My Fingers are TOO Short.

washedinblack91 · July 2008

playing instruments hurts and i have to practically break my fingers trying to play them because my fingers are so short. are there any kind of exercises i could do to make them more flexible and less hurty? or am i just doomed to never play the guitar?

Qball · July 2008

Don't believe the hype that you cant play guitar because you have small hands. Big hands help but you just have to work around your hands. I have a buddy that is 5'1 and has little hands. He is the best guitarist I have ever seen. I have never seen his hands limit him to playing anything.

2-feign-reluctance · July 2008

i agree. i have smaller hands and i think it helps me navigate tight corners on the ol' fretboard.

butterfly1 · July 2008

Angus Young=little guy; plays guitar just fine. maybe the big streches aren't for you, but consider you have more dexterity in the upper frets than a guy with big thick fingers

Novawind · July 2008

Having small hands makes you more apt to play lead guitar. Sometimes I wish my fingers were smaller so I could reach the upper frets a little more easily.

washedinblack91 · July 2008

alright let's get things straight, im a girl

you all kept making me remember my dad who has smaller hands than i do! (and me and him are as tight as ed and his dad circa 1992 so you can believe the kind of evil i associate with THAT though

)

i feel better now that everyone tells me they can play with hands like mine, i just have to get around the fact that my fingers will hurt more than others trying to play but that'll hopefully change once i get used to playing

Novawind · July 2008

It's going to hurt for a bit, no matter what size your hands are. But it's worth it.

xtremehardy388 · July 2008

Yeah, I was about 5'0 when I started playing...and I'm 5'4 now. It isn't easy to bar or to do bug stretches but practice stretching the fingers on the board and it'll get a LOT easier. I promise

washedinblack91 · July 2008

xtremehardy388 wrote:

Yeah, I was about 5'0 when I started playing...and I'm 5'4 now. It isn't easy to bar or to do bug stretches but practice stretching the fingers on the board and it'll get a LOT easier. I promise

good i hope so

hoopinman · July 2008

Derek Trucks plays slide because his hands are too small...May not be your thing....but it seemed to work for Derek!

All Those Yesterdays · July 2008

I two have tiny hands, but you learn to get by with it. The strength will build up sooner or later. Guitar never seemed to be as big of a struggle, and bass, I just have to adjust my style to suit my hands. No big deal! Determination is what is needed.

who's_pearljam? · July 2008

If you want to play guitar you'll be able to do it!
If you have small hands, it may be a little tougher to do major five fret stretches, but you should be able to do fine! Not everyone could barre the whole damn fretboard like Jimi Hendrix, with his thumb, and play lead with his fingers. Maybe hardly anybody!

The MOST important thing is to build up your strength and flexibility gradually and to warm up before you stretch your fingers.
"No Pain, No Gain" doesn't apply anymore! There are a lot of seasoned musicians with repetitive disorders and tendonitis and a myriad of other things that could have been prevented if they would stretch and build up to what they were doing first.
You would do great to find a good teacher to get you started with fretboard exercises and to show you good posture while playing, and good hand and arm placement because it all goes together. It's amazing how far your fingers can stretch out, too, but you just don't want to do it all at once.

Here's some inspiration for you, too. Two amazing ladies on their guitars.
I've met Sharon Isbin several times and she is tiny, has small hands and , well,

Just see what she can do!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8d-5gCGlYg

And on about the other end of the guitar spectrum, a couple of weeks ago we went to see the band "Boris". I'd never seen them before or heard them, but I met the guitarist before the show. Maybe 4'11" tall and tiny and she blasted her Les Paul through a major stack o' amps!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZbMWSbj6zc&feature=related

Anon · July 2008

washedinblack91 wrote:

alright let's get things straight, im a girl you all kept making me remember my dad who has smaller hands than i do! (and me and him are as tight as ed and his dad circa 1992 so you can believe the kind of evil i associate with THAT though )

i feel better now that everyone tells me they can play with hands like mine, i just have to get around the fact that my fingers will hurt more than others trying to play but that'll hopefully change once i get used to playing

Hello! Another girl! Yay!!
Already lots of great advice has been given, but i'll just add that I have smallish hands too, and it's never stopped me. Keep at it!

Jack_C_Gregory · July 2008

I have what I would consider small hands and I tried a fender mustang in a store once. The neck felt great in my hand (Mustang necks tend to be smaller). Perhaps a guitar with a thinner neck is the way to go.

xtremehardy388 · July 2008

WeaponX655321 wrote:

I have what I would consider small hands and I tried a fender mustang in a store once. The neck felt great in my hand (Mustang necks tend to be smaller). Perhaps a guitar with a thinner neck is the way to go.

I've got one (actually, it's the first guitar I learned on) and I'm letting my girlfriends brother(10 years old) borrow it to get started. It's a great neck but the pickups tend to dull out quicker than most guitars. I still love it BUT I'd consider getting a Telecoustic or Stratscoustic(I have one of these) to learn on. It's an acoustic but with a slimmer neck.

Piper At The Gates · July 2008

Django Reinhardt, one of the greatest and most innovative jazz guitarists to grace the fretboard, was missing two fingers on his fretting hand.
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath also lost the tips of a couple of his fingers and he uses leather adapters.
No my friend, you are not doomed to not playing guitar at all. It may take a little work and dedication but you'll be a guitarist if you want to be.

xtremehardy388 · July 2008

Piper At The Gates wrote:

Django Reinhardt, one of the greatest and most innovative jazz guitarists to grace the fretboard, was missing two fingers on his fretting hand.
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath also lost the tips of a couple of his fingers and he uses leather adapters.
No my friend, you are not doomed to not playing guitar at all. It may take a little work and dedication but you'll be a guitarist if you want to be.

If Tony can play with two fingers, you're not doomed. Tony's the MAN!

HushBull · July 2008

Known for his "sausage fingers", Andres Segovia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9efHwnFAkuA
You'll be fine if ya wanna

ianvomsaal · July 2008

Big hands, Small hands, doesn't matter . . . . . . .
Anyone that wants to learn to play guitar can - it just takes time and a lot of practice.

mca47 · August 2008

I have small hands and the only time I have problems is if I'm stretching over 5 frets...and even then that doesn't happen all that often.

If you are still having problems, look into getting a guitar with a smaller neck.

My Fingers are TOO Short.

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