Finger Independence Exercise

[Datsik2Guy]

like this if you watched this video for gloving! :D

[robertbjgvch190]

Do you think that would help for guitar players?



[unkoine]

@robertbjgvch190 - Some guitar players have commented on this video, and said that the exercise really improved their grip and playing. So, I guess it WILL help guitar players! :)

[shreader12345]

ohh snap she did a finger roll lol, i gotta make my ring finger stronger for gloving

[EvilAntic]

I can barely lift my ring fingers at all. :|



[unkoine]

@EvilAntic - That's normal. The ring finger shares a tendon with the pinky and middle finger, so it is difficult to gain independence. It gets better with practice, so hang in there! I used to work my ring fingers a little longer than the others, just to compensate for the weakness.

[88Sublime96]

Thanks!

[9Epicman]

i just watched this for finger tutting,gloving,and pen spinning......oh yeah and pen tapping

[unkoine]

@9Epicman Let me know if it helps!

[deathwish9493]

Is this a problem if i can only lift my ring finger only about 1cm, compared to my other fingers being able to fully lift?

[unkoine]

@deathwish9493 - Not a problem at all. Absolutely normal. The ring finger and pinky share the same tendon, which makes it more difficult to develop independence for the ring finger. With practice and time, you will be able to lift it a bit higher, but never as high as the rest of the fingers.

[Cloud2049]

thanks

[techtwinz]

Thanks!

[killerkid286]

This is a very helpful video. I recommend it

[tecktrax]

im doing this for Pen spinning

[BboyTetra1]

thanks you so much this is very helpfull! liked and subscribed

[unkoine]

@BboyTetra1 Thank you! I hope the exercise is helpful to you. :)

[ihaveaverybadcold]

@unkoine does this help for guitar too??

[unkoine]

@ihaveaverybadcold - I've heard some guitarists say that it did help them!

[ihaveaverybadcold]

@unkoine cool thx im gonna try it!!

[xFL1PPYx]

Good tutorial!

[ShadowNinja0807]

can u help with the ring finger AKA the 4th finger?

[unkoine]

@ShadowNinja0807 - The ring finger is the weakest finger on the hand. It is very difficult to establish independence with this finger, but it CAN be done. Just concentrate and practice.

[assailantgamer]

@unkoine is it weird for me that the left ring finger is stronger then the rest of my left fingers

[unkoine]

@assailantgamer - Not weird. Just unusual. Count your blessings! :)

[assailantgamer]

@unkoine how do i increase my strength of left fingers

and for my right finger

[unkoine]

@assailantgamer - Just keep doing this exercise, and other finger-strengthening exercises. 

[skuggeporten]

@unkoine How long and how much do you think I should be doing this? E.g. 5 minutes every 2-3 hour? If I do it too long my hand start to ache.

[unkoine]

@skuggeporten - Just do it a few times each day. You don't want to cause pain.

[accidentalhomicide]

yes with this exercise i will be able to play guitar hero, and for a moment i thought my muscles or nerves were messed up :)

[LeftyHangsLower]

I use this for arcade gaming. Good exercise.

[mjury2010]

thats a wonderful exercise

[MrAndrewblocker]

hmm well thank you for the help its quite annoying and hampers my playing ability I know I have odd fingers already cause I can bend the tips of my fingers independently by themselves

[MrAndrewblocker]

yes I play guitar and can lift my pinky pretty high but when I press back down it likes to pop from a bending out to a bending in if that makes any sense??? how can I prevent this from happening?

[unkoine]

@MrAndrewblocker Gosh, I don't know the answer to that. As for myself, my ring finger will always buckle, because it's "double-jointed".....bends forward and backward. I inherited that from my father. My organ professor always freaks out when he sees it happen. Maybe you have a double jointed pinkie?

[pianoman1189]

This is one of the worst things you could possibly do to your hands. This results in dual-muscular pulls which will eventually lead to a dystonia. Fingers are not meant to be separated - why lift the fourth finger independently - you never need to do that. If you ever feel pain or feel uncomfortable at the piano, then you are doing it wrong.

[unkoine]

@pianoman1189 - I've been performing organ and piano music as a church musician for over 30 years, and I never have pain in my hands when I play.

I press and lift the keys several times when performing - especially on the organ. Sometimes, there is a sustained, legato melody line that is played on the higher tones, while the rest of the fingers of the hand are playing a detached accompaniment. That would not be possible to play without pressing and lifting fingers at the same time.

[pedroborges78]

@pianoman1189 I agree with you, I think we have to face that our hand is what it is.. our ring finger is "connected" with the third finger and that's why we can't lift him and there are many different ways! The best for me it's scales but I play some Hanon too, very slowly to ear clearly each note.. will you do that, you'll notice after 2 weeks more agility and strenght. I don't like your exercise MrAndrewblocker although I respect but, for me and I guess for the others too, it hurts (4thfinger)

[XoXoBlackCrowXoXo]

i can't lift my ring finger!

[unkoine]

@XoXoBlackCrowXoXo - The ring finger is the weakest finger of the hand. This exercise will give it strength, if you keep practicing. Good luck!

[jjd705]

@XoXoBlackCrowXoXo are you irish by any chance?

[unkoine]

@jjd705 Are you asking me that question? I am American, but both sides of my family came here from Ireland over 200 years ago.

[jjd705]

@unkoine yeah similar but they say irish have messed up ring fingers...wich i have. Think it will effect my abilty to learn guitar?

[unkoine]

@jjd705 My ring finger is double jointed in both hands. Drives my organ professor crazy, because my ring finger collapses when I play large chords. Ha!

[unkoine]

@JokerDAndrew - I have heard from some guitarists who have posted comments here. They have said that this exercise DID help with their guitar playing. :)

[Springulaiz]

it's normal to have some difficulties to pull up the ring finger?

[unkoine]

@Springulaiz - Yes it is. The ring finger is the weakest finger on the hand. Just keep practicing, and it will improve.

[Reahumoon]

i cant move my ring finger higher seems like it is broken. its really bad.

[unkoine]

@Reahumoon - Yes, the ring finger is the weakest finger on the hand. It is very difficult to use at first. Just keep practicing with this exercise, and it will get better. Good luck!

[CarlosIsDown]

Cool. Thanks.

[fystasjoppheng]

This is true, but the best way to lift the finger is to let the hand do it using forearm rotation.

[unkoine]

@fystasjoppheng - Alright, then make a video and show us how to do that with each finger of the hand. Make a believer out of me.

[mickopi]

@fystasjoppheng no it is not good why, because when rotation your arm angle your drop energy(sory my english is bad).Forearm is bad

[pianoman1189]

@fystasjoppheng This is correct.

[rausclass19]

what excellent help. thank you so much!

[fystasjoppheng]

I think the piano is played by pressing the keys down. You do not need to lift fingers to play the piano-you need to bend them down.(in my opinion)

[unkoine]

@fystasjoppheng - If you want to be a good pianist, you need to be able to play with one finger, while the other fingers are not playing....and sometimes you have to hold one note down, while other notes are playing for a shorter amount of time. It takes the skill of pressing AND lifting to accomplish this.

[pianoman1189]

@unkoine You never need to actually press or lift. In fact, no good pianist in history ever "pushes" into the key.

[unkoine]

@pianoman1189 - I have needed to press and lift the keys several times when performing - especially on the organ. Sometimes, there is a sustained, legato melody line that is played on the higher tones, while the rest of the fingers of the hand are playing a detached accompaniment. That would not be possible to play without pressing and lifting fingers at the same time.

[urielx17]

um will this help my ring finger because thats the finger that i cant move

[unkoine]

@urielx17 - The ring finger is the weakest finger on the hand. Just keep practicing, and it will get stronger.

[supergluemanxx]

how can i get more strech like play more than 9ths or 8ths??/

[unkoine]

@supergluemanxx - I have short fingers myself, and can only reach a 9th. I think you have to have longer fingers to reach wider intervals. I cannot play some pieces, because my fingers won't stretch out far enough. (Rachmaninoff pieces, for example.)

[chutdigadut]

thanks for this great demonstration! I'm studying Franz Liszt's Feux Follets Transcendental Etude right now, and the finger independence for it is just rediculous, so this excercise should help me gain the independence to play it I hope!

[mushr00mhelmet]

MY pinky is really stiff and jolty...will it improve that?

[unkoine]

@mushr00mhelmet I hope it will help you! Just give it a try, and let us know the results.

[xNauticus]

I play bass but find this usefull, thanks :)

[420sensi]

ok so i just found i cant move the LITTLE finger in the left food . wtf? anyone, plz I try concentrating and stuff, but i cant move it, IT WONT MOVE!!!! no independence no nothing!

[annie6794]

@itzdanielf00 this exercise will help with your lightshows. Especially with finger rolls between the ring and pinkie it makes the roll look smoother.

[PirateKing1256]

It's really getting better now. Now i can lift my fourth finger without any difficutlly but i cant lift it like you. I cant lift it very high.

[unkoine]

@PirateKing1256 - Congratulations! Thanks for the update! As for the lift I am reaching, I've been working on it for over 30 years now. That's why my flexibility is a little greater.

[itzdanielf00]

Idk if anyone does lightshows, but for those of you who do know what I am talking about it, will this excercise still work even though it is ment for playing instruments???

[PirateKing1256]

I see a little progress after a few MONTHs. Just how long , will i get full independances? I still miss my piano notes because of it.

[unkoine]

@PirateKing1256 - Hang in there! It will happen if you are diligent.

[redevil200]

would this help for guitar players :) plz respond

[unkoine]

@redevil200 - I have heard that it does help with guitar as well as piano.

[MrJohn84james]

great exercise takes some work to get my ring finger up but it is helping me with my finger control

[missblissxe]

aww, i like you, thanks!

[chessdude67]

Very helpful exercise/ videos 5 stars.

Now, can I ask you about finger speed? I've been a drummer for 2o years, but just started playing hand percussion instruments. My wrist are fast from drumming, but my fingers are slow. Like trying to do a drum roll with one hand using fingers? So, coordination and speed. Any advice.

Thank you for your time.

peace....

[unkoine]

You could look for "finger trill" exercises to help with that. Good luck!

[Escapist3434]

@unkoine I try this technique, thank you! but my ring finger is horrible...I can barely lift it...is this normals?

[unkoine]

@Escapist3434 - The ring finger is the weakest finger on the hand. Keep practicing and it will get better.

[sinancans]

btw how could i prevent my small finger moving on piano?

ty

[unkoine]

Just keep practicing!

[sinancans]

thanks for tutorial =)

[PirateKing1256]

Haha you can move all fingers freely. XD How long do i have to do this to achieve finger independance? I always miss my note because cant use my ring and little finger very well.

[unkoine]

I'm not sure how long it takes to get comfortable with every finger. Each person is different. I've been playing piano and organ for over 30 years, and have used this exercise for about 20 years, so it's easy for me now.

[desdes24]

OMG i cnt lift up my 4th finger

[unkoine]

Keep practicing. It will work eventually!

[videogameaddic1001]

@desdes24 same with me

[420sensi]

@desdes24 wtf me neither, just a little bit, so little that it barely counts as up

[solarflare72]

As a guitarist i found this video incredibly helpful in developing of finger control!

Kudos!!!

Excersises such as this one make you realize it is easy to forget that we control our bodies completely.

Your pinkie and ring finger share a tendon.

The bones that make up your fingers are attached by joints to bones that connect to your wrist.

Awarness of the way your body works makes it controling it an easy process, and you DO need to know how to control your body to do anything.

[seb110893]

wtf is wrong with my ring finger XD

[unkoine]

@seb110893 - The ring finger is the weakest finger of the hand. It takes lots of practice to get control of it. Good luck!

[Topli27]

I'm playin' bass so my 4th finger is kinda weak I and cant lift him too much so hopefully in time this will help :(

[unkoine]

Good luck!

[ThexPuppetxMaster]

thank you very much

[clintdiamante99]

mam i can't let my little finger go without my ring finger. what should i do?

[unkoine]

It will get easier with practice and patience. Good luck!

[MikeTsubasa]

Well it's very nice exersice since you can make anywhere, and anytime :)

I have some problems with mi ring finger both hands, its hard to lift him when all are down, and also when playing some fast pasages it feals weak and fails me , can you give me some advice for exersice for 4th and 5th fingers ?

[unkoine]

The 4th finger is the weakest finger of the hand, so it's harder to do this exercise. Just lift the finger as much as you can, and keep practicing. It will get easier as time goes by. Good luck!

[Lou101960]

Great! video! very helpful!

Thanks

[StickItToTheMan2012]

this is a great exercise, thank you. i play guitar and it can definitely be applied to that as well

[TheHikaru91]

thank you very much..

[sou13ater]

I could move the ring finger from my first try, not as high as the others but still ... am I doing something wrong? I play guitar for only 4 months. Is keyboard typing useful? lol

[unkoine]

You're doing everything just fine. Some people have stronger fingers than others from other finger skills. One of my very young piano students got it the first time, because she is also taking violin.

[boxingin]

Can this excercise help your guitar playing as well?

[unkoine]

According to some guitarists that have posted comments here....YES it does!

[flogcchf]

this will help for bass guitar alot!

[xPandaxBearx]

i can do this at school during math :) lol.

but seriously my pinki always follows the ring finger and its soo annyoing. no control. lol

[unkoine]

I used to do the same thing! I would do the exercise on my knee underneath my desk when I was bored. :)

Keep practicing, and your little finger will get stronger. It's a SKILL, and it's worth learning.

[garykeller15]

my third finger wont move without either the pinky or the middle finger moving. iam left handed guitarist and its worse on my left hand picking hand but almost just as band on my right hand

[unkoine]

Yes, the ring finger is the weakest finger of the hand, and it shares a tendon with the finger beside it. It takes lots of practice to develop independence of that finger. Just keep doing the exercise, and it will get better in time. Good luck!

[monkeychunky55]

i cant get my ring finger up what should i d to make it stronger?

[unkoine]

Just keep practicing this exercise, and it will get better. If it was easy, everyone could do it! :)

[JakobHarquail666]

You can probably only raise it so that the very first joint is aligned with your other fingers, (assuming they're all still clenched) while your other two joints are stretched out.

I used to force it up to stretch it, and do the exercise shown here. Also, trying touching your fingers to your thumb in pre-determined patterns.

[daedricchamp]

Wow, my ring finger is really bad, This is perfect thank you!

[rattinox]

I'm going to use this for guitar, not piano. In theory, it should work.

Thanks!!

[lanoche]

thank you :D

[UmmNoorah]

can you show how to do both hands at one time? one had going form 1 to 5 while the other from 5 to 1?

[unkoine]

I've never recommended to do both hands at the same time. If you do that, you'll lose concentration on your individual muscles. It's best to do one hand at a time, and really pay attention to the independent muscle movement.

[mitchmatchhell1]

I can use my ring fingers finally, thankyou.

[unkoine]

Yay! Way to go!

[cavie187]

+1 for getting left hand strong and independent for guitar! Awesome exercises.

[ampuchanaman]

my middle finger is abnormal, it has short tendons hahaha, really hard to lift it while the other fingers are touching the surface, thanksmuch anyway, i'll do this exercise still..thankies for sharing..blessed be

[stanfordsammie]

Yeah my ring finger is that way, every other finger is easy but damn it.

[brummbrummautox3]

yay thanks, i just had big problems with positioning my pinky right on the guitar,so far away! buz after doing this a while it works now way better, thank you for posting this <3

[unkoine]

Excellent!

[100kotob]

Thank you very much :)

[reegg96]

if i do my ring finger follow another finger.can you give me tips???????/

[unkoine]

The ring finger is the weakest finger on the hand, because it shares a tendon with the pinkie. The only way to develop finger independence for the ring finger is to practice. If it was easy, everyone could do it!  Good luck. :)

[arconyle]

I'm definitely trying this! Hopefully it'll help me out with the guitar. Thanks for the video!

[jdempsey223]

ty lady

[mynameisdrummerkevin]

im a drummer will this help develop my muscles and finger control technique??

[unkoine]

I hope so! Give it a shot....because it can't hurt to have stronger fingers for drumming. :)

[exatreide]

I'm a beginning guitarist and this helped develop some right finger Independence. Thanks!

[unkoine]

Now you know why people pay for piano lessons from a teacher.

Look for a patient teacher in your area, and they will be able to help you exceed at the piano. Good luck!

[santajimi]

Am I the only one who cant bend the pinky without bending the ring finger as well?

[unkoine]

If you keep practicing, it will get better. Finger independence doesn't come naturally. You have to work on it. Good luck!

[stover81291]

nope lol i cant either i gonna try some techniques to see if mabe this helps

[tbcass]

Interesting. I play Bass Guitar and some keyboards and can do this easily. I have developed finger independence through playing.

[bmxer193]

every since i broke my right hand and wrist i can lol (I cant do it on my left hand)

[4540524]

it worked for me to play pen-spinning!!

[y0user74]

When I try to use my pinkey and my third finger*

[y0user74]

When I try to use my pinkey together, my pinkey locks up and I can't move my third finger.

[dazzelya]

Besides playing the keys I'm a weight lifter. I've noticed that over the years my fingers have gotten a lot more dexterous whilst playing the piano (due to the weights).

Perhaps doing some hand squeezing exercises will also help people here with a lack of hand/finger strength.

[maidenicarus06]

I have a problem with my pinky. I play guitar but when i use my fret pinky it like...locks.... I dont know how to explain but it locks and i have to use my other hand to dis lock it. Ive never dislocated or broken it i dont know why it does that.

[unkoine]

I have a finger that is "double-jointed", and it locks up when I'm playing big chords on the piano.  I don't know what your issue is, though. Maybe you can mention it to your doctor, to see if there is a problem.

[maidenicarus06]

Maybe i have the same problem. And i will ask him thank you for the advice.

[jpmatrixfan88]

This exercise helped me with guitar

[eavansperstrainer]

I guess I never thought about it but yeah, playing piano means I can lift my ring fingers. Cool.

[RiddickTheKiller]

Wow.Something that Greg Irwin doesn't know.

And , you're right obout us..magicians , i mean most of us do finger exercises ^^

[Alexd69350]

I do that during my school lesson XDDDD But my fourth finger don't moove up like yours

[unkoine]

Just keep working on it, and the fourth finger will get stronger and more flexible.

[remieres]

great idea. thanks for the helping demo. I want to make my left ring finger independant from my pinky. almost no control over that a finger and now with your lesson I think I can.

[unkoine]

Good luck!

[Myavrick]

Thanks I recovered from two neck surgery fusions.One problem that lingers is the nerves that run into both arms down to the fingers are affected and caused weakness and dexterity problems. I am trying to learn to play guitar and have been looking for a way to work my hands away from the guitar.The guitar is hard to play and gets annoying when I get tired. Your little tip will be a big help. I knew someone had to have a tip other than more guitar playing...Thanks Tony M

[unkoine]

Good luck with your recovery, and with learning guitar!

[mastodonrock96]

Yeah i want to do this for guitar. How long does it take for you notice the difference? I'm gonna do this at college they're gonna think i'm mad!

[unkoine]

Gosh, I don't know how long it takes. Maybe you can give me a report! Ha!

And don't worry about the masses thinking you're crazy. Who cares what they think? You're gonna be a MASTER guitarist with WICKED fingers! Yes!

[PokemonSeizure92]

This helped with my knitting!

No just kidding, it helped a lot with my guitar playing.

Haha thanks :)

[unkoine]

You're such a kidder. :P

Glad the exercise helped with guitar!

[athensct]

I learned this using a Cdim7 on the keyboard, putting your five fingers on C, Eb, Gb, A, and C. Ever tried this? I do it every morning. Thanks for the post!!!!!

[unkoine]

Sounds like a good plan!

[teflo2]

Will this help me strenthen my left ring finger? I tried this tonight and found out that my left ring finder is extremely weak, almost like it's paralyzed. Would playing this chord help? Do you have any other ideas?

[unkoine]

The left ring finger is the weakest finger of all. If you keep practicing, it will get stronger. Hang in there!

[kcg5000]

I love when genuine people post things on youtube when they just want to hope. I just heard your comment about magic, and thats just why I am watching.

Thanks for this,unkoine!!!!

[unkoine]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[HabboStories]

Will this help me playing my guitar? I honestly suck at playing scales.

[unkoine]

I believe this exercise would help with playing any instrument that needs finger strength. Good luck!

[HabboStories]

Thank you alot, I'm doing this 5 - 10 times a day.

[unkoine]

You GO, my friend!

[llamamcelvis]

This is also pretty helpful for violin, thanks!:D

[bigworld1001]

thank you very much for this exercise.

[adolfopuchus]

Thanks good exercise , bogotá Colombia

[dude151]

seriousy this helps! thank you :D

[scribe63]

i can feel it working

[unkoine]

Wonderful!

[laplaptop]

i can't lift my ring finger! why?

[unkoine]

It's the most difficult finger to lift. One of the comments on this video has said that the pinky and ring finger are on the same tendon, so that's why it's difficult to raise the ring finger by itself.

If you continue to practice, it will get easier.

Hey, if everybody could do it, it would be no big deal! ;) So, practice, and show the world how nimble your fingers are! :D

[greenb1a]

Thanks for the advises.

[ToColeridge]

great video, it helped me a lot with my 3 finger bass plucking... just to let everyone know, there's an exercise tool called a gripmaster that helps alot in building independence and strength in your fingers... you can get them at guitar center or some athletic stores... and yeah like dorset said pinky and ring finger are on same tendon that's why the ring finger is weak... thanks again for video