So you’re learning a new chord, and for some reason you just can’t get your fingers to move into the right place. Every time you use that chord your fingers knot up, and it seems impossible to play it cleanly.

Or let’s say you’re learning a fast part in a new solo, and once you get to a certain tempo your fingers just freeze and tense up. No matter how much practice you do, you just can’t get faster.

Both of these problems – and many more – are caused by a lack of finger independence.

“Finger independence” is your ability to move your fingers independently of each other, without the movement of one finger impacting the others.

For instance, if you have poor finger independence then you’ll struggle to use your little finger, and you’ll find it difficult to do large stretches or play fast runs. Learning new songs will also take ages, and it’ll always seem like a struggle.

Playing guitar with poor finger independence feels hard.

If your finger independence is good, though, then everything is easier to play. You can learn new songs and solos really quickly, and playing the guitar looks and feels effortless.

Playing fast isn’t any harder than playing slow, and you can use all four fingers with ease. When you’ve got good finger independence, you’re one of those players that people look at and go “wow! They make it look so easy!”

That’s because it is easy. If you train your fingers to move independently then playing the guitar becomes effortless.

Doing this is NOT down to talent. Even if you’ve got the shortest, fattest fingers in existence, you can still get good finger independence with just a bit of practice.

Even the classical maestro Andres Segovia had stubby fingers, and yet he was a virtuoso.

The size and shape of your fingers doesn’t make a difference – it’s the way you play and the way you practice that’s important.

Don’t worry about your fingers, or your age, or anything else – that stuff doesn’t make a difference. Focus on training your fingers to work for you!

Let’s get started then!

To download the free 4-Week Finger Independence Mastery Course, featuring a tried-and-tested ironclad practice strategy you can use to master finger independence and massively improve your playing, Go Here.