this is literally the exact thing i tried looking for videos for when i starting learning to play guitar. you don't know how much i appreciate this video. it came just at the right time. I'll definitely be trying these tips!
I have just bought a Squier Mini Strat 3/4 size guitar. I am 155cms tall with fairly small hands. I had a giant size grin in the store when I held the guitar. The shorter scale length, narrow neck & frets closer together is just bliss. You can imagine my excitement.....as I also have a full size classical dreadnaught guitar, which obviously also has a high action, being a classical. The latter has been stored in a hardcase for 50 years. I will never buy a full size guitar ever again. Bottom line.....hand size DOES matter. I LOVE my new Squier Mini Strat, which fits my body & hand size perfectly. PS I did watch your video before my purchase. Thank you for your sound advice. 🇿🇦🎸 Cape Town, South Africa.
@@for3v3rfaithfulYeah I believe what you are giving us but still no matter how small the notes still get muted so just living with the dilemma 😭💔 Gumby tiny Hands 🥹
This was encouraging, gave me hope. I'm a guy, but I also have smaller hands than even many of my female friends. I'm sure some of the 3-finger position maneuvering along the neck leaves me looking much like a kid trying to scale a toddler gate. This video gives me hope. ❤
Here’s the deal: It is WAY better to have big hands. However, many years ago, even though I knew that was true, I wanted to play so bad I decided to put in the work knowing I’d never be a great player because of my small hands. 30 years of playing down the road, with hundreds of gigs behind me, three studio recordings, radio appearances, etc., I still can’t really do a major form II barre chord on acoustic. But I’ve had a total blast doing what I could with what I was given.
It’s really hard to accept that we have such limits, but I guess reality is always there, thanks for sharing your experience man. I was feeling down because I finally decided to stop forcing me the thought that I could play as someone with big hands, which isn’t true, I’ll keep trying, I’ll try to cheat (like using other fingers) and so, but I won’t stress too much if I can’t play those specific chords
Thank you, my hand size has been one of my biggest insecurities, especially as an adult male, 31 years old, my hands are below average(though for my height maybe they are average idk) and for a long time thought it would make it impossible to learn. Got to the point where it hit me I gotta try anyway. I figured if there are 7 year olds playing I am just making excuses. I picked up cycling, but need some new hobbies. A couple hour bike ride is great but the couch is not a great place to be so often. So I finally reached out to a local shop to look for lessons (I know I can learn on TH-cam but I know myself and know I need someone to push and keep me accountable). Thank you again, you've helped make it feel possible
The only reason that motivated me to try to learn guitar was exactly that I saw that you, like me, have little hands, and I thought exactly that: if she can play, then I can play too 😄and so I did, I bought a beginners guitar that you advertised, and went from Beginners Tutorial 1-10, until I made it! 💪💪💪 thank you so much for your amazing tutorials. I shared your channel with so many friends already!
@AmandaSnoise to be honest, I never learned because I quit trying. I have no one to teach me and it was just too hard and didn't understand. I feel like the guitar is too large for my hands...even though the neck is still thin profile 😔
@@defaultdacat I encourage you to try again! I have a HUGE Spanish guitar from my brother, teeny weenie hands and am a beginner (maybe three weeks now). I have been practicing the changes slowly over and over without a pick so it's very quiet and I don't feel too self conscious. I'll make a post of my super newbie basic practice method and maybe it can help! Playing guitar is fun and soothing 😊
I've got tiny hands so I prefer D shapes. Many guitar videos do not mention this and even in the specs for guitars its not mentioned anymore, so this is a very informative video. If you lower the action on a travel guitar lighter strings might not be possible. Glad I found your channel I will look up your other videos. Thanks.
Thank you sooo much for this video, my finger measurements are the same as yours and so is my hand. I've struggled for years, I have arthritis in both hands plus I'm left handed, I have MS also so after a while I gave up on learning. I have a squire affinity strat guitar that's 25.5 scale length that I still can't play. In mid December I ordered an ESP LTD EC-256. It's scale length is 24.75 and the body is smaller so I'm determined to learn to play. I'm glad I ran across your channel!
Another thing they might want to try is moving to electric. I've always had trouble with most acoustics with my hands. A strat style guitar has a very small neck in comparison. Even my Les Paul style guitar is comfortable even though it's a little bigger. Overall, a well done video. Ty for what you do.
@impactQuake I know it can be difficult, but there are other ways to enjoy guitar if the 'conventional' ways are tough. I still have trouble with some chords like f and Barre chords. You could try alternative fingerings for each chord to get the same sound, or work on finger picking and solo stuff. I hope you find a way that can work for you. I've given up like 6 times, so I get it.
@@impactQuake I struggle with that as well. I usually do 0-1-2-3 and lift off to hit 4 with my pinky or jump 1 to 4 doing a blues riff. Lift off for all of them if you have to. Don't be afraid to break 'rules' and get creative. I'm just saying they're your fingers and your guitar. You can do it your way. Most chords are 1-3 frets and can be simplified. That covers a LOT of music. I wish you well. I can't force you to keep it up, since it's your decision. I know being at a disadvantage IS daunting, but it's worth it.
It blows my mind that there are actually so many shapes 😱, I bought a classical guitar and no one told me if it was a D-shape or a U-shape or anything else.🤦🏻♂️ However I tried it, but it's hard to know, unless you are very experimented, if you choose right. Your videos are so educational, Ellen 🥰
Thanks Alain! I agree - so many aspects of buying a guitar are totally overlooked by most beginners because how can you know what to look for if you've never been told about it? 🤔 I'm glad I could teach you something new, and thanks so much for watching! 🤗💕
OMG, thank yo so much Ellen❤ I’ve always struggled with different chords and thought it was just because I wasn’t practicing enough(I practiced a LOT) I will see to these tips, again thank you!!! You’re awesome😄😄
I hope they help!! 🤞🏼 Learning to play a little differently with smaller hands can take some getting used to but hopefully one of or some of these tips are useful! 🙌
This was very informative. I self taught guitar in the 60s when I was a teenager. I'm 74 now and am thinking of starting back up only this time getting some formal lessons. The info about the distance of the strings from the bed of the neck was a revelation! I had no idea that was even a thing. But you didn't explain HOW to change the distance or even if it CAN be changed. One other thing. You were basically speaking to inexperienced folks. You might have shown a pic of a capo and explained what it was. In general, it was a great video. Thank you for making it.
I got the measurements from a different guitar and estimated a smaller nut width and scale that would feel more comfortable. I ended up finding a Gretsch "Jim Dandy" (Mahogany), and I cannot tell you how wonderful and warm it sounds and how much more comfortable I am learning to play it
Ahh man, the thing is my dad brought me a guitar as a surprise gift because I always wanted one, but since we didn't know much about guitars, we weren't really sure what size to get. And honestly, we kinda broke, so it's hard to get another guitar. I think I'll just attempt to find a way to play on this big acoustic guitar haha.
I GET IT NOW. I borrowed a guitar from my uncle and its to wide for me. I am on vacation so i left my guitars at home alone. Thank you Allen we love you❤
@@for3v3rfaithful I just wanted to learn metallica nothing else matters (only the Intro tabs) 😔 but first i need to wait 4 days ⏰️ ... 🙁 I will let you know when i did it, its going to take a while... bye Allen 👋.
All solid tips. As someone with smaller hands (and being an older late beginner), implementing these tips will definitely help to optimize our abilities.
@@for3v3rfaithful thank you so much for the answer ❤️ I just started learning guitar and I feel my hands are so small tho it seems my hands are a bit bigger than yours. I'm 160cm woman 😆 I bought a dreadnought guitar and i hope I will get used to it with practice 😌
My wrist doesn't have 100% rotation following an accident and reconstruction a few years back, so I'm always interested in seeming alternate ways to get into position for some of the notes / chords. It has definitely made learning guitar challenging.
This is soo good and latter end of this video really target some Beginner questions I had. Thank you for this and your tips with encouragement for us short-handed folk! 😆
Hi Ellen! Thank you for these tips! I started teaching myself guitar 14 years ago, and your videos was helpful for me, but I don't watch them as much anymore. I also have small hands and short fingers. My hands and fingers are almost the same size as yours except my index finger is 2" instead of 2.5." I have two 3/4 guitars, one is a classical guitar with a wide fretboard, and the other is an acoustic with narrower fretboard, it it is much easier to use the acoustic. Funny thing is that piano is my main instrument I play, and someone shook my hand one time and said "you have tiny hands. You're not a pianist are you?" and I said "actually I am and I majored in music for college." It is difficult to play piano and guitar with small hands/fingers but it's possible!
Very nice. Really appreciate your video. I'm a 55 years old male who have started learning electric guitar for 4-5 years. I'm 167 cm in height but surprisingly all measurement from my hands are shorter than yours (except for the hand length which is slightly longer). Yes with hard practice I can play guitars (bar chords, some tough chords are not really problem but need to find my own way to do it) but with a number of limitations when coming to solos. I always have bad pain on my wrist and thumb (guess this is because I have to bend my wrist and position my thumb behind the neck most of the time otherwise my pinky won't even reach the 3rd string without muting the 1st and 2nd. On "A" power chord I can't mute the 1st string with the thumb. I normally sit with classical guitar posture instead of standard electric guitar posture. It is much more comfortable. Guess I have to look for a right guitar for my hands i.e. shorter scale length, thinner neck, narrow fret board. With very small hand and short fingers, one surely can play guitars but have to struggle a lot to be a good player. Keep going guys, you can do it.
There are many skilled children playing guitar on TH-cam. They have smaller hands than you. There shouldn't be any pain when playing, maybe put your guitar higher up or at an angle. Good luck!
Believe it or but for me and I am 70 years old as soon as bend my wrist to wrap around the guitar neck my fingers automatically come together and I can't get them to spread apart and I have tried positioning my arm my hand all in the right place and they still won't spread apart so I hold my hand straight out in front of me, then I spread my fingers as far apart from each other as I can I really force them to spread apart until it is almost painful and then I bend my wrist straight down and try and keep my fingers to stay spread apart from each other and I keep doing this but I don't know if this is going to work I hope so because I am getting really depressed about not been able to spread my fingers when I bend my wrist to wrap around the guitar neck.
I'm having such a hard freaking time with the B Minor Bar Chord, as a beginner and my hands are small. Feels like I'm never going to progress... I've been playing on a 38 inch guitar. I think I'ma have to get a 34 inch or something
Great video hi Ellen this is Ray I am 60 years old and learning to play guitar finally I do have small hands and my index finger is been broken for quite a long time and it's hard to bend but still muscling through can you recommend a guitar for small hands honey they can't even right now I'm practicing with a 1972 national EF 199 it's kind of big for me but I did get down horse with no name anyway any good recommendations thank you again great video
Interesting... thank you... I have just started learning and yes it is difficult to do even the beginner stuff. Mind you I am 82, but still have quite good hand dexterity. I do have a full size guitar (a Yamaha F310), but it has a very slim neck which helps. All I have to do now is attempt to play enough to toughen up my finger ends... I think your tips will help a lot... :-) x
Hi. Beginner player with small hands over here! this video is so helpful and I have been practicing daily. Do you have any guitar recommendations/link to small-hand friendly guitar? thank you so much!
Hi, I love you video, every informative. For you, spider, we do something similar with my guitar teacher, but I cannot for the life of me get all my fingers, 1 on each fret. My baby finger won't go. Do you have any suggestions or stretching exercises that might help. I've been playing about 5 months, but don't feel as though I'm getting any closer to hitting that last fret. Thank you.
Oh. My. God. Poetical the most important 12 minutes of my guitar playing career. I knew that dude at guitar center was full of shit when he said it didn't matter! I'm going shopping for a new guitar now!
I got hands the size of an 8 year old and I'm a 28 year old dude and my fingers are tiny so it's like not only am I like a burger King commercial, I also have a hard time playing the guitar.. I want to spider walk to stretch but my hands are too tiny to even reach the 4th fret area barely, I want to learn guitar so bad but idk if my hand size is going to make it extremely hard for me..Like most girls think they have tiny hands and then I put mine next to theirs and they're like "oh.." and I'm like yeah.. super tiny hands. :/
Hey Ellen! My fingers are almost 0.25 inches longer than yours. So, do you think I can go with auditorium sizes. You said in your video that don’t go above a concert size. I like Martin and Taylor guitars. So concert sizes in Taylor guitars are their x12ce. x14ce is their auditorium size. So, the scale length in x12ce is 24.84 inches and 25.5 inches in x14ce. The nut width is same in both at 1.75 inches. Martin 000-18/28 have same nutwidth but scale length of 24.9. So, do you think Martin 000 or Taylor x14ce will be okay for me? I will test them at the store before making final decisions though. I will appreciate if you could reply. Regards
I'd agree that the in-store test will tell you the most about which models you'll feel most comfortable with, but I do have a Martin 000-15 and it's one of my favorites to play on. 🤗 I've never had any issues with reach or playability on it, so I hope that helps. 👍 Good luck! 🎸
I never played guitar until today, because i really wanted to learn a song and it looked easy so i got my dad's guitar and started learning, until the tabs wanted me to have a finger on 2 another on 3 and the last on 5 and my fingers were just uncapable of doing it even though the guitar im using is 1/2 size i think, haha. The song I really want to learn is "He was a good stalker" i will try those finger exercises, thats might be what i need
Maybe this is a beginner thing but my fingers idk how y’all place them but when I try to move my fingers I still touch the other string which cancels the sounds and makes it sounds bad
So essentially, a classic guitar is probably out of the question for a person with shorter fingers. Speaking of the classics, a classical playing position calls for a neck to be raised rather high, so this rock concert style of playing around one's hips is not suitable for a classical guitar player, and it is probably for a good reason, too.
Amazing, it's so important for me to find information on technology/instruments from women of color! This was so fun to watch. I have played guitar for 17 years and my small hands have always hindered me from playing a lot of what I want. I mainly play progressive metal/metalcore type stuff so a lot of riffing and breakdowns. So with down tunings, I never have the privilege of being able to have a smaller guitar. I recently ordered a 7 string Ibanez multiscale guitar with a thin c neck. I'm not going to be discouraged, if anything it will push me to practice harder! I spent about 2 months strictly practicing on an acoustic to strengthen my fingers for the electric. Thanks for this video!!! I am now a subscriber!!
Thank you so much for subscribing and supporting my channel! 🥰 I'm really glad the info in this video was helpful and I'm sure after all your years of experience that you've developed your own tips on playing with small hands. 🤗 Congrats on your new guitar coming soon and I hope you enjoy playing on it! 🎸🎶
Thank so much for these tips! It was the perfect advice at a perfect time for me! My hands are only slightly bigger than yours although I'm a guy! And I just started recently to learn guitar. Tried a bit on dreadnought and really could tell it's not for me after trying some chords. Are you using a Parlor size acoustic your self? Seems like a nice size for my hands.
I'm so glad you found these tips helpful! 🙌 I have quite a few guitars I play and feature on my channel and they range between half size all the way to dreadnought. 🎸 One of my favorites is my Orchestra Model Martin because it's comfortable to play on but still sounds oh, so beautiful. 🥰 Thanks for watching!
Love how you teach. You’re the best teacher. I have a very small hands. Only 6” from the bottom of my palm to the tip of my middle finger. I’ll watch your other video on how to do with my thumb next. Thanks again for the encouragement.
In the last exercise Ellen gives, it's best to start on the 5th Fret first due to the first Fret being further apart (as she said). Practice to the highest E string. Then, back to the lowest E string. Then, after approximately a fortnight, once it starts feeling more comfortable, move up a Fret. I decided to create something extra & extended each practice by plucking with my right thumb on round one. Round 2 with i, m (striking twice on each note). Round 3 (striking 3 times on each note) with i, m. Round 4 with m, a (Striking 4 times on each note) & 5th note on a, m. Besides exercising your Right hand fingers as well, it holds your left hand fingers in position longer, extending the stretch. You don't have to start with all 5 rounds if it feels too much. You can build up to it. Remember, it's not speed we're focusing on here, but improving your strength and dexterity of your fingers. When you feel comfortable at the first Fret, then, if you want, you can start increasing your speed. Hope this helps! It's helped me! After practising this exercise for 4 weeks, I've just started on the 3rd fret. No. I'm not a professional, but I used to play Flamenco casually years ago & got back into it a few months ago. I don't remember my left hand or arm hurting as it is, but then I've been pretty determined to succeed. As with any muscles that you stretch on any part of the body, it will be a little sore in the beginning. One just stops when it gets too sore & start again the next day & the muscles get stronger. So, don't give up! Good luck, everyone & enjoy your progress!
I'm trying to look for my first guitar and having issue if I should just get a smaller guitar because I am short with small hands. But I also had no idea there was different shapes for chords
can you use your thumb over the low e string to do those hendrix chords? because I have been playing guitar for awhile and I can do a lot but cant use my thumb over the low e while hitting those chords.
I can use my thumb wrapped around to mute strings pretty easily but to have them sound out for Hendrix chords is a lot harder. 😕 Luckily that’s not really a style of guitar I like to play but I’d imagine for smaller hands with less reach, Hendrix chords might have to be modified from the way he plays them. 🥲
my fingers are like only few milimeters longer than yours, so still fairly small. No problem playing full sclae fender or classical guitar, it just requires good posture and good technique (thumb behind neck and between index and middle finger) neck elevated. I play either classical position or with electric i have strap that holds guitar in that same position. There is a reason for this classical position guys...scale length is not 650mm becasue all players had huge hands back then but because that is the length most healthy hands can handle with good technique and have good sound (atleast for classical)
OMG i hope i find the vid ealier. my hands are so smal that i'm always thinking about quit guitar cuz my teacher said i dont have the gift...but i never thought about choozing the right size which may fit me better😭thanks for your video and your voice is so sweet❤
we literally have the same exact hand size the only difference is that im a 5,8 male like what? But this does give me hope that i'll be able to play guitar in the future especially after struggling with an acoustic guitar.
Thank you so much. Male 16 yrld with very small hands. Was losing hope because every guitar i had was to big. I am learning about guitars so i didnt know there was different sizes for guitar. Thank you so much
Any tips on how to play chords like an F major, but with the b- and high e-strings left open and your thumb on the low e string? I find this almost impossible to do with my small fingers.
To be honest, I've tried these types of fretting positions before and it's also very hard for me to do. 🤷🏻♀️ My thumb is on the shorter side so although I can use it to mute the E string, it's pretty hard for me to press down enough to play a note with it. 🥲 This is why I tend to stick to barred positions as it's actually easier for me to do. Sorry I couldn't bring you better news! 🙈
@@for3v3rfaithful You mean you would barre such a chord? Wow... when I leave the B and high e-string open, that feels like my overstreched index finger would break off. :/ Well... let's forget about guitar then and play saxophone or something. I mean why is it you never hear a saxophone these days? Let's do that.
could you please tell me the model/specs of you guitar? or recommend some other specific guitar for veeeery small hands (17cm (6.68 inches) from wrist to tip of middle finger...)
My favorites I've personally played on are my Baby Taylor and my Enya Nova Go. 🙌 I'm at 15.5cm from wrist to tip of middle so they should feel comfortable for you as well. 👍 I have more info on both these guitars in the unboxing/first impressions/review videos on my channel and Enya also just came out with their newest model - the Nova Go MINI which is somehow even smaller and I'll be showing it in a tutorial soon if you're interested. 🎸 Otherwise, I'd say any half size or travel guitar would be a safe bet. (But if you can, try to visit a guitar shop and play on some in person) Hope that helps! 💕 th-cam.com/play/PLj0QZIx4bc7zx481PwIXWgZ9jOWNrnjW5.html
Great job and you present yourself very well. Being an adult, I don't care for the cartoon graphics but if it helps to get kids interested in playing, then it might be a good strategy. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your time you have given us small handy peeps, I want to learn when I was a young kid but always had trouble, I acquired a Hondo guitar recently & it has pushed me to learn, after listening/watching you I think my Hondo guitar is going to be to big for me
this is literally the exact thing i tried looking for videos for when i starting learning to play guitar. you don't know how much i appreciate this video. it came just at the right time. I'll definitely be trying these tips!
me toooooooooo oh goshhhh
I have just bought a Squier Mini Strat 3/4 size guitar. I am 155cms tall with fairly small hands. I had a giant size grin in the store when I held the guitar. The shorter scale length, narrow neck & frets closer together is just bliss. You can imagine my excitement.....as I also have a full size classical dreadnaught guitar, which obviously also has a high action, being a classical. The latter has been stored in a hardcase for 50 years. I will never buy a full size guitar ever again. Bottom line.....hand size DOES matter.
I LOVE my new Squier Mini Strat, which fits my body & hand size perfectly. PS I did watch your video before my purchase.
Thank you for your sound advice.
🇿🇦🎸 Cape Town, South Africa.
Thank you! A vid for small-handed guitarists *_actually made by_* someone with small hands!
I know the struggle 🥲 But hopefully this was encouraging you to continue on your guitar journey! 💪🏼🎸🎶 Thanks for watching! 💕
@@for3v3rfaithfulYeah I believe what you are giving us but still no matter how small the notes still get muted so just living with the dilemma 😭💔 Gumby tiny Hands 🥹
@@for3v3rfaithfulThey make long nails extensions for the finger why for playing 😭💔
It’s a miracle
This was encouraging, gave me hope. I'm a guy, but I also have smaller hands than even many of my female friends. I'm sure some of the 3-finger position maneuvering along the neck leaves me looking much like a kid trying to scale a toddler gate. This video gives me hope. ❤
Here’s the deal: It is WAY better to have big hands. However, many years ago, even though I knew that was true, I wanted to play so bad I decided to put in the work knowing I’d never be a great player because of my small hands. 30 years of playing down the road, with hundreds of gigs behind me, three studio recordings, radio appearances, etc., I still can’t really do a major form II barre chord on acoustic. But I’ve had a total blast doing what I could with what I was given.
It’s really hard to accept that we have such limits, but I guess reality is always there, thanks for sharing your experience man. I was feeling down because I finally decided to stop forcing me the thought that I could play as someone with big hands, which isn’t true, I’ll keep trying, I’ll try to cheat (like using other fingers) and so, but I won’t stress too much if I can’t play those specific chords
I absolutely love your enthusiasm and positive attitude. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for watching! 🤗
I've just ordered my travel guitar and I've come across this video when looking up how to play with small hands. GIRLLL I'm gonna need you! Thanks!
Haha well you've already done well by getting a travel size! 🙌 Thanks for watching! 💕
this is very encouraging! the finger exercise is helpful as well! thanks for your guidance!
That's good to know! Thanks so much for watching and I'm glad these tips could be helpful for you! 🤗
Thank you, my hand size has been one of my biggest insecurities, especially as an adult male, 31 years old, my hands are below average(though for my height maybe they are average idk) and for a long time thought it would make it impossible to learn. Got to the point where it hit me I gotta try anyway. I figured if there are 7 year olds playing I am just making excuses. I picked up cycling, but need some new hobbies. A couple hour bike ride is great but the couch is not a great place to be so often. So I finally reached out to a local shop to look for lessons (I know I can learn on TH-cam but I know myself and know I need someone to push and keep me accountable). Thank you again, you've helped make it feel possible
The only reason that motivated me to try to learn guitar was exactly that I saw that you, like me, have little hands, and I thought exactly that: if she can play, then I can play too 😄and so I did, I bought a beginners guitar that you advertised, and went from Beginners Tutorial 1-10, until I made it! 💪💪💪 thank you so much for your amazing tutorials. I shared your channel with so many friends already!
Starting on bass can also make your hands stretch more easily.
When she says "lower the action"....as a beginner, it sure would be nice to know what that means and how do it..
Not sure if you found out but it means the strings are lower to the frets so you don't have as far to press the strings til you hit the fret board.
@AmandaSnoise to be honest, I never learned because I quit trying. I have no one to teach me and it was just too hard and didn't understand. I feel like the guitar is too large for my hands...even though the neck is still thin profile 😔
@@defaultdacat I encourage you to try again! I have a HUGE Spanish guitar from my brother, teeny weenie hands and am a beginner (maybe three weeks now). I have been practicing the changes slowly over and over without a pick so it's very quiet and I don't feel too self conscious. I'll make a post of my super newbie basic practice method and maybe it can help! Playing guitar is fun and soothing 😊
I've got tiny hands so I prefer D shapes. Many guitar videos do not mention this and even in the specs for guitars its not mentioned anymore, so this is a very informative video. If you lower the action on a travel guitar lighter strings might not be possible. Glad I found your channel I will look up your other videos. Thanks.
love Orangewood Guitars
Thank youuuu! This is perfect for my 12 yo daughter, she's going to buy her first guitar and this is really helpful!
That's so exciting for her!! 🎉 I hope she loves it! 🎸💕 And thanks for watching 🤗
Thank you sooo much for this video, my finger measurements are the same as yours and so is my hand. I've struggled for years, I have arthritis in both hands plus I'm left handed, I have MS also so after a while I gave up on learning. I have a squire affinity strat guitar that's 25.5 scale length that I still can't play. In mid December I ordered an ESP LTD EC-256. It's scale length is 24.75 and the body is smaller so I'm determined to learn to play. I'm glad I ran across your channel!
Another thing they might want to try is moving to electric. I've always had trouble with most acoustics with my hands. A strat style guitar has a very small neck in comparison. Even my Les Paul style guitar is comfortable even though it's a little bigger. Overall, a well done video. Ty for what you do.
Try an Ovation guitar, electric style necks..
I have electric Ibanez with S shape body and wizard neck and my hand is still to small... I give up...
@impactQuake I know it can be difficult, but there are other ways to enjoy guitar if the 'conventional' ways are tough. I still have trouble with some chords like f and Barre chords. You could try alternative fingerings for each chord to get the same sound, or work on finger picking and solo stuff. I hope you find a way that can work for you. I've given up like 6 times, so I get it.
@@saikoteeki I can't even do 0-1-2-3-4 training without big pain because my pinky is not reaching and middle of my inner hand is bruised >.
@@impactQuake I struggle with that as well. I usually do 0-1-2-3 and lift off to hit 4 with my pinky or jump 1 to 4 doing a blues riff. Lift off for all of them if you have to. Don't be afraid to break 'rules' and get creative. I'm just saying they're your fingers and your guitar. You can do it your way. Most chords are 1-3 frets and can be simplified. That covers a LOT of music. I wish you well. I can't force you to keep it up, since it's your decision. I know being at a disadvantage IS daunting, but it's worth it.
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!! I NEEDED THIS!
Great video and the effort put into it is amazing. I have a 3/4 Ibanez Mikro with locking tuners and it's great. I can finally play barre chords.
Thank you
It blows my mind that there are actually so many shapes 😱, I bought a classical guitar and no one told me if it was a D-shape or a U-shape or anything else.🤦🏻♂️ However I tried it, but it's hard to know, unless you are very experimented, if you choose right. Your videos are so educational, Ellen 🥰
Thanks Alain! I agree - so many aspects of buying a guitar are totally overlooked by most beginners because how can you know what to look for if you've never been told about it? 🤔 I'm glad I could teach you something new, and thanks so much for watching! 🤗💕
Extremely grateful ❤
OMG, thank yo so much Ellen❤ I’ve always struggled with different chords and thought it was just because I wasn’t practicing enough(I practiced a LOT) I will see to these tips, again thank you!!! You’re awesome😄😄
I hope they help!! 🤞🏼 Learning to play a little differently with smaller hands can take some getting used to but hopefully one of or some of these tips are useful! 🙌
Hi Ellen, I have small hands because I am like 11 years old, but this is some good quality information thanks.
Keep at it! You’ll never feel bad about knowing how to play music. 🎶
I can't play F 😭
This was very informative. I self taught guitar in the 60s when I was a teenager. I'm 74 now and am thinking of starting back up only this time getting some formal lessons.
The info about the distance of the strings from the bed of the neck was a revelation! I had no idea that was even a thing. But you didn't explain HOW to change the distance or even if it CAN be changed.
One other thing. You were basically speaking to inexperienced folks. You might have shown a pic of a capo and explained what it was.
In general, it was a great video. Thank you for making it.
You're such a helpful individual. I appreciate the work you put into making these videos for us strangers. Thank you.
I got the measurements from a different guitar and estimated a smaller nut width and scale that would feel more comfortable. I ended up finding a Gretsch "Jim Dandy" (Mahogany), and I cannot tell you how wonderful and warm it sounds and how much more comfortable I am learning to play it
Ahh man, the thing is my dad brought me a guitar as a surprise gift because I always wanted one, but since we didn't know much about guitars, we weren't really sure what size to get. And honestly, we kinda broke, so it's hard to get another guitar. I think I'll just attempt to find a way to play on this big acoustic guitar haha.
I GET IT NOW. I borrowed a guitar from my uncle and its to wide for me. I am on vacation so i left my guitars at home alone. Thank you Allen we love you❤
It definitely makes a huge difference for small hands! 🙌 The first time I played on my classical guitar (super wide neck) it was so different! 😱
@@for3v3rfaithful I just wanted to learn metallica nothing else matters (only the Intro tabs) 😔 but first i need to wait 4 days ⏰️ ... 🙁 I will let you know when i did it, its going to take a while... bye Allen 👋.
All solid tips. As someone with smaller hands (and being an older late beginner), implementing these tips will definitely help to optimize our abilities.
I really hope they do! 🤗 Thanks so much for watching and best of luck on your guitar journey! 💪
Snap... old beginner here too,, 🙂
Nah just that I'm a kid its hard to be an 11 year old girl but still I have a jumbo guitar but I settle with it
Thank you!! :)
Hope these tips help you out! Thanks for watching! 🫶
That's great 😊 I Love this episode 🤩
Thank you! Would love finger exercise video! 😢
On it!! 💪
stuck at trying to fret a C chord for like weeks now. Didnt struggle like this with bass...
Thank you for the tips 🥰 I do have a question: can you also play on a normal size guitar or you only choose 3/4 ones?
I can still play full size guitars and even own a dreadnaught but I definitely feel more comfortable with 3/4 sizes. 🤗
@@for3v3rfaithful thank you so much for the answer ❤️ I just started learning guitar and I feel my hands are so small tho it seems my hands are a bit bigger than yours. I'm 160cm woman 😆 I bought a dreadnought guitar and i hope I will get used to it with practice 😌
Loved the video! Could you share what is your guitar model and maybe where to buy it? :)
Thank you! It was becoming very frustrating not feeling as though I could reach the chords.
I'm a student. I have a full size guitar. Just buying a smaller guitar isn't an option.
Thanks. I'm trying to learn guitar and my hands are pretty small and it's hard to get some of the chords
My wrist doesn't have 100% rotation following an accident and reconstruction a few years back, so I'm always interested in seeming alternate ways to get into position for some of the notes / chords. It has definitely made learning guitar challenging.
Great 🎉🎉smart🎉🎉🎉
thank you ♡♡♡
I already bought a guitar and idek if it's a jumbo size or smaller. So, I am really confused rn
Thank you ma'am!!! I've been "Blessed" with small hands and short fingers and these are very good tips. Thanks again.
I STILL NEED A BIGGER HAND 😂
i have a god damn dreadnaught
oh no
Nice🤘
this is what i needed!
This is soo good and latter end of this video really target some Beginner questions I had. Thank you for this and your tips with encouragement for us short-handed folk! 😆
I’m so glad I was able to address the questions you had! 🙌🏼 Thanks for learning with me and my videos! 🥰
Hi Ellen! Thank you for these tips! I started teaching myself guitar 14 years ago, and your videos was helpful for me, but I don't watch them as much anymore. I also have small hands and short fingers. My hands and fingers are almost the same size as yours except my index finger is 2" instead of 2.5." I have two 3/4 guitars, one is a classical guitar with a wide fretboard, and the other is an acoustic with narrower fretboard, it it is much easier to use the acoustic. Funny thing is that piano is my main instrument I play, and someone shook my hand one time and said "you have tiny hands. You're not a pianist are you?" and I said "actually I am and I majored in music for college." It is difficult to play piano and guitar with small hands/fingers but it's possible!
Totally agree! 🙌 We just have to figure out how to do things our own way to accommodate our bodies. 🤗 Thanks for sharing! 💕
Very nice. Really appreciate your video. I'm a 55 years old male who have started learning electric guitar for 4-5 years. I'm 167 cm in height but surprisingly all measurement from my hands are shorter than yours (except for the hand length which is slightly longer). Yes with hard practice I can play guitars (bar chords, some tough chords are not really problem but need to find my own way to do it) but with a number of limitations when coming to solos. I always have bad pain on my wrist and thumb (guess this is because I have to bend my wrist and position my thumb behind the neck most of the time otherwise my pinky won't even reach the 3rd string without muting the 1st and 2nd. On "A" power chord I can't mute the 1st string with the thumb.
I normally sit with classical guitar posture instead of standard electric guitar posture. It is much more comfortable.
Guess I have to look for a right guitar for my hands i.e. shorter scale length, thinner neck, narrow fret board.
With very small hand and short fingers, one surely can play guitars but have to struggle a lot to be a good player. Keep going guys, you can do it.
There are many skilled children playing guitar on TH-cam. They have smaller hands than you.
There shouldn't be any pain when playing, maybe put your guitar higher up or at an angle. Good luck!
Believe it or but for me and I am 70 years old as soon as bend my wrist to wrap around the guitar neck my fingers automatically come together and I can't get them to spread apart and I have tried positioning my arm my hand all in the right place and they still won't spread apart so I hold my hand straight out in front of me, then I spread my fingers as far apart from each other as I can I really force them to spread apart until it is almost painful and then I bend my wrist straight down and try and keep my fingers to stay spread apart from each other and I keep doing this but I don't know if this is going to work I hope so because I am getting really depressed about not been able to spread my fingers when I bend my wrist to wrap around the guitar neck.
Can you pleeeeeeeaaaseee do a tutorial for love yourself by justin biber I NEED IT!
I'm having such a hard freaking time with the B Minor Bar Chord, as a beginner and my hands are small. Feels like I'm never going to progress... I've been playing on a 38 inch guitar. I think I'ma have to get a 34 inch or something
Great video hi Ellen this is Ray I am 60 years old and learning to play guitar finally I do have small hands and my index finger is been broken for quite a long time and it's hard to bend but still muscling through can you recommend a guitar for small hands honey they can't even right now I'm practicing with a 1972 national EF 199 it's kind of big for me but I did get down horse with no name anyway any good recommendations thank you again great video
Interesting... thank you... I have just started learning and yes it is difficult to do even the beginner stuff. Mind you I am 82, but still have quite good hand dexterity. I do have a full size guitar (a Yamaha F310), but it has a very slim neck which helps. All I have to do now is attempt to play enough to toughen up my finger ends... I think your tips will help a lot... :-) x
Hi. Beginner player with small hands over here! this video is so helpful and I have been practicing daily. Do you have any guitar recommendations/link to small-hand friendly guitar? thank you so much!
Hi, I love you video, every informative. For you, spider, we do something similar with my guitar teacher, but I cannot for the life of me get all my fingers, 1 on each fret. My baby finger won't go. Do you have any suggestions or stretching exercises that might help. I've been playing about 5 months, but don't feel as though I'm getting any closer to hitting that last fret. Thank you.
Oh. My. God. Poetical the most important 12 minutes of my guitar playing career. I knew that dude at guitar center was full of shit when he said it didn't matter! I'm going shopping for a new guitar now!
so a while ago my brother gave his guitar to me☠️ and i full on almost gave up bc i kept telling myself my fingers were too small.
I got hands the size of an 8 year old and I'm a 28 year old dude and my fingers are tiny so it's like not only am I like a burger King commercial, I also have a hard time playing the guitar.. I want to spider walk to stretch but my hands are too tiny to even reach the 4th fret area barely, I want to learn guitar so bad but idk if my hand size is going to make it extremely hard for me..Like most girls think they have tiny hands and then I put mine next to theirs and they're like "oh.." and I'm like yeah.. super tiny hands. :/
Hey Ellen!
My fingers are almost 0.25 inches longer than yours. So, do you think I can go with auditorium sizes. You said in your video that don’t go above a concert size. I like Martin and Taylor guitars. So concert sizes in Taylor guitars are their x12ce. x14ce is their auditorium size. So, the scale length in x12ce is 24.84 inches and 25.5 inches in x14ce. The nut width is same in both at 1.75 inches.
Martin 000-18/28 have same nutwidth but scale length of 24.9. So, do you think Martin 000 or Taylor x14ce will be okay for me?
I will test them at the store before making final decisions though. I will appreciate if you could reply.
Regards
I'd agree that the in-store test will tell you the most about which models you'll feel most comfortable with, but I do have a Martin 000-15 and it's one of my favorites to play on. 🤗 I've never had any issues with reach or playability on it, so I hope that helps. 👍 Good luck! 🎸
@@for3v3rfaithful Thank you so much Ellen! I am anyway leaning toward Martin 000 or 00 series. Your answer made it more concrete.
Thanks again!
I couldn't get a smaller guitar.
I never played guitar until today, because i really wanted to learn a song and it looked easy so i got my dad's guitar and started learning, until the tabs wanted me to have a finger on 2 another on 3 and the last on 5 and my fingers were just uncapable of doing it even though the guitar im using is 1/2 size i think, haha. The song I really want to learn is "He was a good stalker"
i will try those finger exercises, thats might be what i need
Maybe this is a beginner thing but my fingers idk how y’all place them but when I try to move my fingers I still touch the other string which cancels the sounds and makes it sounds bad
So essentially, a classic guitar is probably out of the question for a person with shorter fingers.
Speaking of the classics, a classical playing position calls for a neck to be raised rather high, so this rock concert style of playing around one's hips is not suitable for a classical guitar player, and it is probably for a good reason, too.
Very good video, but you should tell, that using low stringheight and light strings make the guitar very quieter.
My guitar Is different from yours and I have big hands but a small guitar
Amazing, it's so important for me to find information on technology/instruments from women of color! This was so fun to watch. I have played guitar for 17 years and my small hands have always hindered me from playing a lot of what I want. I mainly play progressive metal/metalcore type stuff so a lot of riffing and breakdowns. So with down tunings, I never have the privilege of being able to have a smaller guitar. I recently ordered a 7 string Ibanez multiscale guitar with a thin c neck. I'm not going to be discouraged, if anything it will push me to practice harder! I spent about 2 months strictly practicing on an acoustic to strengthen my fingers for the electric. Thanks for this video!!! I am now a subscriber!!
Thank you so much for subscribing and supporting my channel! 🥰 I'm really glad the info in this video was helpful and I'm sure after all your years of experience that you've developed your own tips on playing with small hands. 🤗 Congrats on your new guitar coming soon and I hope you enjoy playing on it! 🎸🎶
Nancy Wilson has small hands and she's done pretty good.
Thank so much for these tips! It was the perfect advice at a perfect time for me! My hands are only slightly bigger than yours although I'm a guy! And I just started recently to learn guitar. Tried a bit on dreadnought and really could tell it's not for me after trying some chords. Are you using a Parlor size acoustic your self? Seems like a nice size for my hands.
I'm so glad you found these tips helpful! 🙌 I have quite a few guitars I play and feature on my channel and they range between half size all the way to dreadnought. 🎸 One of my favorites is my Orchestra Model Martin because it's comfortable to play on but still sounds oh, so beautiful. 🥰 Thanks for watching!
here after another 'can't do chords' crying session
Love how you teach. You’re the best teacher. I have a very small hands. Only 6” from the bottom of my palm to the tip of my middle finger. I’ll watch your other video on how to do with my thumb next. Thanks again for the encouragement.
thank you
In the last exercise Ellen gives, it's best to start on the 5th Fret first due to the first Fret being further apart (as she said). Practice to the highest E string. Then, back to the lowest E string. Then, after approximately a fortnight, once it starts feeling more comfortable, move up a Fret. I decided to create something extra & extended each practice by plucking with my right thumb on round one. Round 2 with i, m (striking twice on each note). Round 3 (striking 3 times on each note) with i, m. Round 4 with m, a (Striking 4 times on each note) & 5th note on a, m. Besides exercising your Right hand fingers as well, it holds your left hand fingers in position longer, extending the stretch. You don't have to start with all 5 rounds if it feels too much. You can build up to it. Remember, it's not speed we're focusing on here, but improving your strength and dexterity of your fingers. When you feel comfortable at the first Fret, then, if you want, you can start increasing your speed. Hope this helps! It's helped me! After practising this exercise for 4 weeks, I've just started on the 3rd fret. No. I'm not a professional, but I used to play Flamenco casually years ago & got back into it a few months ago. I don't remember my left hand or arm hurting as it is, but then I've been pretty determined to succeed. As with any muscles that you stretch on any part of the body, it will be a little sore in the beginning. One just stops when it gets too sore & start again the next day & the muscles get stronger. So, don't give up! Good luck, everyone & enjoy your progress!
Thanks so much for your enlightenment.
I subscribed.
Thanks so much! 🥰 I'm glad these tips were helpful, and welcome to the channel! 🫶
I'm trying to look for my first guitar and having issue if I should just get a smaller guitar because I am short with small hands. But I also had no idea there was different shapes for chords
can you use your thumb over the low e string to do those hendrix chords? because I have been playing guitar for awhile and I can do a lot but cant use my thumb over the low e while hitting those chords.
I can use my thumb wrapped around to mute strings pretty easily but to have them sound out for Hendrix chords is a lot harder. 😕 Luckily that’s not really a style of guitar I like to play but I’d imagine for smaller hands with less reach, Hendrix chords might have to be modified from the way he plays them. 🥲
Bro I'm 17 barley 6ft and my hands are small asf I need a bigger guitar to be comfortable but i need to be able to reach each string comfortably
Wow.. this one really hits me.. this one encourage me more to touch my guitar every day... Thank yo so much 😊😊
Yes, practicing daily is the best way to see improvements, even with small hands and short fingers! 🤗💕
my fingers are like only few milimeters longer than yours, so still fairly small. No problem playing full sclae fender or classical guitar, it just requires good posture and good technique (thumb behind neck and between index and middle finger) neck elevated.
I play either classical position or with electric i have strap that holds guitar in that same position.
There is a reason for this classical position guys...scale length is not 650mm becasue all players had huge hands back then but because that is the length most healthy hands can handle with good technique and have good sound (atleast for classical)
OMG i hope i find the vid ealier. my hands are so smal that i'm always thinking about quit guitar cuz my teacher said i dont have the gift...but i never thought about choozing the right size which may fit me better😭thanks for your video and your voice is so sweet❤
this was unbelievable helpful, you answered questions that i didnt know could be addressed.... like the "action". muito obrigado
More finger exercises please!!!❤️
I made my guitar strap shorter.
My hands are smaller than a hand😭😭😭
yes please more finger exercises!
Really helpful - thank you!
you are just awesome ....and pretty ....thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Please teach me finger stretches
Impressive!! Just bought a guitar recently, my fingers cant cover, literally two frets
Thank you so much! Sadly i already brought the guitar and the play doesnt do refunds, wish i had known this sooner..
we literally have the same exact hand size the only difference is that im a 5,8 male like what? But this does give me hope that i'll be able to play guitar in the future especially after struggling with an acoustic guitar.
Thank you so much. Male 16 yrld with very small hands. Was losing hope because every guitar i had was to big. I am learning about guitars so i didnt know there was different sizes for guitar. Thank you so much
Any tips on how to play chords like an F major, but with the b- and high e-strings left open and your thumb on the low e string?
I find this almost impossible to do with my small fingers.
To be honest, I've tried these types of fretting positions before and it's also very hard for me to do. 🤷🏻♀️ My thumb is on the shorter side so although I can use it to mute the E string, it's pretty hard for me to press down enough to play a note with it. 🥲 This is why I tend to stick to barred positions as it's actually easier for me to do. Sorry I couldn't bring you better news! 🙈
@@for3v3rfaithful You mean you would barre such a chord?
Wow... when I leave the B and high e-string open, that feels like my overstreched index finger would break off. :/
Well... let's forget about guitar then and play saxophone or something. I mean why is it you never hear a saxophone these days? Let's do that.
could you please tell me the model/specs of you guitar? or recommend some other specific guitar for veeeery small hands (17cm (6.68 inches) from wrist to tip of middle finger...)
My favorites I've personally played on are my Baby Taylor and my Enya Nova Go. 🙌 I'm at 15.5cm from wrist to tip of middle so they should feel comfortable for you as well. 👍 I have more info on both these guitars in the unboxing/first impressions/review videos on my channel and Enya also just came out with their newest model - the Nova Go MINI which is somehow even smaller and I'll be showing it in a tutorial soon if you're interested. 🎸 Otherwise, I'd say any half size or travel guitar would be a safe bet. (But if you can, try to visit a guitar shop and play on some in person) Hope that helps! 💕 th-cam.com/play/PLj0QZIx4bc7zx481PwIXWgZ9jOWNrnjW5.html
thank you very very much !!
Great job and you present yourself very well. Being an adult, I don't care for the cartoon graphics but if it helps to get kids interested in playing, then it might be a good strategy.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for your time you have given us small handy peeps, I want to learn when I was a young kid but always had trouble, I acquired a Hondo guitar recently & it has pushed me to learn, after listening/watching you I think my Hondo guitar is going to be to big for me
Can you recommend a guitar brand or model for small hands, beginners level and senior? thank you