| Author |
Message |
Vanessa
|
|
|
Post subject: Can someone help me with something??
 Posted: Mar 01, 2007 - 12:13 PM
|
|
Joined: Mar 01, 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
|
|
I have a huge problem I was trying to give some of those exercises of the month and I just realised I can’t reach very far on my fret board.
I knew I had tiny hands but I never realised how much it could affect my playing. I tried that “Dominating the Fretboard” one and I couldn’t do the 12 hammer on 15 hammer on 18. (I actually couldn’t reach most of them).
I know you can get custom made guitars and I m thinking about it just want to know if that will have any adverse affects on the sound of my playing??
Any input at all would be much appreciated thanks.
Ness |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
bhuether
|
|
|
Post subject: RE: Can someone help me with something??
Posted: Mar 01, 2007 - 02:23 PM
|
|
Joined: Mar 09, 2003
Posts: 228
Status: Offline
|
|
Maybe you just aren't used to stretching. I have small hands as well and can stretch pretty far. The exercise you are talking about has some fairly wide stretches but certainly well within the doable range.
brian |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
kevinmjohn76
|
|
|
Post subject: RE: Can someone help me with something??
Posted: Mar 04, 2007 - 01:59 AM
|
|
Joined: Mar 04, 2007
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
|
|
well as far as my knowledge goeas u should try the simpler exercises first and surely u will be able to adjust and stretch ur fingers... i know a lot of people who play the guitar who have small hands... and for ur choice if u use a medium sized guitar or a custom made one it will not affect the sound of ur playing... bcs the guitar needs to be assembled well irrespetive of the size..
good luck.. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Vanessa
|
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 12:28 AM
|
|
Joined: Mar 01, 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
|
|
Thanks! Taken the advice i m trying some new finger stretches lets see if they make my fingers any stronger.
Thanks again Ness |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Ged_Leitch
|
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: Mar 18, 2007 - 03:41 PM
|
|
Joined: Mar 18, 2007
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
|
|
|
Vanessa wrote:
Thanks! Taken the advice i m trying some new finger stretches lets see if they make my fingers any stronger.
Thanks again Ness
Hi there, heres what i did Vanessa to get my stretches up to scratch...
just to point out i have average size guys hands, not big at all compared to my other mates.
Before you attempt, warm up yer digits!!
take a wide pattern like this or similar>>>
high e >>> -----------------12----15-----18---------
fingering> 1 2 4
or move the notes on the 15th and 18th down one fret if its too wide to start with....
now place the fingers on the tabbed frets, and hold ALL the notes down e.g the 12th 15th and 18th frets on the high E.
Now the trick is to hold your fingers on those frets for about 2mins without taking them away from the frets at all,
The key is to stay relaxed with NO tension or cheating, breathe deeply too it helps!!
use your pick hand to keep rogue fingers from shifting away from position if you need to.
Ok, now after that take 1 min break, and tighten or clench a fist with your left hand or rub it, to keep it warmed up, dont over do it or over strech!!
now finger the same pattern again, but this time do hammer ons from the
12th fret to the 15th with the 1st finger and 2nd finger,
v-e-r-y slowly and once again relaxed. for about 2mins.
Now do the same but hammering on from the 2nd finger on the 15th fret to the 18th fret with the pinky, ouch, if this is too much of a strech go for a smaller one.
Again r-e-a-l-ly s-l-o-w, for about 2mins, always be relaxed when doing it, dont tense at all.
This takes about ten mins or so to do, do this each day for about a week and do it correctly with no cheating and you WILL be shocked how easily you can reach those frets now honest!!
I did this years ago when I was learning some really wide stretching Shawn Lane licks, and it worked a treat,
Theres no real secret to it, all your doing is gradually becoming more flexible and more comfortable with the patterns through consistent practice.
Hope this helps, it did work for me and i'm no Paul Gilbert heh heh!! |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jack_GVR
|
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: May 03, 2007 - 05:03 PM
|
|
Joined: Sep 17, 2006
Posts: 25
Location: San Miguel de Allende
Status: Offline
|
|
Hi Vanessa,
We've seen a lot of people, particularly women, who have small hands, really struggle with full size guitars. It's a really good idea to look around for short-scale-length guitars, play a few in music stores to see how they feel. Now, I only play nylon strings, so I really don't know what's available in steel strings or electrics. Standard string length on classicals nowadays is 650 millimeters (25 - 5/8 inches), but if you can find one or have one built that's 630 millimeters (24 - 3/4 inches) or even as short as 615 mm (24 - 1/4 inches) or so, you may find that it makes your life a whole lot easier. Look at "parlor" size guitars either in steelstring or nylon. Check the specs for the string length if you are looking online. If you are looking in music stores, take a tape measure with you.
Don't worry about it making a difference in your sound. You'll make up for it in music, if there is any difference. And string length is definitely not the most important factor in the way a guitar sounds. You can also experiment with different guages and brands of strings to find out what works best on your guitar - something you pretty much need to go through with any new guitar anyway.
-- Jack |
_________________
Jack from Guitar Vacation Retreats
http://www.guitar-vacation-retreats.com
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Susan
|
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: Oct 02, 2007 - 01:33 AM
|
|
Joined: Sep 23, 2007
Posts: 3
Status: Offline
|
|
Hey, I also wish they made more guitars for smaller hands. The Gibson company came out with a "female" line, but although the body is smaller, the fretboard is the same size as the regular instruments.
Anyone else know of good smaller size electric and/or steel string acoustic guitars?
Susan Palmer
Seattle University Guitar Instructor
Author of, "The Guitar Lesson Companion"
Free Lesson Library: www.youtube.com/leadcatpress |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jack_GVR
|
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: Jan 16, 2008 - 09:22 PM
|
|
Joined: Sep 17, 2006
Posts: 25
Location: San Miguel de Allende
Status: Offline
|
|
|
Quote:
Hey, I also wish they made more guitars for smaller hands.
The Takamine company (which I think is owned by a music conglomerate called Kramer Music, or something like that) has a line of small guitars called "Jasmine" which are pretty good quality, and they have them in nylon and steel strings both. They are definitely student guitars, made in several sizes. I don't know of any small electric guitars. We can get a variety of small-sized nylon string guitars in Paracho, which are usually tuned in requinto tuning, up a fourth.
A-D-G-C-E-A. Many requintos have very fat bodies, but if you can find a narrow bodied one, it can be a good instrument for a kid or for someone with small hands. I have one with a 550mm scale (21-1/2 inches). Not for sale though.
Here's the Jasmine link:
http://www.jasmineguitars.com/studio.html |
_________________
Jack from Guitar Vacation Retreats
http://www.guitar-vacation-retreats.com
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lessons
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
