Originally Posted by: manXcat

Originally Posted by: snpfarm

Originally Posted by: manXcatAlthough a BIB rhythm lesson, watch how Andy (Shutup & Play) -[u]who does have small hands[/u]

Thanks so much for the info and links. I watched them several times. Andy may have small hands but using the neck of his guitar as a reference I can tell his hands are bigger than mine. As an example my pinky is barely one and a half inches long.

Presumably your datum/frame of reference for the measurement is from the inner web between it and the ring finger? If so, inarguably that is [u]very[/u] short, which proportionally will be limiting on your max fret span. That said, your hands and span appear to be on the extreme end of the adult small and short scale. You have my empathy. Guitar is the singular pursuit of the many I've participated in over the course of a lifetime where I've found my hand shape, size & finger length and intrinsic flexibility (endo/exo vs ecto) impacted detrimentially to the relative degree it does.[br][br]The solutions I've found personally for guitar are;[br][br]1. Persevere and try harder [u]initially[/u]. Everyone starting out blames inflexibility, lack of co-ordination and thinks their hands could be bigger unless they are the size of the late Chuck Berry's. In your case, you appear to have eliminated that as the underlying primary factor.[br][br]2. IMPORTANT: [u]Buy guitars which are a good body fit for you[/u], not because the brand is popular, common amongst others with normal to large size hands or because of the status of the brand on the headstock. Consider all the factors of string spacing, radius, nut width, neck profile, fret size, weight & balance. Short scale can help, but owning multiple examples of both, IMPEHO scale length is not the most important physical factor vs the others mentioned prior. The more going in your favour, the easier fretting will present.[br][br]3. Look for [u]pragmatic[/u] workarounds and be flexible, [u]figuratively[/u]. You'll find the truly useful inspirational examples to hep when you're struggling come from people with smaller than average hands like Andy (S&P) and although proportional for his 5' 7" stature, Steve Stine. Those who don't can never walk that proverbial 'mile in your shoes'. Regardless they'll offer up straw argument always by way of individual examples of famous guitar players with small hands, and some may even be capable of empathy rather than dismissal as an irrelevance in hardly disguised contempt, the fact is that they can never truly comprehend or understand that encumbrance and challenge from the personal experience perspective. They can be more an irritation than helpful in subliminally suggesting ipso facto the problem is psychological rather than physical.

4. Lastly, one doesn't have to like it how it is, but one does have to [u]accept the limitation and work with it[/u]. [br][br]Yeh, that sucks I know, as in most other many other physical sports/activities I've participated in over the course of a lifetime, i.e. squash racquets as but a singular example there are tradeoffs of speed over reach, and hand size doesn't affect either grip on the racket or power delivery to any significant degree. In fact, apart from reach from centre of court for ectos, stout or short stature can be used to tactical and strategic advantage as can the opposite in dictating the pace and style of the game played on court. If only it were so with guitar.[br][br] [u]What is/are your electric guitar/s?[/u] Correct me if I'm wrong, but checking moments ago, you said you ended up with an Epi LP Standard? Drop dead gorgous shape and aesthetically pleasing no argument, and not deriding the potential achievable tone (pickup dependent), but as an instrument to fret for smaller handed people despite being short scale, no. Emphatically. Just no. [br][br]Notwithstanding that very heavy though aesthetically attractive awkward shaped body, dreadful headstock body CG imbalance & neck rise if not wearing a strap -opposite of the SG, and that chunky neck of the traditional standard. Ugh. Yes, I am biased and would dearly love to love the LP, but I'm pragmatically ruled by the head not emotion nor intercedence of ego. There are simply [u]smarter[/u] options for smaller handed people which will prove a better fit for you if you opt to take them, IMV or course. OOMV.

[br]Hopefully there's something encouraging and helpful in there -if brutally honest.[br][br]All the best with your personal search and continuing journey.

Thank you.....I think??

I have zero issues playing my Epiphone Les Paul Standard. That's why I bought it. I'm well aware of what my limitations are. I try to find work around for songs I have trouble with....actually that's what I thought I was doing when I started this thread....asking if anyone might know of another way to play a particular section of the song that I had trouble with.