guitar hands

Hi guys, I just started playing the guitar. I have been trying to find one I like, but I have really small hands, so its hard to find one that fits me. Does anyone have any tips/guitars?

I have relatively small hands for a man, but I think if you just started playing then the problem isn't the size of the guitar, it's just getting used to the guitar itself. Then again, if you do feel like comfort is a big thing, just look for slimmer necks on guitars. If your hands are extremely small, you could always get a kids/women's guitar made for smaller hands.

what type of music do you like/plan on playing? acoustic or electric?

i laughed when i saw this thread, with the name GUITAR HANDS. i played the guitar throughout high school and loved it. i got pretty good and played in a garage band and actually got to play a few shows. after playing basketball, baseball, football, and every other sport imaginable throughout high school, i ended up with 3 surgeries on my left hand (i am a lefty who played the guitar righty). i can't really bend my pinky or index finger enough to hold cords, and can no longer play the guitar. it was a major bummer, but just something i had to deal with. so i would say don't get down about having small hands... just be glad they work! i actually have an acoustic and electric guitar sitting around if you need one, im sure we could make a deal. but anyways, have fun and good luck with it! my friend loves his baby taylor, which is a nice guitar and might be easier for small hands...

looseswing said:

Hi guys, I just started playing the guitar. I have been trying to find one I like, but I have really small hands, so its hard to find one that fits me. Does anyone have any tips/guitars?

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I think most electrics should work with the Gibson/Epiphones having the shorter scale - which means easier for small hands. If it's an acoustic, then just go to a music store and find one that's comfortable, sort of like a tennis racquet.

Im actually classically trained, fourteen years. If you're serious about it, I'd just learn on a basic/standard size, no matter what kind of guitar you play. You'll get past the small hands issue. It rarely is that problematic.

Small hand size is not a problem on the guitar. Lots of players with small hands have played guitars with huge necks. Angus Young of AC/DC doesn't have the biggest hands in the world and does OK.

I doubt your hands are so small that you can't play a basic chord once your fingers are flexible enough. When you first start playing guitar, your hands will be completely inflexible and useless, and your fingers will hurt like hell. As you keep practicing, your fingers will loosen up and it'll be a lot smoother.

shwetty[tennis]balls;1908319 said:

Im actually classically trained, fourteen years. If you're serious about it, I'd just learn on a basic/standard size, no matter what kind of guitar you play. You'll get past the small hands issue. It rarely is that problematic.

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I agree with shwettyballs. Unless you are a dwarf, your problem is most likely hand position and finger stretching rather than hand size. Keep at it, and keep your thumb on the back of the neck rather than wrapping it around the fretboard. You'll get better reach this way.

I have extremely small hands, too. I've been playing guitar for about seven years now. I suggest you just go in a guitar shop, find something that you like and feel nice with, and after that, it's basically just practice; you'll get used to it.

Kind of like learning the backhand at first; for me it felt very awkward and weird. But after a while, you get used to it. Good luck with the guitar learning. My guitar playing is very important to me; it's kind of how I "chill out" after playing a match.

One EXTREMELY FUN thing is just going guitar shopping. Forget the internet: guitars have personalities and each has its own sound (they're not really commodities), and the extra $40 you may have to pay for a storebought one is definitely worth the fun experience of shopping and checking out a bunch. It's fun.

Consider a parlor guitar. Art & Lutherie make a $200 one that might work well. Try a dreadnought, just to make sure whether it is or isn't too big. . . and despite the name, jumbos are curved in a way that a small person can easily access the neck. Go with a steel-string 6-string, not a nylon string guitar.

okay sounds good, right now the issue isnt that bad because im just focusing on eight beginner chords, but i tried playing some more advanced cords for a rhcp song, and i just couldnt hold it at all.

Agree with poster who recommended keeping the thumb more underneath the neck, as that forces the hand up over the top of the fretboard and makes chords more accessible - especially the ones requiring a pinky stretch to the A or low E strings. If acoustic, I find the necks on some of the Ovations (Celebrity models, e.g.) to be good for smaller to medium sized hands. If electric, Fender Strats & Teles. For metal playing, check out Ibanez RG-type models (pretty thin-profile neck).

don't stratocasters have a thinner neck?