Former Beatles bandmember Paul McCartney is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “most successful musician and composer in popular music history,” and now he finally has the Hollywood mark of success – a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
McCartney has had 32 number-one hits in the US, 24 in the UK, and was even named the Greatest Composer of the Millenium by BBC Online News readers. Let’s see today’s top artists rack up a list of accomplishments like that!
With the growing popularity of dance music on the charts these days, rock seems to have been pushed a bit to the side. The Grammy Awards will even be featuring a dance-focused segment this year, for the first time ever. But there’s nothing like the feeling of picking up a shiny new guitar and strumming your first chord. Rock music isn’t dead – we promise.
Yesterday we discussed some common beginner instruments for children, and guitar is definitely a popular choice. But one issue that young beginners and many adults run into is learning to play the guitar with small hands. If you’ve experienced the frustration of not quite reaching a certain finger placement, it doesn’t mean you need to give up your future star on the Walk of Fame. These tips for playing guitar with small hands should help:
Choose a Guitar with a Comfortable Neck
Every guitar is different. Some have broad necks, others have narrow necks. If you have small hands, a guitar with a narrow neck will make playing more natural and more enjoyable. Some guitars even come in 3/4- or short-scale models, making the instrument more compact and accessible to those with smaller hands.
Get Your Thumb in Position
Many players let the thumb of their fretting hand go lazy when playing chords or individual lines. Try positioning your thumb directly center under the fretboard and use it as a guide as you play.
Stretch Those Fingers
Even guitar players with large hands can benefit from “stretching out” and working on exercises to increase one’s span across the fretboard. Work on stretching your fingers by incorporating into your practice routine exercises that demand distance leaps. Start on the low E-string and play an F (first fret) with your index finger, then play a G# (fourth fret) with your ring or pinky finger – whatever works best – and follow this pattern across all six strings.
Don’t Fret over Barre Chords
Without question, the most difficult chords to play for folks with small hands are barre chords, where the index finger is required to fret sometimes all six guitar strings, acting as an anchor for the placement of other fingers to fill out the chord. If your hands are too small to span the entire fretboard, try using your thumb to hold down the low bass string to form a barre chord. To play an F-major chord this way, you’ll bring your hand around the neck, almost wrapping it. Then, get the fingers in position: Fret the high E- and B-strings (first fret) with your index finger; place your middle finger on the second fret of the G-string; your pinky on the third fret of the D-string; your ring finger on the third fret of the A-string; lastly, put your thumb on the first fret of the low E-string and strum.
Your guitar teacher is a great resource as well, and can help you determine the best exercises for you. (Need help finding a teacher nearby? Click here!) Like these posts? Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe.
[...] Blog « Clever Tricks for Guitarists with Small Hands [...]
[...] If you have smaller hands perhaps a smaller neck would work better for you (see also: Practice Tips: Exercises and Guitars for Small Hands). Keep in mind that you will be holding this instrument for hours and hours practicing each week. [...]