Home
Blog
Free Music
Free Lessons
Videos
Beginner Lessons
Your Questions
Favorite Guitarists?
Mini Lessons
Books & DVD's
Metronome
Guitar Store
Greatest Music
Home Recording
Guitar Magazine
Guitar Posters
Learn Fretboard
Guitar Tablature
Guitar Stringing
Guitar Tuning
Shaping Nails
Music Notation
Guitar History
Guitar Time Line
Best Sheet Music
Notation Software
Music Stand?
Guitar Auction
Links
Contact Me
About
Link Exchange
Donate
Site Map
Site Search
How I Built This Site

Hand and finger size

by Nick P
(Rochester, New York)

For a male, my hands seem to be on the small size. Especially, the fourth finger is a whole inch smaller than the third.

This makes for some difficult and sometimes impossible stretches for the left hand. I was wondering how other people compensate for this problem.

It also makes it difficult when the fingering calls for the fourth and third, or fourth and second fingers in order to make the next chord/note change easily attainable, but I need to go with the fourth and first.


(I am so envious of the long fingered players)

Hi Nick,

I understand your problem because I think I'm a lot like you. My hands are also on the "smallish" side.

Over the years I have slowly developed the ability to stretch my left hand to reach most difficult stretches (for example in bar 15 of the Bach Prelude in D Minor) although, with smaller fingers there are of course limits.

I haven't had to do this but have you considered getting a smaller guitar, say, a 5/8 or 3/4 one?

Often you can get a guitar this size with the quality and tone color of a full-sized one. An added advantage is that it could also be less expensive to buy.

I hope this has been of some help.

Kind regards,
Trevor M.

Click here to post comments.

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Your Questions About Classical Guitar
.



footer for classical guitar page