Fretty Hand Warmup

As a beginner or as a professional Guitarist, you may recognize that your hand behaves strangely when you are practicing at home and when you are performing in front of audiences. From my experience, I can tell you that your hands will be tired quickly when you are performing a concert. 

Science says there are two major reasons behind this occurrence:

1. Increased Tension: 

• Performance Anxiety: Playing in front of people can trigger nerves, leading you to unconsciously tense up your muscles. This extra tension in your arms, shoulders, and hands can make playing feel more effortful and lead to fatigue.
• Focus on Technique: When under pressure, you might focus too much on every detail of your technique, causing stiffness and hindering the natural flow of your movements.

        2. Physical Demands: 

• Adrenaline Rush: Performance anxiety can cause an adrenaline surge, which can make you feel jittery and tense. This can affect your fine motor skills and make playing more tiring.
• Playing Style Changes: You might subconsciously grip the guitar harder or hit the strings with more force while performing, leading to faster fatigue. 

This problem may go away as you perform more and more. But initially, it is very bothersome. So, here are some tips to manage hand fatigue during performances: 

• Relaxation Technique: Practice deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation before and during your performance to manage tension.
• Focus on Music: Shift your focus from technical perfection to enjoying the music and connecting with the audience. This can help you relax and play more naturally.
• Practice with a Focus on Relaxation: During rehearsals, consciously practice playing with relaxed posture and minimal tension.
• Warm-up and Stretching: Properly warm up your hands and forearms before playing to improve circulation and reduce the risk of injury. Light stretches can also help loosen up tight muscles.
• Strength Training: Consider light hand and forearm strengthening exercises to improve stamina.

The techniques described above will help remove your hand fatigue during concerts. But there is another way to avoid this problem. You have to warm up regularly before starting practicing Guitar. You can get rid of  this problem if you do so.

For regular warm up, you can follow the steps described below. It will take 15 to 20 minutes to do these warmups.

1. Hand Massage: Massage your one hand by another according to the picture or video. Try to relax your palm and massage it thoroughly. It will increase the blood circulation and make your hand more active.
2. Pulling Fingers: Pull your fingers one by one from the root. Do it for each finger to get rid of finger inertness. Follow the picture or video, if you do not understand.
3. Stretching Two Fingers: Stretch two of your fingers horizontally. Repeat it for all the fingers. You can do this stretching by your other hand or by the fretboard of your guitar. 
4. Wrist Stretching: When you play guitar, all the tension and compression are supported by your wrist. So stretching your wrist upside down is a very important exercise.
5. Stretching all Fingers: Stretch your all fingers together upward and downward to relax. This exercise will make your fingers more flexible.
6. Thumb Stretching: Try to stretch your thumb up to your arm. Do not force it. In the beginning you may not be able to do so, but gradually your thumb will reach your arm in both ways.
7. Invisible Guitar: Move your playing fingers as if you are playing guitar. Touch your thumb by each finger by an imaginary tempo. Increase the speed gradually.
8. Picking Hand Exercise: Shake your picking hand for 20 to 30 seconds to get rid of inertia. While shaking make sure the 1st finger is attached to your thumb.
9. Strong Hand Exercise: Keep your hands in the air and spread them by your muscles. Do it in the air as if there is a table under your hand. Please follow the video or picture for better understanding.

You have to do these warmups regularly before practice. Do these exercises for both of your hands. Both of your hands must be relaxed and free of injury because Guitar playing is nothing but synchronization of your hands.