Guitar Exercise For Finger Independence and Control

An additional benefit of this exercise is that it burns all the possible directional possibilities
of a 4 note sequence into your subconscious, and you will find yourself using increased
creativity when improvising using scales or arpeggios.

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6
&4

David DeLoach

b n # n #

b n n # #

# #

Finger order = 1-2-3-4

2
# n # # b n b n n

&
n n # n n n #
# n # etc.

&
3

Finger order = 1-2-4-3

b n # # n
n

#
#

n # # n b n
1

# # # n b b n n

&
n n n # n n #
# n #
4

etc.

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Copyright 2011 www.MasterGuitarists.com

&
2
5

b n n # #

b n n # #
n

n n # #
Finger order = 1-3-2-4

6
# # n # b n
b n n # n n
&
n # n # # n

&
7

b # n n # #

b n n #

n # #
Finger order = 1-3-4-2

8
# # n # b n
n b n # n n
&
n # n # # n

etc.

etc.


&
9

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b # n # # n
n

b # n n #
#

n # # n
Finger order = 1-4-2-3

10
# # # n b n b n

&
n n n # n n #
# n #

etc.

&
11

Finger order = 1-4-3-2

b # n # n #
n

b # n n #
#

n # n #
1

12
# # n # n b n n b

&
n n # n n # n
# # n

etc.


&
4

13

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b n # n # n

#
n # b

# # n
Finger order = 2-3-4-1

14
n # # b n # b n n
n # n n
&
n # n n # #

&
15

b # n n #

#
n b #
n

# n n #
Finger order = 2-3-1-4

16
n # # b # n b n n
n # n n
&
n # n n #
#

etc.


&
17

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Finger order = 2-4-1-3

b n # # n n
#

#
# b n
#

# # n n
2

18
# # n # b b n n
n n n #
&
n n # n # #

&
19

etc.

Finger order = 2-4-3-1

b n # # n n
#

#
# n b
#

# # n n
2

20
# # n b # b n n
n n # n
&
n # n n #
#

etc.


&
6

21

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b # n n #

b n # #
n

# n n #
Finger order = 2-1-3-4

22
n # # # b n b n n

&
n n # n n #
n
n # #

etc.

&
23

Finger order = 2-1-4-3

b # n # n
#

b # n #
#

# n # n
2

24
# # # n b b n n

&
n n n # n n #
n # #

etc.


&
25

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b n # n # n #

#
n # b n
n

n # n #
Finger order = 3-4-1-2

26
# # n b n # n b
# n n n
&
# n n # # n

etc.

&
27

Finger order = 3-4-2-1

b # n n # # n

#
n # b

# # n
3

28
# n # b n # n b
# n n n
&
# n n # n
#

etc.


&
8

29

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Finger order = 3-1-2-4

b n n # #

n b n # #

n # #
3

30
# # n b # n b n

&
# n n n # n
n
# # n

etc.

&
31

Finger order = 3-1-4-2

b # n n # #

n b # n #

n # #
3

32
# # n b # n n b

&
# n n n # n n
# # n

etc.


&
33

Copyright 2011 www.MasterGuitarists.com

Finger order = 3-2-4-1

b n n # # n

#
n # b

# # n
3

34
# n # b n # b n
&
# n n n # n
n # n #

etc.

&
35

Finger order = 3-2-1-4

b n # n #

#
n b #

# n #
3

36
# n # b # n b n
# n n n
&
# n n # n
#

etc.


&
10
37

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Finger order = 4-1-2-3

b n # # n # n
n

# b n n #
#

# n # n
4

38
# # n # b n b n

&
n n n # n #
n
# n #

&
39

etc.

Finger order = 4-1-3-2

b n # # n n #
n

# b n n #
#

# n n #
4

40
# # n n # b n n b

&
n n # n # n
n
# # n

etc.


&
41

Copyright 2011 www.MasterGuitarists.com

Finger order = 4-2-3-1

b # n # # n n
n

#
# n b
#

# # n n
4

42
# # n b # n b n
n n # n
&
n # n n # #

&
43

11

etc.

Finger order = 4-2-1-3

b # n # # n n
n

#
# b n
#

# # n n
4

44
# # n # b n b n
n n n #
&
n n # n #
#

etc.

etc.


&
12
45

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Finger order = 4-3-1-2

b n # # n n #
n

#
# n b n
#

# n n #
4

46
# # n n b # n n b
n # n n
&
# n n # # n

&
47

etc.

Finger order = 4-3-2-1

b # n # n # n
n

#
# n b
#

# n # n
4

48
# n # n b # n n b
n # n n
&
# n n # n
#

etc.

Copyright 2011 www.MasterGuitarists.com

&

13

49

OK, that exercise was a handful (no pun intended) for me to write out and for you to read.
Here is a shorthand version of the exercise you can refer to, now that you know the concept...

1-2-3-4
1-2-4-3
1-3-2-4
1-3-4-2
1-4-2-3
1-4-3-2

2-3-4-1
2-3-1-4
2-4-1-3
2-4-3-1
2-1-3-4
2-1-4-3

3-4-1-2
3-4-2-1
3-1-2-4
3-1-4-2
3-2-4-1
3-2-1-4

4-1-2-3
4-1-3-2
4-2-3-1
4-2-1-3
4-3-1-2
4-3-2-1