Originally Posted by: Bruce J

My hand strength and flexibility have come a long way and that's probably the best part. At first I just laughed at the fret 2,4,6 stretch required for a blues shuffle in E. I had to literally pull my fingers apart to even try it, and then I couldn't hold it. Now I can do it "okay" most of the time even though I have to make some faces.

Bruce

Here are two tips that might help with the 2,4,6 fret stretch.
1. use a capo. Place it on the 4th fret and play the shuffle in E (G#). If that is still uncomfortable move the the capo up the neck until it is. Practice at that point, then move the capo down the neck 1 fret. This will gradually stretch your fingers. (The capo is an excellent tool in any stretching exercise to get you where you need to be in incremental steps.)

2. check the placement of your thumb behind the neck. If your thumb is directly behind your first finger your pinky will be limited in its range. If you move your thumb so that it is closer to the middle of your fingers you will see that the position of your hand changes slightly and that your fingers will be able to cover more ground.