Guitars for short fingers?

Subject: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,John M
Date: 13 May 01 - 01:27 PM

Hi, a friend is considering a purchase of a new guitar, and was wondering what type would be most appropriate, as he has short fingers. I suppose we're looking for a narrow neck. The style is Celtic, and he is a flatpicker, so I'd reckon at least a dreadnought body, for the volume. He's not going to go in for anything extravagant or custom made. Can anybody recommend some models in the under $2000 range?

Thanks,

John

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 13 May 01 - 01:41 PM

The idea that short fingers need a narrow neck is an oft-repeated fallacy, John. The fact is that the shorter your fingers, the more you need a WIDE neck. (It has all to do with the angle at which the fingertips come down on the string) . So look for (minimum)1 3/4" at the nut.

Murray

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 13 May 01 - 01:57 PM

Bravo Murray. Nothin' fer me to say.....except "it ain't the length of the fingers, it's the flexibility of the wrist".

Rick

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Bluebelle
Date: 13 May 01 - 02:10 PM

My hands are tiny and my OM-28V has a 1-3/4" nut width and I have no trouble playing it. Some of it will depend on the neck profile (back of the neck). On vintage or vintage reissue guitars (Martins), the neck profile is a soft V shape, which could be a hindrance. BTW, many flatpickers play dreadnaughts, however, many are starting to play OM's. He should play a multitude of guitars and shapes, before making that decision.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: vindelis
Date: 13 May 01 - 02:34 PM

I have short fingers,(and small hands) and have always found wide necked guitars a bit of stretch, so perhaps it's a case of 'horses for courses.' The best way is to find one you are comfortable with.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,Midchuck upstairs
Date: 13 May 01 - 04:50 PM

What Murray and Rick said.

I have fairly large, wide, hands but with proportionally short fingers - I need a men's large in a glove, but the fingers are usually longer than I need - and I can no longer play a narrower neck than 1 3/4" at the nut, with any comfort.

Of course, that could be partly loss of flexibility in the hands with age. I played 1 11/16" necks for years with no real problem except finding a good way to finger a first-position A chord.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 13 May 01 - 05:28 PM

If, you are not concered about playing chords that rely on the thumb as part of the chord formation structure (i.e. the 'thumb' F chord, and other assorted thumb style positions,) then the extra "leg room" you get with at least a 1 3/4" nut width is great, and, it can improve your accuracy of "nailing" the chord shapes.

I kind of started backwards. I initially got a guitar with a 1 3/4" nut and everything was fine. But as my playing developed and I began incorporating the thumb into so many of my chord positions for the styles of music I play, the stretching to accommodate the thumb with the wider neck was killing my tendons, and not giving me clean sounding chords.

I've since replaced all my wider necked instruments except one, with guitars sporting narrower 1 11/16" nut widths, and my wrists and tendons thank me for it everytime I play. I only play the one remaining wider necked one for flatpicking solos and rhythm (and no thumb chords, except the F chord.).

So....if, you don't use thumb chords, by all means go for a wider neck.
If you do use thumb chords a lot, and you have average sized hands, stay with the narrower neck (and even consider a neck shaving)...but as others have so aptly stated here, it all depends on what feels good to you, for the type(s) of music you play.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Peg
Date: 13 May 01 - 08:47 PM

I have small hands and short fingers and found a Takamine (one of the "lawsuit" ones with the Martin-like insignia) with a fairly narrow neck worked best forme; but I am not such a serious guitar player. Still, I found I could move my fingers faster on a narrower neck...

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Louie Roy
Date: 13 May 01 - 11:47 PM

John If you have good wrist movement I don't think it makes a difference whether it is wide or narrower,but when your wrist becomes stiff the narrower neck helps so this is a decision he'll have to make with trying out different guitars. Louie Roy

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,beachcomber
Date: 14 May 01 - 05:27 PM

Just a footnote, I saw in a TV biog/documentary once where the great SEGOVIA had quite stubby fingers but, of course, a long palm between thumb and fingers which must be "handy" Goodluck

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Peter T.
Date: 14 May 01 - 05:58 PM

This raises a question that has tormented me, and to which you experts can answer. If you have stubby fingers (I don't mean short, but stubby -- actually I also have one finger sorta spongy at the top of the part where a pianist would hit the keys, due to an industrial accident, so it splays out a bit) and you want not to muffle the next string down (down towards the floor), what do you look for? Is the important fact that with a wide necked guitar the fingers part of your hand would come in at a lowish angle so you would necessarily muffle the next strings down, or that with a narrow necked guitar your fingers would naturally come down straighter on the strings, but there is less room for when the fingers do hit and that muffles the strings? Which is better?

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 14 May 01 - 06:05 PM

Peter, that is the point I was making in my first post.

Stubby fingers will tend to come in to land at a lower angle than long fingers, therefore they need more room between the strings to avoid fouling adjacent strings.

Ergo, a wider neck is actually better for stubby fingers.

Murray

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 May 01 - 06:10 PM

Peter, I wouldn't begin to answer your question from the standpoint of our better pickers around here who are far more qualified as teachers and players than I am.....but I will make two comments.

1.....I have short, stubby fingers and I find it's all in the way your wrist works and simply becoming used to attacking the string with your finger straighter down and more centered than others get by with.

2......When you say "short and stubby" I always think of Roy Clark......and he seems to get around the neck on a lot of instruments from wide necked to thin without any trouble.........except he should be shot for that sorry-ass piece of merchandizing/hucksterism he's currently doing with the "Roy Clark Guitar."

Spaw

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Mooh
Date: 14 May 01 - 06:36 PM

Except that it's likely to be taken seriously, I wonder if that Roy Clark Guitar ad was his way of poking fun at the industry. Somehow I can imagine him sitting around with a bunch of cronies laughing their asses off at that ad. It's such an obvious piece of shit that it's a wonder the ad was done for any other reason. Surely they're not paying him THAT much!

One heck of a picker though, ain't he?

Peace. Mooh.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 14 May 01 - 07:00 PM

It's all in the "arc" of the way the finger comes down and frets the note, along with the position of the palm as it relates to the neck. You strive to fret the string as close to the bottom of the fret as possible, not in the middle or near the top of the fret. You strive to attain callouses that are only on the very tips of your fingers, not the entire fingertip. Keep the nails of the fretting hand trimmed just above the quick, so that nail growth doesn't impede the ability of that tipped of calloused skin to make full contact against the strings. If your callouses are developed enough, switch to medium gage strings for a few weeks, and the, go back to lights.

I say again, DEPENDING ON THE STYLE OF MUSIC YOU WANT TO PLAY, should determine the neck width (and the string spacing) of the guitar. Certain things will be easier to finger with a narrow neck, and certain things will be easier with a wide neck.

If all you want to do is strum the chords to "Coom-by-yah" it doesn't really matter one whit what you use, as long as it gives you pleasure. :-)

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 14 May 01 - 07:02 PM

(spell checked version.)

It's all in the "arc" of the way the finger comes down and frets the note, along with the position of the palm as it relates to the neck. You strive to fret the string as close to the bottom of the fret as possible, not in the middle or near the top of the fret. You strive to attain callouses that are only on the very tips of your fingers, not the entire fingertip. Keep the nails of the fretting hand trimmed just above the quick, so that nail growth doesn't impede the ability of that tip of calloused skin to make full contact against the strings. If your callouses aren't developed enough, switch to medium gage strings for a few weeks, and the, go back to lights.

I say again, DEPENDING ON THE STYLE OF MUSIC YOU WANT TO PLAY, should determine the neck width (and the string spacing) of the guitar. Certain things will be easier to finger with a narrow neck, and certain things will be easier with a wide neck.

If all you want to do is strum the chords to "Coom-by-yah" it doesn't really matter one whit what you use,
as long as it gives you pleasure. :-)

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,shannon
Date: 01 Jan 05 - 09:28 PM

hey guys
all of your information has been helpful but really hasnt answered my specific question.

i have hand that are stubby, short,(fat)you could say, and my hand and wrists are not that flexible.

i have a guitar and i've tried really hard to play and to in particular play chords and i've found it extremely hard to play them. i always seem to not be able to reach the correct finger placement. like i cant get 1 finger here and one there. and also whenever i do try the chords or just in general to play 1 note i seem to always no matter how angled i put my fingers always seems to hit the note next to it and muffle that string.

soo if any of you can help me find the right type or size of guitar i would be really happy.

thanks
shannon

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Kaleea
Date: 02 Jan 05 - 01:11 AM

Hmmm. Short does not equal wide aka "stubby." I am 5 feet tall, have played guitar for over 35 years, have very short fingers, and cannot play a wide necked guitar. As my fingers are not wide, they do not require lots of room between strings. In fact, the best neck for me tends to be a narrow, thin neck such as an "electric" neck. Since I don't have any acoustic guitar with such a neck, I continue to play my old 1964 Gibson J-45 which has a neck about 1/4 inch LESS wide than the current Gibson necks.
Oh, yes, and I am a fingerpicker, and I strum chords as well, and I play bar chords, . . .

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 02 Jan 05 - 10:58 AM

Most persons with short fingers are children, and to make it easy for them there are string instruments just three quarters of the standard size. So we have 3/4 violins, and my daughter learned on my old 3/4 guitar, too. The sound, naturally, is not as strong as the one of a standard instrument. So you should look for a guitar with a stndard sized corpus and a neck 3/4 broad (but as long as the standard model). There must be some builders be found.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,Vin
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 12:12 PM

On May 14, Justa Picker wrote relative to short fingers, mine are short but my finger thickness is small to average. Justa Picker wrote the following as part of his answer:


"I say again, DEPENDING ON THE STYLE OF MUSIC YOU WANT TO PLAY, should determine the neck width (and the string spacing) of the guitar. Certain things will be easier to finger with a narrow neck, and certain things will be easier with a wide neck."

Justa Picker, what I am going for is picking ot notes such as a lead guitar. What would you recommend in the form of a neck and overall manufacturer. I dont want to spend a lot of money and only want to buy the guitar without amp until I see if I can progress. I want to start on one electric guitar.

You [or anyone] can write me direct at [e-mail]
Vin

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,johnp
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 02:09 PM

have a look at blueridge guitars nice necks not too deep and very reasonable prices

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: MikeL2
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 03:04 PM

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,shannon - PM
Date: 01 Jan 05 - 09:28 PM

Hi Shannon

From your message I don't know how long you have been playing.

To play the guitar well depends far more on practice than on what kind of neck you have on your guitar.

Of course people do have preferences based on experience. But in the end you can't expect to play well without putting in the practice.

Indeed I have small fat hands and short fat fingers. I have played several different types of guitars with different necks without any problems once I had learned to play.

You need patience and practice and you will develop and learn to play whatever instrument you have.

A good teacher will be able to put you on the right track and will be able to show you how to practice.........note I said practice not play.

Someone once said that the guitar is the easiest instrument to play badly and the most difficult to play well....how true !!!

Happy playing

cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: meself
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 03:09 PM

"From your message I don't know how long you have been playing."

Presumably, five years longer than she had when she posted that message!

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 04:21 PM

Off the top of my head, I would imagine that the shorter one's fingers, the more one would benefit from using "classical" left-hand technique ~ that is, to keep the thumb centered on the back of the neck, thereby extending the fingers around and over the top of the fingerboard as far as possible.

This eliminates fretting the bottom strings with the thumb, of course, which is a fairly common folk/blues technique which is completely unknown and "verboten" ~ and considereed entirely unneccesary ~ in the classical-guitar world. The trade-off is that the fingers are not only given the maximum possible reach, they also come down onto the fingerboard at the best possible angle, straight down from directly above.

Our buddy Little Hawk started a thread last week or so on this topic ~ he's re-teaching himself to play with this refined technique. As for myself, I play the "wrong" way and, since it's not a problem for me, do not intend to reform at this time. But for someone concerned about the length of his/her fingers, it's probably worth consideration.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Genie
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 08:48 PM

The Martin 00018 has a pretty narrow neck and I find it easy to play, despite having very small hands.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Don Firth
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 10:44 PM

I've posted this on other threads on similar subjects, but being a confirmed and ordained smart-ass, I can't restrain myself from posting it again here. The guitar in question, incidentally, is a full size classic (2" fingerboard).

CLICKY.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Gillie
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 06:25 AM

I learned to play full size classical guitar when I was 13. I have very small hands still to this day. I like the baby tailor as a festival guitar, though you may have a problem if your fingers are stubby. It throughs out a lot of sound, nad is little and easy to carry. For folk clubs I use a 3/4 palour size Cort. My fingers are not as flexible as they used to be but I know my limitations and and am able to play quite confidentaly.

Good luck with your search.

Gillie

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: mrmoe
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 08:54 AM

Yes.....I can recommend a guitar!....I have a '64 Epiphone Eldorado - a dreadnaught that has the thinnest neck of any guitar I've ever played.....it's in great condition and in your friend's range......

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,Guitar-Shop-Online
Date: 06 Mar 10 - 12:25 PM

I agree a V neck seems to help with small hands the V fits your palm
and the hand can wrap around the neck better

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 06 Mar 10 - 12:36 PM

What about a Gibson Less Paul?

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,funkymadge521988
Date: 11 Jun 10 - 05:39 AM

I play the piano and I must say that I do face difficulties in playing the whole notes.lol.But still,i play it well.Its amazing for someone who has short fingers to be able to play the piano well.So,i think that those with short fingers can also play the guitar.I did try playing the guitar and it really hurt my wrist and fingers.lol. However,practices make perfect=)
Good luck to all.You can do it!=)

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: theleveller
Date: 11 Jun 10 - 06:04 AM

I went to a concert with Hank Wangford and Reg Meuross a while ago and Hank was playing a baritone ukelele as he'd had to give up the guitar after an operation on his hand. It's tuned like the top 4 strings of a guitar and it sounded great. Might be worth considering.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Tangledwood
Date: 11 Jun 10 - 11:02 PM

I agree a V neck seems to help with small hands the V fits your palm and the hand can wrap around the neck better

The way I was taught to play the point of the V sits on the ball of the thumb. Or perhaps more correctly, the ball of the thumb is touching the V, as it's not there to support the neck.
I suspect that the idea of wrapping your hand around the neck is often the main source of the problem for those that say their fingers are too short.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,marc
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 02:49 PM

My problem w/ short fingers is inadvertently pulling notes sharp. I've played for a long time and can get to a lot of notes and chords cleanly, but my playing sounds pretty crappy on anything other than washboard-type rhythm guitar; I was typically the singer/rhythm-guitarist so it never bothered me that much.

My voice now sounds ridiculous and ancient so I've tried for the last 6 months to take my guitar-playing to a non-embarassing level. I remember long ago my first and only guitar teacher, who was classically trained, pulling my hand so far around the neck that my fingers were nearly vertical. By then I could strum and sing "Nowhere Man" so I blew it all off.

I recently got one of those tuners that are like dials, and it's remarkable how much sharper (higher) my normally fingered notes are than when playing slide (poorly) or just holding my left hand hovering over the neck and pushing directly down with the very tips of my unbent fingers. Now it's impossible to play anything- I just poke out "nice-sounding" single notes. Barre chords sound a little better than open ones, but the notes that I bar with my index finger are still sharp. I've tried tuning to compensate, but it's so irregular it just makes it worse. When I hold my hand in "classical"position now, my wrist and fingers get numb and spastic.

I was starting to really enjoy playing and making some stylistic progress when I realized how objectively bad it sounded. Any advice?

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: The Sandman
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 04:48 PM

try dgdgbd, or dadf#ad

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Tootler
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 04:54 PM

Try the ukulele.

I never really got away with guitar, but I have recently picked up the ukulele and am making progress and having fun.

As suggested above, Baritone uke is tuned like the top four strings of a guitar so guitarists should find it an easy transition. Alternatively go the whole way and go for one of the smaller ukuleles with the standard re-entrant tuning which gives them something of their character. Soprano, Concert and Tenor ukuleles are all tuned the same: GCEA but the G is tuned an octave higher - just a tone below the A string. I have small hands and have a concert uke and find it comfortable to play and it has its own character which is different from the guitar. I started with the a cheap soprano uke, but have upgraded to a better quality concert uke which I find more comfortable to play. Some suggest Tenor uke makes a good starter for a guitarist as the size is closer to what you are used to.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Sep 11 - 11:48 PM

It sounds like you are bending strings sideways, but it may be that you are pulling them sharp by excessive pressure on the strings. Either will be aggravated by using strings that are too light or by a guitar that is set up too high, and if you are playing slide on the same guitar I suspect an action that is excessively high - on which light strings will be a temptation because otherwise fretting strings will be hard work.

Get your guitar set up by someone who really knows what they are doing (or buy another - any excuse is good, right? - and keep one for slide and get one well set up.

You could try out some guitars with narrower necks in the process and see if it helps.

open tunings are very sensitive to pulling one or two strings sharp and creating dissonance, so although the one or two finger chords may make a life with short fingers easier (if you can live with the key restrictions unless you capo) I am tempted to think they do not help solve your particular problem, although they can sound very good - if the sound fits what you play.

Are you making your life harder by slinging the guitar too low? If you really have to crank your wrist round to access the fingerboard that may be part of the problem.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 12:21 AM

Used Larrivee, older Martins, 60's-70's Yamaha.
Late 40's early 50's Epiphone.

GfS

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 03:46 AM

Not so sure about the early Yamahas. My FG360 does not have a very wide neck but the neck has a big round profile which might be a hindrance in this case.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 04:11 AM

Interesting. I think you have mentioned slide and Nowhere Man.

As a guitar teacher of some experience - although I've retired now - I'd say I would need to meet you to advise fully.

But start with defining what it is you want to achieve primarily and in the first instance. Choose your task and set of problems and then set about licking them. Then you're on your way to choosing the right guitar for you.

It maybe that you need another guitar for slide and open tunings. Good slide players can play with their guitars set up anyhow - but that takes alot of technique and confidence. Many of us settle for having a second guitar set up to facilitate different styles.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 07:59 AM

the uke is a good idea

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 11:32 AM

Perhaps teh gentleman would prefer a musical instrument

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: GUEST,GUEST MArkyB
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 12:10 PM

Heyup Fella,
Some good advice above I would add that if you use a wide neck guitar you could struggle with barr chords unless you got manly wrists (unlike my wee gurly ones) so go for a thinner neck,but that said,tell your friend to try out as many guitars as you can,he ( or she)~ will know what is right for them.
Sometimes it just feels right !
Good luck.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 12:13 PM

jazz guitar requires a narrower neck since it relies on fast chord changes.
There are so many electrics to choose from, surely one works for short fingers.

Acoustic guitars present a different problem. You don't need a lot of chord shapes but the coordination of right and left hand for picking is important.

The classical guitar approach can work for basic accompaniments to many folk songs such as Dyer-Bennet and his Ray de la Torre (teacher guitarist) approach but is limited to a classical genre re interpreting folk songs. (John Henry by Dyer-Bennet is a case in point).

I found the Martin 0021 to be a compromise between the neck sizes but some work has to be done on slimming the back of the neck down without compromising the integrity of the neck. John Carruthers, (L.A. luthier) did this for me effectively and I haven't changed anything much since he set up the action on the guitar and shaved the back of the neck down.

The width of the neck from fingerboard to back of the neck is important here.

Subject: RE: Guitars for short fingers?
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 12:15 PM

i didnt say what the uke was a good idea for