Originally Posted by: john of MTI really, really like the one taught at Justin Sandercoe's free site, justinguitar.com . It's lesson TE-007 Finger Stretching and is found here; http://justinguitar.com/en/TE-007-FingerStretch.php . Not only does it stretch/improve one's frethand stretch it also improves flexibility and coordination, particularly when using the pinky. It's also moved me closer to a cure for the curse of the fly-away finger(s). :)

A couple points -- Follow Justin's directions precisely. Do the routine slowly enough so that each note rings true. Don't work for speed, work for preciseness/technique. *Use a metronome.* Keep your index finger in place when making the stretches. You won't improve the stretch if you 'cheat' but don't force yourself into an injury. And most of all...

...be patient. It's a challenge! I've been doing this exercise every practice session for two years or more and I still can't make a six-fret stretch at the third fret and lower using my Gibson electric. But then, I can do five frets at the first position using all four exercise patterns of the routine which is at least a fret wider then when I started and I'm getting closer to that six-fret stretch.

Speaking of starting, when I began I did just the first pattern (Ex. 1 at the url). When I had that down at all positions I added Ex. 2 and continued on until I now do all four the entire length of the neck. At my speed that takes not quite 20 minutes. FYI, I found pattern 1 and 2 easy, pattern 3 and 4 not so much.

I incorporated this into my practice session soon after I started GT lessons. I believe it greatly prepared me for the increased flexibility and stretch requirements in later lessons. In other words, those later, more difficult lessons were less difficult and accomplished much faster than if I hadn't been doing TE-007 all along.

To paraphrase Steve Jobs, "One more thing." See Christopher Schlegel's tutorial on Warmup Stretches, http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1525 . When I found this I incorporated it into my practice session and do it just before the TE-007 exercise above. I believe this was a help too. Again, don't force yourself into an injury.

Have fun!!!

Greetings John,,,, Oh man this is perfect,,,,thanks so much,,,i will get right on it,,,,there is great info here and i appreciate it,,,thanks again and all the best to you,,,Good luck with your 6 fret spread.
Ryder(James).