Finger speed exercises?

[snabald]

Anyone have any suggestions for exercises to speed up your fingers?

[wahwah]

The old favourite is to do 5 different excercises...
First off use just your index, second and third finger and choose say the 3rd, 4th and 5th fret of every string. Using an up-down-up pick stroke, go from 6th thru to 1st string...then without stopping go backwards from 1st to 6th. When you get back to the G on the 6th string, go up to the G# (4th fret) and do the same on the 4th, 5th and 6th fret.

Once you've done this up til it starts to hurt (!), change and NOW open up the excercise to your index, 3rd and 4th fingers on say the 3rd, 5th and 6th fret of each string, AGAIN, work up the neck until it aches.

Next would be similar but change the fingers and frets to index, 2nd and 4th on the 3rd, 4th and 6th fret upwards.

The two final ones are the hardest. All four fingers in a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th line and then open it up to the 3rd, 5th and 7th frets-with this one you'll have to stretch but try not to move your hand too much (it looks like a knitting machine going for it when you get going!).

Start all these on something like 90BPM with a drum program or metronome and work your way up speed wise as you start to improve. Headphones maybe required as it's totally NON-musical!

Hopethis helps.

[buckkillr8]

I agree with Chris. You could also get a gripmaster with the caps from AMS or Musiciansfriend. I recommend it, especially for times when you can't play the guitar, like driving in the car.

[Goport]

a favourite of mine is this.

e|-------------------------------5-7-8/9-8-6--------------------------------
B|-------------------------5-6-8-------------9-7-6--------------------------
G|-------------------4-5-7-------------------------8-6-5--------------------
D|-------------3-5-7-------------------------------------8-6-4--------------
A|-------3-5-7-------------------------------------------------8-6-4--------
E|-3-5-7-------------------------------------------------------------8-6-4/5

keep it going until you run out of frets and then take it back down again. try using pre-emptive picking and straight ahead up/down picking. it works wonders and covers most of the fretboard. once you are happy with it - apply the same technique to modes. it gives you so much mobility.

[wahwah]

If you're a young musician, you won't be able to afford a car or the fuel for it! Spend it on kebabs and keep practising!!!!

[Lorenz]

Heres one.

Use a clean sound on your electric with absolutely no gain to help you. Then pick the open string and hammer down on the first fret with your index and then pick open and hammer second with middle finger etc. Then do this going up and down strings in any position in any order. Then repeat it with pull offs. Make sure you make each note sound out cleanly. This will help strenghth and speed.
I'd reccomend not going utill it hurts thogu, if youy feel pain, not strain but PAIN stopp immediately.

Just do scales over and over again.

[CanyonCarver]

These are all great exercises. I've done all of them and they are priceless. The metronome is a must. Use it as much as you can.