------------|
D |----12-13-15----15-13-12-------|----15----15-13-12----------------|
A |-15----------------------------|----------------------------------|
E |-------------------------------|----------------------------------|