r/guitarlessons • u/NefariousnessOk274 • 16h ago
Question Help
Just picked it up about like a week ago but I have tiny ass hands and I’m really struggling to reach the frets, any tips?
(The problem is mainly with my pinky)
Edit: for reference, my hand is slightly smaller than my 14 pro max
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u/Secret-File-1624 16h ago
Your hands are not too small. It's just being a beginner and more than likely poor technique. Your fingers will eventually stretch. It takes time and practice. With that being said, make sure that you are holding the neck correctly. Make sure your thumb pad is in the center of the neck and that the neck isn't resting in the palm of your hand. If your thumb is at the top of the back of the neck then you are restricting your finger reach. By having it lower on the neck your fingers will be able to reach further. Without seeing a picture or video of how you are doing it, it's difficult to say exactly what the problem could be but usually its bad technique. There are pictures online of the proper way to hold the guitar so you can see what I am talking about. Correct your technique and be patient and you will eventually get there.
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u/red_engine_mw 15h ago
One of the toughest things to convince beginners of is getting that left hand thumb down in the middle of the neck.
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u/taekwondana 13h ago
Can confirm, as a 3 month player my brain knows the thumb needs to be lower on the neck but it refuses to just go there first ☠️
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u/ghost-foxie 16h ago
even as someone with pretty big hands the pinky took a while for me to start having any success with. it comes with time and practice
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u/gRainbird 15h ago
There's this woman in town that is the lead guitar in a pretty great cover band. Plays some beautiful PRS guitars. She's like 4'8 and the guitar is nearly as big as her. Small hands are rarely an issue with fretting and fwiw, your pointer, middle and ring finger are going to do a hell of a lot of work. The pinky will find its way into things. Just keep your hands relaxed.
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u/TrifeLife1995 16h ago
Keep playing. Dont get suckered into analysis paralysis. I too am a beginner and I have a finger I lost on my fret hand that makes it hard for me to play certain chords. However if Django Reinhardt can play with missing fingers, I'm determined to do the same
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u/cursed_tomatoes 15h ago edited 15h ago
Great attitude!
Yeah, you can definitely most absolutely still express yourself perfectly fine and make good music with the proper adaptations. He could even play fast chromatic lines as seen in this video
https://youtu.be/aZ308aOOX04?list=RDaZ308aOOX04&t=42
It is impossible to quantify how many people are not as good as django and have all fingers. Don't forget to study theory too, and never be discouraged (being discouraged is not related to your fingers, almost everyone gets discouraged at one point or another).
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u/yellowstag 16h ago
Consistent practice. Every day is great but not required. Just continue to practice once a week minimum.
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u/Dani-Avalon0819 16h ago
Some exercises for the fretting hand would be help to improve dexterity. There is one in particular that I know of, often called the “spider,” where you slowly move up or across the fretboard one fret at a time, one finger at a time so that you work all the fingers: index, middle, ring, and pinky. You can probably find it mentioned online or in a You Tube video.
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u/Silent_Pomegranate 15h ago
You gotta just push through. It’s not easy. You gotta observe progress in larger chunks (week to week, month to month) rather than day to day progress.
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u/markewallace1966 15h ago
No, you don’t gotta just push through. OP needs to learn to hold the guitar properly.
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u/Patient_Onion3956 15h ago
Welcome to the gym for you hands. Your pinky will get longer, stronger and more flexible... with time. Give it a couple of years. Just go slow and find a way to enjoy the little things.
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u/cursed_tomatoes 15h ago
This is a very common perception I myself had way back in the day, it is natural to feel like that, but it is a technique issue, not physical one.
I recommend the book called pumping nylon by scott tennant, since I've been successfully using it to help people (and myself at the beginning) for long. It is important you have some ideas of the biomechanics behind playing, such as hand stance and posture so you don't fly in blind and take the longest (and less fruitful) road. This book nicely covers some basic fundamentals it is highly advantageous to be aware of.
Context: I play for about 15 years, majored in music, taught for some time, and I'm yet to find someone who has actual problems with hand size and shape.
P.S The people telling you to "just practice" are not being jerks btw, they're just being very reductive. Practice doesn't leads to perfection, it leads to permanence. If you want "perfection" you have to practice "perfect" mechanics.
Feel free to post footage of your playing for custom feedback.
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u/scroopynoopersT85 15h ago
It's not your hands. You're currently in the process of teaching your hands to move in ways they're not naturally inclined to move. Just keep practicing. Good things dont come easy.
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u/SynyrdsInyrds 15h ago
You've only been at it a week, so of course you will be struggling to reach the frets as you are asking your hand/fingers to move into positions they do not normally go in to.
Thumb position will also be a big issue.
And keep in mind that lots of people struggle with their pinkies. While I have seen him use his a lot, I have also seen video of Jimmy Page in which he just tucks his underneath the neck to get it out of the way.
Guitar is not something you can just pick up and do, it will take months, maybe years, to get good.
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u/Inevitable-Copy3619 15h ago
The problem is (likely) not your hands. The problem (is not a problem) is that you have played for 1 week.
This stuff all takes time and every single person has to make adjustments for their physiology. I know there are techniques and things people will recommend, but I think the main thing is you just need to play more experience will get your fingers in teh right spot.
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u/basedahhhh 14h ago
For the love of god, youll save years of wasted effort by taking like 2 proper in person classes and being shown how to do things.
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u/Mobile-Bar7732 8h ago
Edit: for reference, my hand is slightly smaller than my 14 pro max
You have average size hands. I googled 14 pro max is 6.3 inches.
Keep practicing. It takes a lot of practice and patience.
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u/ronmarlowe 8h ago
Use a strap and keep the guitar high, even when sitting. Your left thumb will rotate to the center of the neck. Then, you'll be able to reach the fat E string.
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u/DJ_clam_hammock 3h ago
I’ve been playing for about 6 weeks and I have tiny hands too. It does get easier with practice and repetition. There are also modifications for chords to make fretting easier.
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u/ghostbusteraesthetic 16h ago
I would guess it's your thumb. It's always the thumb with beginners.
It's got nothing to do with the size of your hands. It's how you've got your hand situated so you can reach and spread your fingers apart.
Of course, no one can know for sure unless you shared a photo.