[Guitar Guide] Training for Left Hand, Right Hand, and Mind

Hello, this is Conservario.
As you may know, there are many ways to practice guitar—fundamental exercises, learning songs, tone shaping, and band rehearsals. Each type of practice has its own approach and benefits.
This time, we’ll focus on a fundamental exercise.
Believe it or not, there’s a practice method that trains your left hand, right hand, and mind all at the same time!
Using tablature, I’ll explain it in an easy-to-understand way.

Start by placing your index finger on the 8th fret of the 6th string.
If this feels difficult, try positioning your wrist slightly forward compared to usual.
If your thumb is sticking out over the neck, your index finger may not reach properly, so make sure to keep your thumb positioned behind the neck.
Play in the following order:
6th string, 8th fret → 10th fret → 12th fret → 5th string, 8th fret.
Use the correct finger positioning: index finger, middle finger, pinky, index finger.
For picking, use alternate picking.
If your downstrokes and upstrokes are correct, you should start with a downstroke on the 6th string, 8th fret, and end with an upstroke on the 5th string, 8th fret.
If your picking gets reversed or you sometimes lose track of your upstrokes and downstrokes, try focusing on your right hand while playing.
For your left hand, minimize unnecessary movement.
If your fingers move too much, it will be harder to play fast. Make sure your fingers are already close to the strings before playing.
The notes you are playing follow the Do-Re-Mi-Fa, Do-Re-Mi-Fa pattern.
As you play, actively think, "I'm playing Do-Re-Mi-Fa!"
Avoid just moving your left and right hands without awareness.
If someone asks, "What note is the 8th fret on the 6th string?" and you can instantly answer, "It's Do!", then you've got it!
By now, you should be getting comfortable playing Do-Re-Mi-Fa using the 6th and 5th strings.
Now, let's move on to the next step!

This time, start by placing your index finger on the 3rd fret of the 5th string.
Did you notice that the fret spacing is wider than before?
On the guitar, the lower part of the neck (near the 1st and 2nd frets) has the widest fret spacing.
As you move to the right (higher frets), the fret spacing gradually becomes narrower.
That means, for this exercise, you’ll need to stretch your fingers more compared to the previous one.
Play in this order:
5th string, 3rd fret → 5th fret → 7th fret → 4th string, 3rd fret.
The fingering is the same as when starting from the 8th fret of the 6th string earlier.
Picking should still be alternate picking.
Keeping your fingers close to the fretboard and minimizing movement is crucial.
Ideally, when playing the 7th fret on the 5th string, your fingers should still be pressing down on the 3rd and 5th frets as well.

At first, your other fingers might lift off the string when playing the 7th fret.
This can be especially difficult depending on your finger length and joint flexibility.
If it's challenging, don't force it—just focus on minimizing unnecessary finger movement.
As you keep practicing, your fingers will gradually become more flexible, and you'll naturally use less tension, making it easier.
Once you're comfortable playing Do-Re-Mi-Fa on the 5th and 4th strings, try applying the same exercise to the remaining strings!

By practicing on the 4th and 3rd strings, 3rd and 2nd strings, and 2nd and 1st strings, you will have used all six strings.
One important point to note is when playing the 3rd and 2nd string pair.
When crossing strings, you need to shift one fret to the right on the 2nd string.
This adjustment is necessary due to the way the guitar is tuned—think of it as a natural shift to the right.
Stick to the same index finger, middle finger, pinky, index finger fingering pattern as before.
Once you can play each string pair separately, try playing them continuously in this order:
6th & 5th strings → 5th & 4th → 4th & 3rd → 3rd & 2nd → 2nd & 1st—playing nonstop through all the strings.
To be honest, this exercise is quite difficult.
Not only do your left and right hands need to be accurate, but you also need to mentally track which fret to start on next in order to keep playing smoothly.
However, once you master it, you'll have a perfect understanding of where "Do" is located on each string, making playing much easier.
Additionally, this exercise improves left-hand fingering and right-hand picking, making it a true training for your left hand, right hand, and mind—all at the same time, just as the title suggests.

■ Summary

I introduced a practice method that trains your left hand, right hand, and mind at the same time.
It may be a challenging exercise for beginners.
So, I encourage motivated intermediate and advanced players to give it a try.
While intermediate and advanced players can experiment and refine their approach, my true hope is for beginners to eventually master this exercise.
There are countless ways to practice guitar, and new exercises will continue to emerge without ever decreasing.
I often see beginners feeling overwhelmed, unsure of which practice routine to follow.
When you're unsure, try choosing exercises like the one introduced here—a practice that trains multiple aspects at the same time.
If you're putting in the same amount of practice time, it’s always better to get the most out of it.
Always ask yourself, “How does this exercise help me?” as you practice.
Over time, you'll discover the practice methods that work best for you.
Thank you for reading until the end!

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