Why warm up?
- Because it is dangerous for a guitarist to put a lot of pressure on his body while he is cold.
- For the preservation of the “health” which will allow to prolong the artistic activity longer.
What are the steps to a good warm-up?
- You should try to detach yourself momentarily from the guitar sound. This sound detachment encourages exclusive focusing on the posture and the gesture.
- It is recommended to first work on the whole upper limb and then on the hand.
- Don’t rush: work slowly and mezzo-forte.
- A good warm-up includes both softening movements and stretching.
- Take advantage of this moment of attention to awaken the right sensations.
- If you are experiencing pain during your warm-up, consult a specialist.
The fingers are activated by two types of muscles:
-the extrinsic muscles, located in the forearm, which reach the fingers by means of tendons
-the intrinsic muscles, located inside the hand. The thumb is mobilized by nine muscles.
Warm-up without the guitar
session between 9 and 16 minutes
a) The right arm is relaxed, placed in front of the body and on the right thigh. Let the hand fall on the knee, sometimes on the palm side and sometimes on the opposite side. The wrist should be completely relaxed. (12 times)
b) The concept of opening the palm and freeing up a space between the thumb and index finger. In a seated position, place the hand on the round part of the knee, making sure that all the pulps are in contact with it. Squeeze and release. (12 times)
c) Soften the joint between the palm and the finger, place the hand palm up on the thigh or on a cushion. Grab the base of the first phalanx of each finger between the thumb and index finger of the left hand and gently move the joint back and forth. These are quick, light movements, to which you can add pressure massages.
d) To open the shoulder and stretch the fingers, the arm is at the side of the body, in extension. Turn the forearm outward, palm out, without bending the wrist. Spread the fingers. The stretch lasts 4 seconds, and the rest period 8 seconds (6 times)
Warm-up with the guitar
1) Position the fingers a, m, i in support. The thumb plays each string slowly and in the swing it is good to accentuate the circular movement of the thumb column.
Make a light forward push on the string of the whole thumb column. The relay is immediately taken over by the intrinsic muscles of the thumb. This is a circular motion from the base of the thumb.
Make sure that it does not drag the index finger along with it.
2) Now, spread your thumb out and hold a slight tension. Work on the pinch and stop.
This is because the finger roll differs depending on the stroke. When you pinch, you move the phalanges in the order “2, 1, 3”, while the movement of the stop is initiated by the 1st phalanx.
3) Finally, combine the thumb and fingers in slow arpeggios. Try to feel the special relationship between the thumb and each finger.
4) During the exercises with the instrument, lift the arm off the guitar from time to time to check that it is not pressed too hard.
Classical Guitar
