Small hands, wide fretboard

[Wucan]

@odibrom Thank you again for the advice. I'm definitely learning to relax and lighten up as a player since I'm usually very heavy handed to a fault. The particular issue of this thread is certainly not solved by my usual style of playing so much adaptation must be made on my part.

@Wucan Crazy that you're playing an 8 with small hands and no problems! Props to you, I suddenly feel like I can't complain about my issue haha.

Yeah I used to be obsessed with neck specs for the longest time. Mind you, playing a small neck Jaguar will still feel the comfiest to me, but anything that's not a bass is perfectly playable.

 

[animalwithin]

Yeah I used to be obsessed with neck specs for the longest time. Mind you, playing a small neck Jaguar will still feel the comfiest to me, but anything that's not a bass is perfectly playable.

As much as I'd like to blame neck profile and small hands, a lot of this issue is just me needing to practice more precision and awareness of what my fingers and hands are doing. Yes, small hands suck and I don't think I'd be having this issue if my fingers were longer. But I've got a lot of cleaning up to do with respect to my playing and adapting to whatever guitar is in my hands.

 

[odibrom]

(...) Yes, small hands suck and I don't think I'd be having this issue if my fingers were longer. (...)

I'm sorry, but this is just wrong. While you're thinking "what if my hands were bigger" you're missing the point. There are smaller guitars available everywhere already, so, proportion is no longer an issue.

One's limitations are the ticket to one's success, it's a matter of perspective and finding how to make things work. That's part of your uniqueness, don't you EVER downgrade yourself again... And what better way to discover our unique quirks and perks than to dive in them head first?... well, not all, but you get my point.

Last but not least, and probably one of the most important tips, PRACTICE SLOWLY as a warm up and also as a definition exercise. If you can't do it slowly, there's no gain doing it fast.

 

[Robslalaina]

Al di Meola. The man is far from tall, perhaps 5'5/165 these days based on when I shook his hand after a concert, and he's got small hands, yet he can play some pretty demanding fingerings on his classical guitar, which he puts on his right thigh btw. So yeah, it's all about practice.

 

[HFE]

Make sure you practice with a strap, even when sitting down, as this redistributes the entire weight and feel of the guitar.

Maybe look into getting a leg rest as well.
Justin hombach uses a custom one but there`s one on thomann as well

Harley Benton Classic Guitar Leg Support

Support cushion for guitar As a replacement for the traditional footrest, More comfort and balance while playing, Reduces muscle stress and exhaustion, More freedom in movement, Increases guitar position by approximately 140 mm (5.5"), Colour: Black

www.thomann.de

I`m going to order one, will post results.