do i have any chance with normal bass ?

[JRA]

many bassists have small hands and they play 'large' necks. many have large hands and they play 'small' necks. i think it has more to do with whether or not you have a 'burning desire' to play bass. if you do: set yourself free!

if you have the desire, the rest will come.

the best teachers don't just show you how to do things: they teach you how to show yourself to do things.

 

[elgranluis]

Well, if you told your teacher you wanted to make a living playing music, then its alright if he told you that bass is just not in you, to move on to a different instrument. A lot of people take years to realize this , so if it is true your teacer at least saved yousome time.

On the other hand , i have a friend who is hands down the second best player in a city of almost 1000 000 people. His teacher turned him down early on , telling him that his short fingers were no good for bass. He was so angry that he devoted himself to the instrument just to outplay his teacher. When he was that good he just kept going out of love for music.

So theres your two possible scenarios: your call.

 

[Rogatien022]

You love the instrument, don't you? Just keep on playing and putting the hours dude. Plus, you enjoy bass, don't let no one tell you what you can or cannot do.

Resilience and patience. Make a fun thing out of it, have fun and just play.

 

[gln1955]

My fingers are about the same length as yours and I manage just fine. Some things are easier for me on a short-scale, but I can play anything I want on a 34" as well. I just have to slide my hand a bit more than the purists would approve of. Do what you need to do to get the job done.

You really need to find a better teacher who will be supportive. If one doesn't exist locally, consider online instruction. It has its limitations, but you could still learn a lot if you are truly motivated.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Your teacher may be a great bass player, but that does not make him a good teacher. He is wrong about you. You can get a good short scale bass that will sound good. Paul McCartney used a short scale Hofner with the Beatles. He still uses it. There are many short scale basses on the market. If you really want a full size bass then watch the instructional videos by Rocco Prestia of Tower of Power. He has a very unique style and you will see that he does not stretch his fingers at all, he moves his hand all the time. There are ways to do this so don't give up. You just need to learn to adapt to different technique. If you can't find a teacher you like, then try an online course. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

 

[Sweet Willie]

I doubt that your lack of progress compared to the other students is because of the length of your fingers. Mine are just a touch longer than yours. If that's the reason your teacher gave, then it seems he either doesn't know or doesn't want to figure out or doesn't know how to communicate to you what your true challenges are with the instrument and/or playing music, and then work to address them with you.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

Bad teacher ... BAD!
Sit. Stay!

 

[mikezimmerman]

My fingers are the same size as yours, and I always considered them "average" and not especially short. I don't have any problem playing 34" scale, wide-necked 5 and 6-string basses.

I personally like the 4-finger fretting (1 per fret) so I feel a little more comfortable on 34" scale than 35" or 36", but I have owned both and played them just fine. If you are having trouble playing with 4-finger fretting, it is absolutely not essential--most instruction method books for the last 50 years recommended the 1-2-4 fretted method passed on upright technique, so 4-finger fretting is actually a fairly new thing for bass.

 

[obro56]

Same size hands. Just started 1 1/2 years ago @ 58. it can be done. Bad bad teacher to tell anyone that about anything.
Find a few riffs or songs that are easy for you and play the hell out of them. Every time you play you get better.
be as good as YOU can be. Have FUN!!

 

[JayVek-72]

You do not need to play songs with a one finger per fret playing position. Sometimes, I do, most times I do not. It is uncomfortable especially in first position. Most teachers will have you use one finger per fret when working on scales. This playing style is not the only way to play and if you study how professional bassists play you will see that they vary their fretting hand position.

Do not give up on playing bass if that is your desire. Keep at it.

 

[friedlbug]

It's unfortunate that your bass teacher is incorrect. I'm glad you have Internet access and can seek more informed opinions.

My basses are 34" scale and I have short fingers. One of my basses is frettless. I play reasonably well, and the limits on my skill are not due to scale length.

 

[johnson79]

Keep playing. There is no rule about finger size that prevents you from playing bass.
Just do your best and play the way you feel comfortable. Just because something works for some people doesn't mean it's the only way.
Good Luck!

 

[eekamike]

Just chiming in with the others: my fingers are almost exactly your size, I'm a small person. You'll have no problem with the bass! 1 finger per fret isn't always the rule, the rule is to be comfortable.
In fact, a lot of teachers recommend either a) 1st finger 1st fret, 2nd finger 2nd fret, PINKY 3rd fret OR b) 1 finger per fret, but slide your hand to comfortably reach that 4th fret.

Women play the bass too, and the women I know have smaller fingers as well... Everybody should play the bass!

 

[Fliptrique]

How often do you actually _NEED_ to stretch a lot? There are SOME instances that reaching 5 or 6 frets is somewhat needed, but that happens every few hundred songs or so, and almost always can be played differently. Most of the stuff you`ll do just fine within the a 3-4 fret reach.

Also - after a few years moving your hand with minimal effort will get much easier and make this a completely moot point.

You need a new teacher.

 

[davegt666]

Another small hands bass player chiming in.


I've never had a problem playing any normal scale bass. If you're willing, you will find ways to adapt your technique to suit the instrument.

I'm self taught and never thought of hand size as a detrimental factor. I just played.

 

[Ulf Buck]

I jammed onstage with a guitar player with no right hand and a pick clamped to his stump.

Only you can hold you back.

 

[Sweet Willie]

Even though it changes a given note's timbre, you could try playing some of the exercises or whatever you're working on further up the neck -- one string lower (tonally) and five frets up (e.g., Bb at the 6th fret on the E string rather than the 1st fret of the A string), or one string higher (tonally) and seven frets up (e.g., Bb at the 8th fret on the D string rather than the 1st fret of the A string, which would also be an octave higher in pitch).

This might help you understand the relationship of your physiology to playing music on the bass. It might also help you figure out which challenges you have might be about technique and the physical action of playing vs musical concepts and content.

 

[chris_b]

Can I play normal song if I don't use finger per fer fret ? I'm into rock ,metal ,pop and new wave . My teacher said the only way I can play a song is that use this style ,but notold it hurt but a lot of buzz sound and I couldn't touch 4 th fret .

It's easy to play 1 finger per fret above the 7th fret, but I rarely do this below the 7th fret, because it requires stretching and that's bad for your hands, speed and fluency.

IME it's better to use 124 fingering on the lower frets. That's index finger, middle finger and little finger. In fact you can use 124 anywhere on the fret board.

 

[RickyWoo]

If you're not in school, and it was a hired music teacher, give up on your music teacher right now! It sounds like you are wasting your time and money on them.

 

[Liam4003]

Time to get a new teacher or in your case, since it is difficult to find them, go without one. If you have the desire to play, keep at it. A short scale might help, I'd suggest something like a Gretsch G2220 Junior Jet. An easy to play and inexpensive short scale bass. Squier also has some very inexpensive short scale Mustang models.