Left Hand Independence Exercises

As you will be playing multiple lines of music simultaneously with Fingerstyle guitar, the ability to move each finger independently, while holding down other fingers as part of a chord or line is vital to your success with this style.

The goal with these exercises is to be able to play a C major chord, and then lift each finger off (called a pull-off) and back on the string (called a hammer-on) while the other notes of the chord remain on their respective strings.

This method will teach your left hand how to move your fingers independently in a way that allows for multiple lines to be executed simultaneously in the left hand, where one or two fingers might be holding down a chord, while the others are moving to create a melodic line in the other voice.

The following exercises will help you gain more dexterity and independence in your left hand. Make sure that the other notes of the chords are ringing while each finger is moving. Move each finger in a way that does not affect the other notes of the chord, or cause an adjacent string to stop ringing.

Exercise 2.1 - C Major Chord