I’ve tried to learn guitar, but it seemed that my hands were too big in order to chord properly; mainly, it seems that my fingertips are large enough so as to mute an adjacent string when I don’t wish to mute that string, etc. So, when looking for a melodic instrument on which to double a few years ago, I looked toward the electric bass; more specifically, an acoustic bass guitar in my case. Thus came my melodic-instrument-on-which-to-double.
But, the fire never went out completely. I’d like to be able to have a modest acoustic around on which I could knock out a few jazzy progressions for my own personal amusement (or more), but I can’t seem to play the damned things since my fingers seem to be too big. Bass is good, and I’m seeking further education with that, but it just doesn’t chord like a guitar.
If this is an accurate-enough indicator, the distance from my thump-tip to pinky-tip at full extension is about 10", the middle finger on both hands is 4", and an American penny, when laid on my fingertip when the hand is in a palms-up position, lies just about flush. Are there any successful (mind, not necessarily very skillful) guitarists here (or otherwise known elsewhere) with similar or larger hand dimensions? Am I merely imagining my hands to be “too big”?
Both Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan had large hands. Hendrix used his own fingerings, including using his thumb thus taking advantage of the “problem”. Stevie Ray Vaughan used to play guitars with very thick necks so that his finger position was better.
I’m sure there are plenty of other examples if you check around.
If your fingers are “too fat” even for a classical guitar you could try a 12 string without the octave strings which would give wider spacing.
My hands are much smaller–an 8" stretch and rather slender fingers–and I always had the same problem with my acoustic. Because of this problem, I never became particularly “experienced” with it (are YOU experienced?)–I always assumed that real guitarists knew how to fix the problem.
When I started fiddling around with that acoustic, I was used to playing a double bass, so maybe we have something in common–maybe we’re so used to using the flat of the finger to mash down the string, that we don’t realize how tippy-tip the fingertips involved in guitar playing are.
You might also be playing more with the pads of your fingertips than with the fingertips themselves. Ideally you should be playing with just the very tip of your finger, hence the need to keep your fingernails (at least on your fingering hand) very short. As for hands too big, if you see Itzhak Perlman play violin, it’s like watching two hams balance on a toothpick. Yet he is able to play (not necessarily to my taste) and is quite proficient. Big hands, if anything, should be an aid in guitar playing since you can reach difficult lengths and form very interesting chords.
I ran into the same problem when I was trying to learn to play. Some chords were nearly impossible. My teacher showed me some alternative voicings for the same chords farther down (up?) the neck. They didn’t hurt my fingers as much, and I was more likely to make the chord without muting out a string.
Your measurements for your hands match mine within a sixteenth of an inch. Yes, this seems to make it harder, and I always suspected it was a handicap, but you overcome it. How? I guess it is just by learning to curl your fingers correctly and approach the string from the right angle. I just practiced and practiced and practiced and eventually managed not to slur the strings. The size will make it harder to nail the right strings, but you can do it.
Well, I guess that’s that, then; I shan’t let my hands hinder me so. It’ll be a bit of work, I guess, but I’m willing! Thanks, all, for the tips and advice.