Okay, guys, here is one of the ULTIMATE finger exercises that I've ever encountered... it is known as the 6 Minute Drill (and with good reason). The idea is to gradually increase your trill speed and finger endurance. If you feel any EXCESSIVE pain while doing this, stop immediately. But, if it just feels like a regular burn similar to a burn that you get while working out, proceed until the drill is done.

The drill goes like this:
For 1 minute, trill with the index and pinky (first string, from the first fret)
For 1 minute, trill with the index and ring (first string, from the first fret)
For 1 minute, trill with the index and middle (first string, from the first fret)
For 1 minute, trill with the middle and pinky (first string, from the second fret)
For 1 minute, trill with the middle and ring (first string, from the second fret)
For 1 minute, trill with the ring and pinky (first string, from the third fret)

Keep a steady tempo while doing this. If you do this once a day for a few weeks, you'll notice your trills will begin to increase in clarity and velocity. Have fun and keep guitaring!:thumb:

Sounds good. So, just to be clear. It is as though finger placing is:

Index - First fret
Middle - Second fret
Ring - Third fret
Pinky (little finger) - Fourth fret


So the drill would be:

For 1 minute, trill with the index and pinky (first string, from the first fret) index on 1st fret, trilling with pinky on 4th fret
For 1 minute, trill with the index and ring (first string, from the first fret) index on 1st fret, trilling with ring on 3rd fret
For 1 minute, trill with the index and middle (first string, from the first fret) index on 1st fret, trilling with middle on second fret
For 1 minute, trill with the middle and pinky (first string, from the second fret) middle on second fret, trilling with pinky on 4th fret
For 1 minute, trill with the middle and ring (first string, from the second fret) middle on 2nd fret, trilling with ring on 3rd fret
For 1 minute, trill with the ring and pinky (first string, from the third fret) ring on 3rd fret, trilling with pinky on 4th fret


Sounds like a *GREAT* exercise ! Similar to the finger placement exercices I currently play at the moment (3-4-5 : index, middle, ring up and down the strings... 3-4-5-6 : index, middle, ring, pinky up and down the strings, 6-3-5-4 : pinky, index, ring, middle up and down the strings), etc.

I will give this a go and see how it helps.

:thumb:

I just performed this "drill" for the first time tonight. Woah, that is intense.

WOuld advise people to warm up first. I tried to go straight into the trill exercise and couldn't sustain the full minutes, but after half an hour of my new workout I tried it again and it was a lot easier. Not that it was easy by any means, at least for someone like me who has never disciplined myself like this (well, that's not strictly true :notme:).

Anyway, back on topic, it was a great workout and I will tr it out a lot more, if only to get my little finger to wake up !

:thumb:

thanks bro for checkin this out! i believe vai was a big proponent of this exercise, as well as a whole bunch of other people. it sure is kick-ass! it burns!

No worries man. I pulled my shoulder tonight, dunno how. Was really difficult doing this exercise tonight because of it.

:(

Whats a trill ?? Is it a widdly ??:tard:

I hate doing these but they are effective...