It might seem that having large hands would be a huge advantage for playing guitar. After all, long fingers should make it easy to run across the strings and form those weird-looking chords that the pros play with ease. But those with small hands can still make the guitar sing. Remember, there's no substitute for practice, regardless of how small or large your hands may be.
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. Guitarist Allan Holdsworth is known for his ability to navigate large distances between frets. It's not uncommon for Holdsworth to make jumps of five or more frets between two fingers, without changing hand position. 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 of first to fourth fret across all six strings. Alter this as you move along the fretboard, from the first fret toward the sound hole or pick-up, and the distances between frets grow smaller.
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. Lest you feel like this is cheating, none other than guitar great Jimi Hendrix played barre chords this way.
Tags: first fret, fret with, fret with your, index finger, small hands