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small fingers HELP!!!

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(@math280)
Eminent Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 11
Topic starter  

:oops: Im a small person with small fingers and it is vert hard for me to do alot of the chords. Does anyone have any suggestions?


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

Keep the headstock up high - close to shoulder height. Keep your thumb behind the neck. Those will improve your reach a bit.

Make sure the type of guitar you have is appropriate for you - long scale classical or jumbo dreadnaught styles will be a lot tougher for you to handle.

Playing standing can help - it allows you to angle the guitar body and neck with less effort.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

I don't have any suggestions but wanted to relate a story.
The lady at my local music store has very small hands. In fact they are about an inch shorter than my youngest daughters.
Even whith those tiny hands she is an accomplished guitar player and can play any guitar in the shop.
Hang in there, you will get better reach with practice.


   
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(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

What NoteBoat said is correct and will give you maximum reach.

Awhile back they had an interview of Janis Ian on this site. She is really a tiny person with tiny hands but is an accomplished guitarist. She said her small hands forced her to develop her own unique style.

So don't give up. Stay at it. There is really no such thing as perfect sized hands.

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@dayzd)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 138
 

Yeah my sister has tiny hands but she plays really well. She usually has her thumb behind the neck pointing to the headstock. She tells me all the time I shouldn't hold it like a baseball bat...but it don't matter...do whatever feels most comfortable. And yeah...rasing the headstock up to your shoulder helps a whole lot with those friggin f# s! I hate those!

Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung

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<--=-.._DayZd_..-=-->


   
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(@elecktrablue)
Famed Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 4338
 

I, too, have small hands. In the beginning I had difficulty forming quite a few chords (still have some problems with certain barres). What Noteboat said is absolutely right. Hold the headstock higher, put your thumb in the middle of the back of the neck pointing toward the headstock and practice finger stretches. When I first started it was ALL I could do to do a 2-4 shuffle....... kept trying to do a 2-4-5 shuffle, but never could make the reach without moving my entire hand.......... until one day.......... my pinkie just jumped right out there and hit that 5th fret and the note sounded so clean and clear I nearly scared myself! Practice and STRETCH!!!!!!!!

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"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"


   
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