Guitar Chromatic Warm-Up (1-2-3-4)
Play four frets per string with one finger per fret (index, middle, ring, pinky), from the low E string to the high E string and back. Use alternate picking (down-up). Start slowly with a metronome and follow the variations on the sheet once the basic pattern is clean.
Chromatic, ascending (1-2-3-4)
Chromatic, descending (4-3-2-1)
The 24 finger permutations
1234 · 1243 · 1324 · 1342 · 1423 · 1432 · 2134 · 2143 · 2314 · 2341 · 2413 · 2431 · 3124 · 3142 · 3214 · 3241 · 3412 · 3421 · 4123 · 4132 · 4213 · 4231 · 4312 · 4321
Permutation 1324
Permutation 4231
Goal
Warm up your hands and develop finger independence, synchronisation between picking and fretting hands, and a clean, even tone.
How to practise
- Start at fret 1 or, if the stretch is hard, at fret 5 where frets are narrower.
- Metronome at 60 BPM, one note per click. Move to two notes per click (eighths) when clean.
- Keep fingers close to the strings and leave each finger down until it's needed again.
- Alternate pick strictly: down, up, down, up.
- 3–5 minutes at the start of each session is enough. Raise the tempo by 4–5 BPM only after clean repetitions.
- Variations on the sheet: 1-3-2-4, 1-4-3-2, and shifting up one fret after each pass.
Self-check
Every note should ring clearly, with no buzzing and no gaps. Record yourself: the notes should be as even as the metronome clicks.
Next steps
Continue with the spider exercise and alternate picking. See practice method and use the online metronome.