Finger flexibility

[TomServo1]

I asked my guitar teacher if she knew any good ways to increase your fingers' side-to-side flexibility and she basically told me that you can but you'll get eventually get tendonitis. I think she's wrong, but has anyone else heard anything like this?

[ez-one]

I have never heard of finger exercises causeing tendonitis. I guess they could if they were over done. I do finger streches (side to Side) using my forearm, or just my other hand to strech my fingers apart so that I can get a better reach, David has a video on it, it has really helped

[Leviskardsen]

You can only get tendonitis from exerting too much stress on the tendons in your fingers. Spacing them out won't do that. You get tendonitis when you're regularly using your fingers to press down on something that's too hard for them, which strains the tendons. It's a kind of repetitive strain injury. The only way you'd get it really is if you were using higher gauge strings than you can cope with, or you have a gripmaster that's too heavy.

[custom24]

Basically if it starts to hurt, take a break and rest your hands until they don't hurt anymore. If it's just a little discomfort like strings making your fingertips sore, keep at it if you want, but if you feel actual pain, then stop.

[TomServo1]

Ah, the golden rule: if it hurts, stop ;)