TakeLessons Offers Clever Tricks for Guitarists with Small Hands
TakeLessons, the nation's fastest growing music lessons provider, shares some helpful tips for
guitarists with small hands.
Online PR News – 10-February-2012 Former Beatles bandmemberPaul McCartney is listed in the
–
Guinness Book of World Records as the “most successful musician and composer in popular music history,”
and now he finally has the Hollywood mark of success – a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
With the growing popularity of dance music on the charts these days, rock seems to have been pushed a bit
to the side. But for TakeLessons ( http://takelessons.com ), the nation's fastest growing music lessons
provider, there’s nothing like the feeling of picking up a shiny new guitar and strumming a chord for the first
time. Following a blog post about common beginner instruments for children, TakeLessons took the
opportunity to share tips for guitarists with small hands, which can cause frustration for children as well as
some adults.
The following is an excerpt from the TakeLessons blog post:
"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. 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
across all six strings.
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."
By sharing the tips with blog readers, TakeLessons hopes to continue engaging current students and help
with any musical goals they may have. Readers are invited to share their thoughts by commenting on the
TakeLessons blog, and comments are also welcomed on Facebook ( http://facebook.com/takelessons ).
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Mary Brooks
mbrooks@takelessons.com
http://takelessons.com
350 10th Avenue, Suite 600
San Diego
California
92101
United States