Not many guitarists realise that they have a complex muscle structure in their hands and arms, and when playing our favoured instrument we are very much like an athlete because we are exerting tremendous strains on our muscles at times. When aches and pains occur it is quite often due to cold muscles being asked to do something that is easy when they are warmed up or hot.

This is the reason why you need to perform a few warm up exercises to perform to your best. All the best players of any style warm up before practising or performing on stage. How much you need to warm up will depend on what level you are and what it is you want to play or practice. If you are a learner, a couple of minutes should suffice, an intermediate player might find five minutes adequate, whilst an advanced player who is going to play some burning lightning speed solos might take twenty - thirty minutes or even longer......... You can view the full lesson (pdf file - for your own personal use) from here.

You can also hear the music examples here.

I hope you enjoy the lesson.
Kevin.

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