Having strong fingers is one thing that will help you no matter what level of a guitar player you are. It’s one thing I haven’t read about a lot from guitar lesson books, dvd’s or from private instructors. Some chords require you to not only stretch your fingers further then you might naturally want them to go but they also require you to press and hold positions that can make your hand sore after a while.
There are a few things you can do to combat this and improve your hands strength for playing guitar.
1 – Gripmaster – The grip master is a small device that you actually squeeze and release to strengthen your hands muscles. Like any other work out you should do it consistently and ever day or so to get maximum benefit. At first you may find your hand cramping a bit but after a while you’ll begin to build strength and it get’s easier. You can pick up one of these little devices at any music store.
2 – Finger Exercises on the Guitar – Another great way to get used to pressing hard and hold your hand is to practice forming a chord on the neck and really squeezing the strings down and using all your fingers. Hold for a moment then release and allow your fingers to hover over the fret board for a moment then repeat. This doesn’t just get your fingers used to squeezing and reduce cramping it also helps you control all your fingers in unison which can sometimes be a problem.
The gripmaster is probably the best tool to get and I’d advise that it’s a gadget you have in your guitar case. It’s nothing to use while you’re watching TV or a movie and is small that you can carry it most places so if you have spare down time you can use it.