Short stubby fingers = what guitar ?

timmysoft

I’ve got tiny hands, don’t look for shortcuts because the hardest route now will be the most rewarding one a year down the line 

guitars4you

I dare say that as you are learning that your fingers just don't go where they should go quicker enough - Almost like playing guitar wearing boxing gloves - Work at it is the obvious answer - I recall struggling to play an F chord across the top 4 strings - just wouldn't happen, then one day, for some reason it worked and sounded okay and never looked back

40 years later it is still easy to finding something that doesn't flow or gel - work out at, break it down into smaller segments and chances are it will work out ok

Many with big hands can blame the neck and vice versa - Hendrix had big hands on a Strat neck, which is smaller than a Gibson neck, but coped fine

There are styles and passages of music which will always be a challenge if you hand won't allow - Alan Holdsworth had long fingers and pulled of big chord stretches, so don't go there with small hands, but you can still accomplish something similar regarding that chord with a different voicing - so no need to directly replicate

As for a beginner - keep it simple, work at it, and one morning it will be fine - The only problem is the next challenge and I've found new challenges for years and I've never stopped finding songs and guitars with the wrong notes in/on them

Phil_aka_Pip

Andres Segovia had pork sausages for fingers and he did OK even up the dusty end of his spanish guitar. The others are right, practice plus subtle hand & finger adjustments to suit your own physique as it meets up with the instrument will get you sorted. Don't worry if you don't see instant results, and when you do see a result don't expect the next result too soon - we often achieve a step up then find we're on a long plateau before achieving the next step. All the best

Teetonetal

I also play the a chord with 1 finger (doesn't matter which) barred across the 3 strings. I can do it with 3 fingers but it's uncomfortable.

The nice thing about guitar is you can normally find away around such problems.

ChuckManual

Don't let short fingers get you down. Martin Taylor has the smallest hands of any adult human I've ever met - and he's an absolute demon guitarist.

boogieman

If you can’t play a three finger A at the moment then like the others have mentioned, use two fingers for now.. that’s the “power chord” way of doing it that a lot of rock musicians use. It’s probably more to do with your hand position than anything else though, you’ll probably find you just need to get your hand rolled further round the neck with your fingers arched up, so you can get all three fingertips on the open A position.

To be honest, if you’re really struggling (and you can afford it) then go and have at least a few lessons with a tutor. You’ll learn a hell of a lot. It’ll also stop you having to unlearn any bad playing habits later on. 

proggy

I play the open A chord with just one finger (2nd) barred across the strings, I don't have to but just find it easier.

Just keep playing about and you'll find what works for you - it might take some time but you'll get there. Keep at it.

proggy

I've just noticed my frets: 1066. The Battle of Hastings.

SteveRobinson

1067 now. Construction begins on the Tower of London

streethawk

Guitar is so hard to learn. Hurts your fingers and you feel like you have to be a contortionist  when you start out.

If you get bored, learn some simple power chords, then get back to the tricky stuff.

  

proggy

SteveRobinson said:

1067 now. Construction begins on the Tower of London

Excellent, I'll order the bricks.

digitalscream

Every guitarist alive struggled with the three-finger-open-A-chord right at the beginning. Some people don't have the required finger dexterity until they've been playing for a year or more...so don't sweat it. Just concentrate on other stuff, and then one day you'll try it and it'll work.

The real problem, with a Les Paul-style guitar, is actually going to be at the other end of the neck - playing properly up at the dusty end when you've got short stumpy digits is hard enough as it is (I'm in a similar position), but combined with the massive lump of wood that joins the neck and body on a Les Paul it becomes a near-impossibility without moving your palm half way around the neck (I have similar problems with standard Strats).

It's this which actually prompted me to get my Washburn N4, which has practically nothing in the way:



There are other ways to solve the problem (and on much less expensive guitars), but...well, welcome to the world of always wanting something a bit better

That's not something you'll likely have to worry about for a couple of years yet, mind. Best get saving now...

rlw

Practice.  I can do things now I could only dream about a few years ago. It’s very boring but very true.

Bridgehouse

I don't have big long fingers and when I started back on bass it felt like there was a football pitch between the nut and the first fret.

Over time it gets much easier and much more natural. 

Guitar frets are comedy close together now..

WezV

Jonathangus said:

modellista said:

About the A chord - depends how you are playing it. Try using your pinky on the B and the other two next to it. Failing that, barre it and forget about the top E!

I remember some quote from a famous piano player with small hands. Audience member: "How do you play so well with such small hands?" Pianist: "What makes you think my playing has anything to do with my hands?"

Clearly there may be some limitations due to physical attributes, but with practise to work around them they should become a non-issue. That can take some time however. Years, possibly. But when you've cracked the xx7652 from the intro to Mr Sandman it will be all worth it!

Same here - if I want the top E to sound, I'll play A major with fingers 2-3-4.  This also means that if you want move to, say, E major, C major or A minor, your first finger is already in the vicinity of the first fret (in fact, you can leave it anchored there, behind the others).  Or you can slide 2-3-4 up a couple of frets to B major, and your first finger is free to fret the 2nd fret, A string.

I think Justin Sandercoe shows another method, though - with fingers 2-1-3.

Justin’s method works really well for moving between chords too.



if you think your hands are too stumpy, go watch some uke or mandolin videos and see what ordinary people manage on tiny necks

jellybelly

I’ve got fairly small hands and find standard 25.5 scale Fenders much easier to play than anything else. Going from a dodgy LP copy to a USA Strat when I was 16 gave a massive boost to my playing at the time. 

Jonathangus

jellybelly said:

I’ve got fairly small hands and find standard 25.5 scale Fenders much easier to play than anything else. Going from a dodgy LP copy to a USA Strat when I was 16 gave a massive boost to my playing at the time. 

That could simply be moving to a better-made, better-set-up guitar, though.

But back to the OP's original post: @baldy ; - you mention that you've set up the guitar, but how's the nut height?  If it's way high, it'll make those open position chords especially more difficult.  Action, relief and intonation are fairly easy for an amateur to adjust - and easy to reverse if you go too far - but cutting the nut slots to the right depth is a job best left to a professional tech with the right tools.

Also, you've mentioned that you're following an online tutorial - if it's not Justin Guitar, it probably should be.

pintspiller

I used to think my fingers were short, but I manage ok

p90fool

pintspiller said:

I used to think my fingers were short, but I manage ok

That's the lamest punchline ever. 
 

thumpingrug

Its just down to practice practice and more practice.  Few of us are gifted with freakish spider fingers but we get to a point where playing becomes more straightforward.   I cant do the 3 finger open A chord, preferring to barr it, during  quick transition.  Stick with the practice and one day it will fall into place.