Just wondering how you guys deal with having different finger lengths. Personally I have short fingers, and therefore wonder if I'm limited in my playing due to this?

I have relatively large hands and long fingers, and I'd personally say that any advantage or disadvantage I'd have over anyone else is marginal at best. Very generally speaking, I'd say that someone with long fingers would have a more efficient fretting hand while someone with short fingers would have a more efficient plucking hand, but again, that's a rough guestimate.


The best thing I could offer you though is to simply not worry about it. Sean Malone and John Myung are two bass giants both with hands drastically smaller than mine, and either could outplay me in a heartbeat. It's really pretty inconsequential to the big picture if you ask me. How tall was the guy who won the NBA dunk contest this year?

I don't think so. My fingers aren't all that long either, and I play a six string. Just wear your bass up high and keep your thumb in the middle of the neck.
This thread gave me a topic idea.

I have long, slender (i.e. girly) fingers. I suck, but that's because I am a new player. I think finger length can only limit you if it is very extreme, otherwise it is just something to adapt to.

Let's look at the facts...Dave LaRue, Beaver Felton, and Victor Wooten all have relatively small hands. Doesn't seem to slow them down.

I have some really long fingers and sometimes I trip over them like a gangly teenager trips over his own two feet. I kidna wish I they were a little shorter and my hands were "meatier" if ya know what I mean.

It is an advantage to have longer fingers, but it doesn't stop people who have short fingers from playing as good.

I have long digits and use them the best way I know how. I guess we all adapt to what we have been equiped with. Think of it like that. Also, there are many basses now days for players of all hand sizes. For example, I have a hard time with the Fender jazz neck, it is so slim. I like more of a Warwick or Musicman neck or... hey, I actually have one of these, a Modulus neck.

jaco was described as "ET" on account of his gangly long fingers ....and that guy was all over the place both on the fretboard and especially at the bridge....long fingers help!!

i myself have short fat fingers ...which i find is a bit of a letdown but what can you do.....i make up for it in other ways!!.....

Sean Malone and John Myung are two bass giants both with hands drastically smaller than mine,

What?! I thought john myungs hands are really big..

I have medium/short fingerts and initially I thought it might be a problem and it was at first, but mainly because my hands/fingers were not used to stretching. Once that got better through practice, no longer a problem.

Somethimes though I would like longer fingers, as I play fairly high up on my chest and streching over 1-4 frets can be a little difficult especially with maintain correct intonation on my fretless.

I have really long fingers, and I've found it's helped me especially fretting. And I play lefty so I can also play a friends right handed guitar upside down and still have no trouble with chords.

i have short fingers but i can reach farther than my long fingered guitar friend. he cant even reach 3 frets a best and i can do five a the first fret.

Mani from Stone Roses has really small fingers ..

i have really small hands.. still growing.. haha.. i'm really curious if a small scale bass would do me good.

i have short fingers but i can reach farther than my long fingered guitar friend. he cant even reach 3 frets a best and i can do five a the first fret.

not so short!!

What?! I thought john myungs hands are really big..


I may be a poor judge indeed. His fingers looked relatively short when I saw them (not the shortest in the world though), but his hands also appeared fairly wide, which may do something else. Either way, I don't think the difference would make much of a difference, whatever that syntax could be brought to life.

jaco was described as "ET" on account of his gangly long fingers ....

well, I think that many people will say Im crazy, but I don´t see jaco´s huge hands...I mean, they look quite large, but I don´t think they were huge....nothing unusual.
So I think it depends on the ability, coordination, etc more than finger lenght.

Definitely try out different basses and see what feels right to your hands. It doesn't stop at neck thickness, also check out the differences in fingerboard radii. Some Fender Jazz necks use a pronounced 7.25" radius fingerboard that feels very uncomfortable to me. The 9.5" radius fingerboard feels better, but I really perfer the flatter fingerboards like on Spector basses, which have a 16" radius.

Paul Mac

My hands are by no means large - and my fingers are actually rather short. I often wish I had larger hands, with long, nimble fingers...

Because I don't, I've been compelled to compensate by developing relatively good technique. At least partially for this reason, my technique may actually be better than it would have been if my larger hands had allowed for more margin of error...

MM

Let's look at the facts...Dave LaRue, Beaver Felton, and Victor Wooten all have relatively small hands. Doesn't seem to slow them down.

now THATs a good post.

I’ve been teased my whole life about the size of my hands; I can hold a ruler between my middle finger and thumb. I think that it has helped me because I haven’t struggled to reach anything, but IMO good technique will over come any issues in the end.

WOW, im impressed i thought i had big hands. Ive been playin keyboard since the young ol age of 5 or 6ish and so my hands have evolved naturally long fingered ive found that on a gud day and after *proper stretching* i can stretch between 5 and 6 frets sumtimes as many as 7 on a REALLY GOOD DAY. i should mention that this can hurt my hands if done over much and wudnt recommend over stretching. I have only bein playin bass now for just over a month. Ive found the ability to stretch useful but the ability to read music is much better. I would advise it strongly

I think I have quite large hands because I´ve started on bass playing a month ago and I find it kinda easy to stretch from the 1st fret to the 5th one, and even to the 6th. But I am not very convinced about going farther than 5 frets, especially on the first frets (wich are the largest ones) because I think that it makes you waste your technique away, I mean, when you do that extreme stretch, you fingertips don´t lay on the string in the way that we are taught to do it: almost vertically and trying no to mute the lower string. So I think that it might be better to work on moving the wrist a little bit more than doing such an extremely stretching....

Anyway, it would be cool if someone with more knowledge and years of playing post about it.

Well ive only been playing for a bit, i dunno if ur fingers stretch as u play or whatever, but i have long girly fingers. Fit for a piano, i can make 5 frets i think. Im 16:P

Um, a foot between you middle finger and thumb?!

Man, I can do about...5 inches.

I think I have quite large hands because I´ve started on bass playing a month ago and I find it kinda easy to stretch from the 1st fret to the 5th one, and even to the 6th. But I am not very convinced about going farther than 5 frets, especially on the first frets (wich are the largest ones) because I think that it makes you waste your technique away, I mean, when you do that extreme stretch, you fingertips don´t lay on the string in the way that we are taught to do it: almost vertically and trying no to mute the lower string. So I think that it might be better to work on moving the wrist a little bit more than doing such an extremely stretching....

Anyway, it would be cool if someone with more knowledge and years of playing post about it.

I agree totally... oh and btw this is how im stretching (I use it as a warm up after my warm up lol. Understand?)

-5-
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-1-

my guitarist mate showd me this method i have been able 2 make it as far as the 7th before but it isnt really reliable in terms of quality id recommend movin and stop being lazy ;)

I agree totally... oh and btw this is how im stretching (I use it as a warm up after my warm up lol. Understand?)

-5-
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-1-

my guitarist mate showd me this method i have been able 2 make it as far as the 7th before but it isnt really reliable in terms of quality id recommend movin and stop being lazy ;)

you mean the first fret on the E string and 5th fret on the D string? seems cool....I will try it.

Anyway I think that I should practice moving ´cause Im lazy and it´s omething necessary, especially when doing scales.

what are you going to do if you come to the conclusion that shorter fingers bring an advantage?

cut them down to size?

Didnt think so... so, use them the best way you know how... ;)

i have long fingers and wide hands but if i didnt have good technique it wouldnt mean s**t.

just make sure that you keep your thumb in the middle of your neck making a triangle shape between your first finger, pinkie and thumb. Practise chromatics all over the neck and make sure that you stretch properly before you play and you should be fine.


Dave

I'm small (5-5) with correspondingly small hands and fingers, don't know if it's a disadvantage as I've never had any other hands to compare with :D

One thing I do think though is that if you have small hands you shouldn't try to 'stretch' your fingers to make the notes. I find things alot easier if I keep my LH fingers in a 'natural' (close together) position and move my *whole hand* to make the notes.

If you use no pressure with the thumb on the neck, it's a lot easier to slide your hand up and down than it is to move your fingers, plus you can play forever with no strain on your hands. Works for me anyway:)

what are you going to do if you come to the conclusion that shorter fingers bring an advantage?

cut them down to size?

Didnt think so... so, use them the best way you know how... ;)

Ok good point, cuttin my hands not an option! I need 2 play my keyboard too lol. Also sound engineerin cud b a tad tricky, as with almost everything theres gna be advantages and disadvantages but hey.... who cares? Do what you can, ok for me at the moment thats next to nothing lol, but ive been playing a month so im allowed to be useless lol :p