playing the guitar with small hands?

Question

i'm primarily a piano player, but i've been trying to pick up the guitar. i can play regular chords easily, but i can't play bar chords. my hands are REALLY small, my index finger is probably like 2.5 inches long, i've tried practicing bar chords, but it's so hard to even get my finger fully across the fret board let alone hold the strings down. does anyone else have this problem? is it somthing that practice can fix or am i screwed?

Answer 1

I teach and play, so here goes-

1-Google 'short-scale guitars'- there's a few companies that market short scale(7/8, 3/4 size) acoustics and electrics. There are a few really good ones, I think Taylor makes a 'Baby Taylor."

2- Don't let your hand size stop you- you don't have to do the 5- and 6-string barres right away-someone I used to play with never went more than a 4-string barre- "...That's why we have bass players.." Ultimately, your hands will 'learn' to stretch. I've relatively small fingers too, so I've been there. One thing I want to caution you on- if it starts to hurt, back off! You can always try later when you feel a little more limber.

Two good sites I recommend-
www.guitarpriciples.com
www.playguitarmagazine.com

Good Luck, and don't let your hand size hold you back!

Answer 2

While it may be a handicap, that doesn't mean you can't play guitar. You can do anything you set your mind to. There are lots of musicians out there who overcome lots of handicaps. Jeff Healey is blind and absolutely rips on the guitar. Tony Iommi is missing part of two of his fret fingers due to an industrial accident, and he's one of the most famous metal guitarists out there. So small hands shouldn't stop you. Personally, while I have fairly large hands, my pinky fingers are very short. That has always handicapped me and maybe I have to work a little harder because of it but it certainly never stopped me. You may or may not turn into Eddie Van Halen, but you absolutely can become an impressive guitarist. Rock on!

Answer 3

You need to find a guitar that fits your hands. Ovation guitars often have narrower necks, so you might try looking at an Ovation. I have an Ovation travel guitar and I think it would be a good guitar for someone with smaller hands.

If your hands are small, your body probably is, too. Part of the problem may simply be that it is hard for you to reach around a full-size guitar. Go to a music store and try out a couple of smaller guitars to see if that works better for you. A big store, like a Guitar Center, will have dozens of guitars that you can try without dealing with a salesclerk.

One other thing: try an electric guitar. Electric guitar necks are built to be fast and easy to play, with low action. The necks are often narrow, and the bodies are very slim and easy to reach around. You can build your skills on an electric guitar and transfer them to an acoustic.

Good luck!