Left Hand Endurance Building Guitar Lesson
Left Hand Endurance Building
Allen shows an amazing muscle building exercise that really works out the left hand!
Taught by Allen Van Wert in Speed And Technique seriesLength: 9:32Difficulty: 1.5 of 5
Supplemental Learning Material
Speed And Technique
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsAllen "Robot" Van Wert teaches his approach to developing technique necessary for fast playing.
Lesson 1
Series Introduction And Picking Primer
Allen kicks off his technique series with a primer lesson on right hand picking.
Length: 30:52 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 2
Rudimentary Drills
Allen shows you the 24 rudiments crucial to developing finger dexterity.
Length: 7:22 Difficulty: 1.5 FREE
Left Hand Endurance Building
Allen shows an amazing muscle building exercise that really works out the left hand!
Length: 9:32 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Fundamental Picking Exercise
This lesson covers an exercise that works on all the major picking techniques.
Length: 11:15 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Synchronize And Stretch
Allen shows you a great exercise set that helps with synchronizing your hands as well as stretching your left hand.
Length: 8:18 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
The System
Allen Van Wert explains his system of programming, reinforcing, and forgetting primary functions of guitar playing. This system is a long term practice routine that will take some time to fully implement...
Length: 50:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Interval Exercises
This is the next step after you have learned Allen's "system". If you follow Allen's teachings you are sure to have a deep understanding of intervals and scales.
Length: 21:29 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Triad Arpeggio Exercises
First, Allen gives a pop quiz for you to check your own ability to visualize the fretboard. Then he gives exercises for programming your triad arpeggios.
Length: 21:30 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Seventh Arpeggio Exercises
Allen Van Wert shows you how to apply his systematic practice approach to 7th arpeggios. If you are just discovering this series make sure to start at the beginning or some things may not make sense.
Length: 8:36 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Fretboard Advancement
Allen briefly explains how he refers to modes in the context of this lesson and then shows you how to grow your knowledge of the fretboard.
Length: 15:35 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Rut Busting Exercises
Get out of that rut with these exercises from Allen Van Wert!
Length: 10:44 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
About Allen Van Wert
View Full Biography
Allen Van Wert got the nickname "ROBOT" from his unusual guitar tapping techniques that often sound like a video game more than a guitar. He has studied and played a wide variety of genres. His experimental and eclectic amalgamation of music combining shred guitar, crazy tapping techniques, and electronically infused composition contrasted by a highly emotional soft melodic side, make his debut album a really fun and interesting listen for just about anyone.
Allen has recorded guitar for the famed video game soundtrack composer Jesper Kyd (Composer of Hitman, Splinter Cell and many other big title games) as well as composing and recording for movie trailers and TV commercials. He has also been producing, recording and co-writing for local artists in his small home/project studio.
His three books on guitar technique, ear training and songwriting have helped many students over the past couple of years. Allen has also played in various cover bands in many genres since the age of 16 and has played to over 5000 on a few occasions. He was a featured guest musician on the album "West Coast Shred Fest".
In his spare time, Allen programs video games for fun. Wooo!
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.Are you sure that you cannot get injured doing these ?
I hope your getting your jollies, You sadistic Bastard. Thanks Allen, ... I guess.
Watching this, I expected you to go through the other 3 combinations, 1-3, 1-4, and 2-4. Since it's an endurance exercise, is that really not necessary? Doing it faster is more important than adding different finger combinations?
You could and I have thought about adding those as well. However, when we start doing the all types of picking exercise you perform every combination along with picking so I only had three of these to save practice time. Feel free to include though though. It may be a good thing.
How would you adapt this exercise for an acoustic guitar?
Simply do it on an acoustic.
Your workout lessons are killing me! LOL But each day I'm a little stronger and faster. Thanks for the workout. I enjoy your chat sessions as well!
Keep it up!
3rd finger and pinky ...very tough
8^)
Wow, Allen- jeez, this lesson has helped me so much. we are very lucky to have been able to get a great lesson from a great teacher. Thanks!
You are very wecome!
I appreciate you showing me just how out of shape my hands are! These are great exercises - thanks.
You are quite welcome. Keep at it and magic happens lol
You were right Allen this drill sucks, but it made me better.
that is the magic!
Hi Allen! Really nice exercise. I approached to the part of 1st string-ring finger. Should I continue practice with this little(almost nothing) I can do with my pinky?
Even if it is hard.. especially if it is hard.. practice it and you will overcome.
A bit off topic, but I usually play acoustic fingerstyle and I'm looking for ways to improve my single-note runs. I usually use my thumb and index finger to play runs- I don't use a thumbpick. Do you have any advice for improving? Great lessons by the way, Allen, thanks.
Keep practicing things slowly and perfectly and only build speed when you can do it cleanly. Find which is weaker/slower between your thumb and index and practice that one until it is equal to the other.
This is easy on my index/middle finger but hard on my ring and pinky. Should I go fast, the same pace as my index/middle fingers max speed, or should I slow down for the ring and pinky finger?
Do the easier ones as triplet speed and slow the metronome down to what the tougher fingers can do.
hey allen would it be possible to combine this with the previous exercise using the 24 finger pattens
Yes, that is a good idea.. or just legato the 24 exercises.. that should work well.
Hey Allen, I really like the way you approach these exercises and ideas. I have seen similar ones before but never put together like your have, i.e.the diagonal 4 finger combo's. I have only been really focusing and been diligent with them for a few days now but they are really helping. You made a comment about how you can have problems in other areas of your playing that could have been corrected if you'd spend time on these drills...so true! I like the way the drills focus both across strings and up and down one string, gets you thinking linearly (if that's a word). Have you got any suggestions for adding some exercises to my practice time that would help to apply scales and patterns musically, its one thing to be able to do drills well but the ultimate goal is to sound great over music...thanks
I never have expected to play fast licks but I have to say doing these techniques makes sense and is helping even though I am a singer songwriter player. Thx
You are quite welcome!
Hi. A little of the topic but what type of equipment are you using in this lesson. I'm curious because I don't hear any of the notes ringing on and on or any feedback. How do you get this without cranking up the gain? Or am I missing something here? It sounds very very clean. Which is good. I just don't know how to get this sound. I hope this makes sense to you. Its hard to explain these things sometimes without the listener getting confused. When I crank my gain up to get better sustain when doing hammer ons and pull offs its hard not to get a lot of string noise and its not a very clean/note ending sound. Thank you.
They had a mark V amp there I plugged into and played. I think the being clean may come from technique mostly.
So, If I understand you correctly, I can go through the exercise on one day doing hammer ons and pulloffs on the next day. I guess what I was doing was called trills. I was hammering on and pulling off in rapid succession when doing the exercise.
I did this differently when I first did it. Instead of just hammering on I hammered on and pulled off each string. My forearm muscles were really feeling it. Is that even better for building the muscles or should I just stick with hammer ons?
I usually do both and alternate each practice.
Oh wait, I read it wrong. I am not sure what you mean exactly..?
PAUL!!!
Great stuff Allen. I am really enjoying your lesson series
Thank you. I have a bunch more on the way.
Allen, I've found my guitar to start getting a softer feel after about 1-week of these great excersizes. Great job.
You got it! It will be easier to play as you strengthen.
Great exercises Allen! Definitely helped with my sloppy play as a beginner.
Keep at it slowly and cleanly and it will pay off big time later on.
Not only has this exercise improved my guitar playing...It has greatly improved my love life..j/k great lesson Allen.. keep 'em commin'
HAHAHA My girlfriend agrees with this comment and of course ancillary benefits will occur. Keep up the good work!
started doing these exercises, but I've reversed the sequence, I star with my pinky.This stems from my weight training ,when you want to improve your weak bits, start them when you are at you are at your strongest. I've also started soaking my hand in ice water after a long session and find that this does aid recovery.
I was informed in weight training to weaken the stronger parts first to ensure the weak ones have to do their own work so there is no cheating. Like working the major muscles before the smaller ones. Not sure about the ice water but it is a cool idea. I usually need a shower after anyway from all of the sweat of a good practice session lol.
Massaging my hand between each set seems to help the lactic acid build up thing... a tip I learned from Wallimann. pretty cool. Love this workout! Thanks so much
brutal
probably the best lessons on jamplay, thanks a lot Allen ! Keep posting more videos, i love them !
oh and by the way, this exercise made me realize how weak my pinky is :-( I will have to work on that !
just wanted to point out that these are great for a right hand finger workout as well (for anyone interested in multi-finger tapping)!
Very good point. Whenever people ask me how to advance tapping or work it out. I usually just give them left handed things but have them tap it lol. This would be a great introduction to it for sure! Thanks
Hey Allan. Where do you place your thumb when you're doing these? Second part to that question is does it move up or down in relation to which string you're fretting? Nice job on that guitar btw
I usually keep my thumb centered for the most part or even over the back of the neck when not really needed much. When playing the thinner strings I tend to move the thumb down with the fingers to make the connection stronger. My thumb is also almost always further down the fretboard than the fingers instead of right behind them.
I like this, but are we sure we're not at risk for tendonitis or carpel tunnel?
I have never had a problem in my fretting hand in years of playing and doing these sorts of things personally. Also, if you consider the time we spend on a computer typing compared to this exercises you may realize we type more and no carpal tunnel etc
a valid point sir....i'm very much enjoying this series so far.
I would advise looking into various finger and wrist stretching exercises that you perform after playing for a while. There are some good ones shown on this site. And there are many people who've had carpal tunnel from typing on a computer so that's not really relavent.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself. Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition - the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. Other contributing factors include trauma or injury to the wrist that cause swelling, such as sprain or fracture; overactivity of the pituitary gland; hypothyroidism; rheumatoid arthritis; mechanical problems in the wrist joint; work stress; repeated use of vibrating hand tools; fluid retention during pregnancy or menopause; or the development of a cyst or tumor in the canal. Carpal tunnel syndrome is also associated with pregnancy and diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disease, or rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases no cause can be identified. There is little clinical data to prove whether repetitive and forceful movements of the hand and wrist during work or leisure activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Repeated motions performed in the course of normal work or other daily activities can result in repetitive motion disorders such as bursitis and tendonitis. Writer's cramp - a condition in which a lack of fine motor skill coordination and ache and pressure in the fingers, wrist, or forearm is brought on by repetitive activity - is not a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome. Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, perhaps because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men. The dominant hand is usually affected first and produces the most severe pain. Persons with diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the body's nerves and make them more susceptible to compression are also at high risk. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually occurs only in adults. The risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is not confined to people in a single industry or job, but is especially common in those performing assembly line work - manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning, and meat, poultry, or fish packing. In fact, carpal tunnel syndrome is three times more common among assemblers than among data-entry personnel. A 2001 study by the Mayo Clinic found heavy computer use (up to 7 hours a day) did not increase a person's risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
I have added this to my daily practice routine. Thanks!
Think my pinky just died!! Nice exercise as all yours are cant wait for more
What guitar are you playing here Allen?
My homemade one
Geez, my pinky is useless! Great lesson Allen, nice to have a method to increase finger strength.
hah yes that was an embarassingly slow exercise for my pinky. We'll see what a week or two of this exercise can do
FMR! I can't even get the pinky to make a sound on the high E!
Feeling the burn! Love it Allen. Thanks!
Great exercises Allen! Really love this series next to your song lessons :-) Thanks!
Nice burn let's see what 15 min a day will do..
great lesson Allen, no pain no gain you must burn to learn thanks bro
Brutal! I never knew my left hand was so out of shape.. Keep the awesome lessons coming.
You're both welcome!
What a work out, I'm so weak. I really like your lessons. You have great methods and ways to teach. thanks.
Ouch!!! Thanks for the pain, Allen! I can't wait to to see what's coming next.