Do You Really Need Long Fingers to Be a Good Guitarist?

[Ellen Hansley]

I can’t say if I have small fingers or not. But the length of my fingers never has been a problem for me. Well, long fingers can definitely give you an advantage, as reaching frets can be much easier. 

 

However, it does not mean that people with short fingers cannot be good guitarists. I mean, there are many famous guitarists who have small fingers, such as the rock legend Angus young! But I have seen some so-called “guitar teachers” claiming that people with short fingers cannot compete with guitarists with long fingers. I don’t believe that even a bit. Still, I want to know your opinion on this and understand what the majority of people think about this.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I sometimes wish I had a longer reach for some things- prompting me to want an 8-String guitar with one added high string, and one added low, for added range across the fretboard- but it's absurd to claim that "people with short fingers cannot compete with guitarists with long fingers". I'd say that Jeff Beck had rather average sized fingers and hands, and he's the Bruce Lee of lead guitarists- any long-fingered blowhard would have made a poor showing had they tried to compete with him...

My finners:

[Scott Fraser]

Making music isn't a competition.

[Winston Psmith]

Excuse me a moment while I bang my head against my Music desk. There, much better, thank you . . .

 

Forgive me if I'm about to go over things you already  know, or have researched on your own: I just want to offer a through response, including information that any teacher, or knowledgeable sales person, should go over with you.

 

My first piece of advice would be NOT to sign up with any teacher who tries to limit or diminish your potential before you even start out. If you already have an Instrument, the first thing your teacher should do would be to look over the Instrument with you, to see if it's suitable. If you don't have an Instrument, they should help you find one that does suit you. I've seen young children, with very small hands and small fingers, who managed to find their way around a Guitar neck.

 

My second piece of advice: There is NO One-Size-Fits-All Guitar, anymore than there is one size, shape, or style of Guitarist. Sure, players with really long fingers, like a Jimi Hendrix or an Adrian Belew, have some advantage in reaching for extended intervals, or chord forms, but the Guitar wasn't designed just for Jimi or Adrian. For a player with small hands, there are a few things to consider.

 

I recommend that you never buy any Guitar you haven't held in your hands first. The body size and style, or in the case of a soldibody Electric, the shape, all make a difference in how easy or comfortable the Guitar is to hold, and to play. (Watch someone try to play a Flying V while sitting down.) You want a Guitar that feels good when you hold it, one where you can comfortably reach around the body, and all up and down the fretboard. On any Guitar with Electronics, you want the knobs, switches, or sliders out of your way when you play, but accessible when you want to change settings.

 

Next, and more crucial, are the neck dimensions, and scale length.

 

Scale Length refers to the distance between the Nut and the Bridge. For example, Gibson Guitar have a 24.75-inch Scale Length, while Fender Guitars have a 25.5-inch scale length. This means that the string tension on a Fender Guitar is slightly higher than on a Gibson Guitar, so you need somewhat more pressure to fret notes or chords. It also means that some chord forms will require more of a stretch on a Fender neck than a Gibson neck.

 

Nut width and Neck Radius combine to give you a sense of how wide and flat the fretboard will be. Nut Width essentially = Neck Width.

 

Neck Radius refers to the dimensions of a hypothetical circle, represented by curvature of the fretboard. Classical and Nylon-string guitars have no Neck Radius; their necks tend to be somewhat wider than Steel-string necks, as well.

 

One recommendation for a solid body Electric for a player with small hands, would be the current model Fender Mustang, with a 9.5-inch neck radius and a 24-inch scale length. For an Acoustic, look into some of the Parlor Guitars. And finally, find a teacher who encourages you. An unsupportive or unenthusiastic teacher can be more discouraging than a poorly-made Instrument.

 

[Sharkman]

Django Reinhardt played with only two fingers on his fretting hand, and he wasn't all that bad.

[surfergirl]

I have long fingers(my basketball coach said I Kareem fingers), but I don't think that it matters. 

My Deluxe Player has a 12" radius neck, which is odd for a Fender. I didn't think about that when I got, I just liked the looks(I was 12). Now I'm glad I did get it, I absolutely love the neck over the 9.5" on most Fenders.

Also my basketball career was short lived, I guess having long fingers doesn't necessarily make you any good. Same for guitar, short fingers doesn't mean you can't play and long fingers doesn't necessarily mean you can. 

Just find a guitar that fits you and have fun.

[Larryz]

There are great guitarists with long fingers and great guitarists with short fingers.  There are guitars that are not set up correctly, have long or short scale lengths, fretboards are too wide or too narrow, neck width is too thick or too thin, and the list goes on.  Pick [pun intended] a guitar that feels right and plays easily in your hands, and you will be well ahead of the game IMHO.  +1 SurferGirl, "just find a guitar that fits you and have fun!"  😎

[desertbluesman]

Quote

Do You Really Need Long Fingers to Be a Good Guitarist?

I can answer that in two words. Django Reinhardt.

[Bluesape]

I've seen vids of Buckethead, who is 6'8" or so, and it seems he can solo across 7 frets, maybe even 8 or 9 at the upper end of the neck. Steve Vai seems to have very long fingers as well, so there may be some credence to that statement, although it shouldn't rule out everyone else. Angus, Frampton, Randy Rhodes and Leona Boyd are small of stature and awesome players.

[o0Ampy0o]

20 hours ago, Scott Fraser said:

Making music isn't a competition.

 

Making music most certainly can be a competition. Aside from literal contests it is a matter of whatever floats your boat. Brian Wilson has acknowledged penning some of his greatest music with the mindset of competing with The Beatles. The Number 1 Hit topping the charts most definitely is merited, motivating, desired, a status symbol and monetarily rewarding. It is also seen as a stepping stone to other opportunities.

 

People on forums love The Great Wise Statement. There is always that person in the Oprah / Phil Donahue audience making the poignant comment just before a commercial (so integral to the format that it is planted) but you missed the point entirely as did the people giving you a Thumb Up.

 

Just because the word "competition" was used does not imply the definition as in race to the finish line first. "Compete" was the word used not "competition." The word in the context presented addressed advantages vs. disadvantages. It means something different when used in the context of the idiom: "one cannot compete with the other."

 

com·pete| kəmˈpēt | verb [no object] strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same: universities are competing for applicants | he competed with a number of other candidates. • take part in a contest: he competed in numerous track meets as a child. ORIGIN early 17th century: from Latin competere, in its late sense ‘strive or contend for (something)’, from com- ‘together’ + petere ‘aim at, seek’.

 

com·pe·ti·tion| ˌkämpəˈtiSH(ə)n | noun the activity or condition of competing: there is fierce competition between banks | at this conservatory, competition for admissions is stiff. • an event or contest in which people compete: a beauty competition. • [in singular] the person or people with whom one is competing, especially in a commercial or sporting arena; the opposition: I walked around to check out the competition. • Ecology interaction between organisms, populations, or species, in which birth, growth and death depend on gaining a share of a limited environmental resource: competition with ungulates or condylarths appears to have been the undoing of marsupials in North America.

 

One cannot compete with the other: is used to say that one person or thing is advantageous or better than another

 

 

Obviously or not, long fingers are advantageous over short stubby fingers on a fret board however there are other things to factor into the equation. In terms of physicality alone dexterity, agility, flexibility can get you a long way when your fingers are short. Just because your fingers are longer does not mean you will inevitably be better as a guitarist than everyone with short fingers.

 

There are other elements to factor in such as state of mind, focus, clarity of purpose, knowledge, exposure to the best approaches and exercises. practice, familiarity, creativity and inspiration.

[o0Ampy0o]

1 hour ago, Bluesape said:

I've seen vids of Buckethead, who is 6'8" or so, and it seems he can solo across 7 frets, maybe even 8 or 9 at the upper end of the neck. Steve Vai seems to have very long fingers as well, so there may be some credence to that statement, although it shouldn't rule out everyone else. Angus, Frampton, Randy Rhodes and Leona Boyd are small of stature and awesome players.

 

WOW someone in 2023 mentioned Peter Frampton's awesome guitar playing. There was a time....

 

It pays to know yourself and your perceived image when your career depends on it. Peter may be known for the greatest selling live album but he is also an example of how one can destroy their success when they do not know what made them a success. If you do not know what people see in you (real or imagined) you are doomed to pure luck  because one day you may do something that is unacceptable and you will be rejected for not being who people expected you to be.

 

Doesn't mean some people cannot keep up a facade however those who live feeling they must be true to their soul can only hope things align because the chances increase that you will deviate from your public persona and disappoint those who admired you. One of the worst things is not living up to the idea followers have of you. They will turn from loving to hating you with a vengeance.

[KuruPrionz]

I'm 6'2" and have large hands. I have a different perspective. Long ago I was in a band with a small woman. She was a great singer and bassist and she played a Fender P-Bass, full sized. She moved her hand instead of me moving my fingers. It's different but she was fantastic at playing great bass lines and singing at the same time, a rare talent indeed. 

Anyway, the variety and diversity and differences of humankind in general cannot be accurately parsed in definite terms regarding dimensions, etc. 

 

Crazy monkeys is what...

[CEB]

Yeah. I have big hands. Not sure if it helps much with guitar.  I’ve seen people with little hands out play me.  I don’t think hand size is  as huge a deal with guitar as it is piano.   Even on piano I’ve been outplayed by people with small hands. 

[CEB]

 

[Bluesape]

Dunno how my post prompted denigration of any specific artist. I forgot to mention Prince, who may be the greatest undersized player of all time.

[Caevan O’Shite]

1 hour ago, Bluesape said:

I forgot to mention Prince, who may be the greatest undersized player of all time.

Indeed!

[KuruPrionz]

Watch Jeff Healey blaze away while fretting many, many notes with his thumb. 

It's impossible to make logical assumptions regarding musicians playing instruments.

 

 

[hurricane hugo]

On 2/24/2023 at 2:36 AM, Ellen Hansley said:

I can’t say if I have small fingers or not. But the length of my fingers never has been a problem for me. Well, long fingers can definitely give you an advantage, as reaching frets can be much easier. 

 

However, it does not mean that people with short fingers cannot be good guitarists. I mean, there are many famous guitarists who have small fingers, such as the rock legend Angus young! But I have seen some so-called “guitar teachers” claiming that people with short fingers cannot compete with guitarists with long fingers. I don’t believe that even a bit. Still, I want to know your opinion on this and understand what the majority of people think about this.

Jimmy Page has always complained about his left hand being too small to properly play bar chords, and it hasn't seemed to hurt his career too much.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[pinkfloydcramer]

I guess I'm like Jimmy, then..I have acquired a decent dreadnaught and find myself wishing bar chords were a little easier.  It may be best to go to the next smallest size. My hand size doesn't limit me much on keys, but I can't reliably stretch beyond a solid 9th interval. 

[KuruPrionz]

2 hours ago, pinkfloydcramer said:

I guess I'm like Jimmy, then..I have acquired a decent dreadnaught and find myself wishing bar chords were a little easier.  It may be best to go to the next smallest size. My hand size doesn't limit me much on keys, but I can't reliably stretch beyond a solid 9th interval. 

In general, I find most guitars have necks that are too slim. 

One of the reasons I gravitated to Rainsong guitars is that the width at the nut is 1 3/4" for the six string. I had a 1970 Martin D-35 and it was a great sounding guitar but the neck width was too slim. 

 

We are all different and there are lots of guitars. In my experience, quite a few Gibson guitars have slim necks, so much so that I just can't become comfortable playing them. 

Too bad, great guitars overall. 

 

I've built a couple of Fender style electric guitars (Strat and Tele) because I can get a Warmoth neck up to 1 7/8" wide and with a "fatback" profile. They screw right onto a Fender body, good to go. 

 

[Larryz]

@ Pinkfloydcramer, You might check into "short scale acoustic guitars".  Most standard acoustic guitars are 25"+ scale length and most short scale acoustic guitars are 24" +.  The shorter scale length guitar works great for those with smaller hands.  There is less tension on the strings with less finger stretching making barre chords, bends, etc., easier.  Not recommended for drop tuning due to less string tension.  They can affect tone but no more than other factors like woods, bracing, body design, etc.  Taylor, Martin, Yamaha and others make short scale and parlor guitars...good hunting! 😎

[picker]

I have long fingers, and I find my technique can get sloopy on thin necks. A chunkier neck forces my hand into a better position, and that really works for me.

Having said that, I have seen guitarists with shorter fingers that could eat my lunch any day. It's easier to do some things with long fingers, but not everything.

 

[Mark Schmieder]

Funny question from my point of view as I'm mostly a bassist and am Stanley Clarke's opposite: super-short, with almost invisibly short fingers!

[JovanyPetty]

While longer fingers may make certain stretches easier, it's not a dealbreaker for those with shorter fingers. It's all about technique, practice, and finding what works best for you. I've seen plenty of incredible guitarists with shorter fingers who can outplay those with longer ones any day.

[desertbluesman]

Practice makes a good guitarist. Simple as that. Lots of practice makes a great guitarist.

[KuruPrionz]

On 3/19/2023 at 7:17 PM, Mark Schmieder said:

Funny question from my point of view as I'm mostly a bassist and am Stanley Clarke's opposite: super-short, with almost invisibly short fingers!

I was in a band for a couple of years and the bassist had very small hands and fingers but she played a P-Bass as well as anybody I've ever heard and she could sing at the same time!

[Mark Schmieder]

Then there's Django, who didn't have a full set of them.

[KuruPrionz]

1 hour ago, Mark Schmieder said:

Then there's Django, who didn't have a full set of them.

Yep, and he was the most influential guitarist of his time, rightly so. 

I had an accident and messed up my little finger on my left hand but it didn't ruin my guitar playing. It did change it but I can still do most of the things I used to do, just in a different way. FWIW, I'm left handed and play right handed, go figure...

[BMD]

2 hours ago, Mark Schmieder said:

Then there's Django, who didn't have a full set of them.

 

A great inspiration to Tony Iommi, apparently

[RABid]

Years ago I came to the forums asking for advice. I wanted to learn bass but had a lot of trouble stretching notes on the bass I had purchased. It was a Fender with what some called a baseball bat neck. I was steered towards other Fenders along with Ibanez. Bought an Ibanez SR1400 and it was perfect. Later bought an Ibanez SR1406, same bass but 6 string. Nope. Too big. So for me it was “find my comfort zone and stick with it.” Learned my lesson and will not be trying 7 or 8 string guitars. I’ll stick with my Strat. While my short fingers may not compete with others with long fingers, let them try to compete with my sense of timing, and the nuance I have learned from playing other instruments.