Originally Posted by: emm9277

very small frame and and struggling to reach the 6th string sometimes without hurting my wrist and it has started to hurt recently, especially at the base of my thumb. My shoulder and elbow ache after a while too.

Not too much info provided, so here are a few general tips.

What's normal starting out.

[br](i) Going at the new activity hard in the excitement. You know the answer to that. [u]Measure[/u].

(ii) Sore fingertips. [u]Rest as required[/u].

(iii Fumble fingers. [u]Time, application, repetition[/u]

(iv) 'This is harder than I thought'. [u]Adjust attitude in alignment with reality[/u].

What's not.

(i) Sore anything else. [u]Review to deterine why[/u].

[br]A few things you should review with a discerning eye.

1. [u]Petite[/u] = [u]especially[/u] make sure your guitar fits. Body size, neck (profile) & other characteristics. If you're petite, you probably won't enjoy a Dreadnought or Grand Auditorium body, heavy gauge strings, or thick chunky C neck. Note how most of the time in her instructional videos Lisa using an acoustic it's a Concert cutaway slimline, Concert or Parlour body size?

2. [u]Posture[/u]. Pretty much self-revealing. If you feel uncomfortable, it's probably wrong. Depends which type of guitar you're playing too. Electric or acoustic (Classical is entirely another discipline about which perspective tends to dogmatic), most of us play and practice sitting most of the time, particularly in the early days. Ensure your guitar body and neck is at or close to a right angle with your bodyline rather than leaning at an angle so you can see the neck. If you've watched Lisa's lessons, you already know hand and thumb placement. Using a guitar strap for support when sitting (I don't generally) can assist with neck, back or shoulder pain associated with posture or compensate for discomfort issues for guitars which are 'neck wrestlers' due poor balance (CG) or just an otherwise bad fit (characteristically [u]too big[/u] IME) which tends to push the headstock and thus neck and first position frets further way which then feels either awkward and/or uncomfortable if you don't have arms the length of the average orangutan.

3, [u]Back, shoulder, neck, arm, hand and finger muscle flexibility and strength[/u]. If you haven't used those muscles in your hand and fingers, neck, shoulders and back much for exercise before, varying with individual build, they're possibly going to get tender with repeated intensive use and stretching. It's like any unaccustomed exercise. Stretches, warm up first, easy does it initially, short periods of moderate intensity to build up gradually strength and endurance over time.

Bottom line. Same as any exercise activity. Listen to your body. Some initial [u]discomfort[/u] when starting our playing acoustic guitar with its higher action and heavier gauge steel strings is pretty normal, but if it develops into [u]chronic or acute pain[/u], rest, investigate & triage the most probable cause in your individual case.