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Electric bass for small hands?
- Thread starter upgroove9
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Folks, yes proper technique and help in alleviating any bad habits is useful, but there comes a point that the hands are as extended as they can get. At 58 years old, arthritis has curved in both my index fingers and both my pinkys, and a "trick" left hand thumb from a dislocation injury years ago. So I have switched over from standard 34-inch basses to an Ibanez BTB845V 33-inch scale bass. Don't talk to me about "proper" technique, since I use proper technique as taught to me (mumble) decades ago, and that I teach others when the occasion arises.
Don't tell the OP what he must do to be "better." Help him find a bass that ergonomically fits him.
On YouTube, a player will find many videos comparing the popular short scale basses, present and recent past. All the inexpensive ones have their plusses, including light weight, but also their minuses, including skimpy pickups. What is the budget for the new bass? That will narrow the field to a few choices and help with the recommendations.
The great thing is that compared to even ten years ago, there are many more choices out there for the player of a short scale bass, and more string choices as well.
Don't tell the OP what he must do to be "better." Help him find a bass that ergonomically fits him.
On YouTube, a player will find many videos comparing the popular short scale basses, present and recent past. All the inexpensive ones have their plusses, including light weight, but also their minuses, including skimpy pickups. What is the budget for the new bass? That will narrow the field to a few choices and help with the recommendations.
The great thing is that compared to even ten years ago, there are many more choices out there for the player of a short scale bass, and more string choices as well.
I started on an Ibanez Mikro with that same thinking and I now play a Dingwall which has a 37" B string, so it may not be as big of an issue as you think, though the Dingwall necks are thinner than others from what I've heard. Action can make a big difference.
The Squier Jaguar basses are known for their weak bridge pickups. Swap that out and you'll enjoy brighter tones.
A set of new roundwound strings and a good setup will make it easier to play and help it sound brighter, too.
Wow, I cruised the responses and see a bunch of 1) your hands aren't a deterrent, learn technique and 2) check out this tiny bass!
I'm not 100% onboard with either of those responses as your best answer.
I'm a pretty slight guy and look absolutely ridiculous being almost a foot shorter than our lead guitarist and rhythm guitar/singer. Add to that a chronic disease that has brought on early onset arthritis - plus I can't take ibuprofen, and I feel ya. I've really had to look at what I could do to keep playing as long and enjoyably as possible.
Technique. Yes, yes, yes, but this is not the end all. I can play any neck for a short while, but if I'm looking at a 4-hour bar gig, that big neck that I CAN play isn't the neck I SHOULD play. I really like chords to fill in the sound and playing a P neck or larger is guaranteed to leave me crippled after the first set. But, with a narrower nut and thinner neck, I can play chords with less stress. Combine that with moving the hand more to reduce stretching and happy days!
So here's my $0.02: Work on the technique of moving your hand to reduce stretching and know your fretboard to know which string to play a note on that is best for you. Then, buy a bass within your range that you love -- not the tiny one you think you need to settle on. There's a world of basses with 1 1/2" nuts that simply rock. A narrow nut and thin neck have every bit as much to do with reducing stretch/hand-fatigue as scale length does.
I'm not 100% onboard with either of those responses as your best answer.
I'm a pretty slight guy and look absolutely ridiculous being almost a foot shorter than our lead guitarist and rhythm guitar/singer. Add to that a chronic disease that has brought on early onset arthritis - plus I can't take ibuprofen, and I feel ya. I've really had to look at what I could do to keep playing as long and enjoyably as possible.
Technique. Yes, yes, yes, but this is not the end all. I can play any neck for a short while, but if I'm looking at a 4-hour bar gig, that big neck that I CAN play isn't the neck I SHOULD play. I really like chords to fill in the sound and playing a P neck or larger is guaranteed to leave me crippled after the first set. But, with a narrower nut and thinner neck, I can play chords with less stress. Combine that with moving the hand more to reduce stretching and happy days!
So here's my $0.02: Work on the technique of moving your hand to reduce stretching and know your fretboard to know which string to play a note on that is best for you. Then, buy a bass within your range that you love -- not the tiny one you think you need to settle on. There's a world of basses with 1 1/2" nuts that simply rock. A narrow nut and thin neck have every bit as much to do with reducing stretch/hand-fatigue as scale length does.
try a fresh set of strings first just to see. I'm gonna say get DR high beams. I use them because they are very bright out of the package IMO and that seems like what you'd want.
Small hands shouldn't stop you from playing a normal size bass. I know tons of people who do. I want to ask (no offense) but did you recently start playing bass just because I always tell new students that its gonna be weird for a little bit. You'll get used to it.
Your bass is probably fine, man maybe even a 34 inch scale bass would HELP you.
Small hands shouldn't stop you from playing a normal size bass. I know tons of people who do. I want to ask (no offense) but did you recently start playing bass just because I always tell new students that its gonna be weird for a little bit. You'll get used to it.
Your bass is probably fine, man maybe even a 34 inch scale bass would HELP you.
Small hands here too. I find consistent practice and exercises, along with paying attention to technique, seems to make small hands less and less of a factor in my playing.
You may want to try finding a book called "Bass Fitness" by Josquin Des Pres and work through it some. It helped me.
You may want to try finding a book called "Bass Fitness" by Josquin Des Pres and work through it some. It helped me.
how small are we talking...?
anything within the range of "normal humans" - so, birth defects or genetic disorders aside, you do not "need" a short scale.
that said, you may like them and stuff, and definitely use one of that is the case. but also don't under value what your hands are likely capable of on a normal 34" bass.
i haven't played the 30" stingray but it's definitely the top of my list for cool 30" basses. I also have a cheap jay turser beatle bass that is under $200 new and sounds great if you like that type of sound.
anything within the range of "normal humans" - so, birth defects or genetic disorders aside, you do not "need" a short scale.
that said, you may like them and stuff, and definitely use one of that is the case. but also don't under value what your hands are likely capable of on a normal 34" bass.
i haven't played the 30" stingray but it's definitely the top of my list for cool 30" basses. I also have a cheap jay turser beatle bass that is under $200 new and sounds great if you like that type of sound.
Jim Carr
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Enough has likely been said about better technique and finding a smaller instrument. I thought that perhaps a story would help.
I taught double bass (upright) to kids for a number of years. Obviously, a ten year-old boy or girl (the typical age of my bass students) has a hand much smaller and less powerful than the vast majority of adults. They don't have a long reach with their fingers, either across the fingerboard, or along the string. What do they have, is a fearless willingness to try and an insatiable desire to learn.
Here is a picture of young bassists at a public orchestral performance/fundraiser. I think it best I not identify these youngsters, but below are three young bassists (my stars).
All these 1/2 size (or smaller) basses have at least a 37" scale.
It's true, technique is the bridge to the goal.
I taught double bass (upright) to kids for a number of years. Obviously, a ten year-old boy or girl (the typical age of my bass students) has a hand much smaller and less powerful than the vast majority of adults. They don't have a long reach with their fingers, either across the fingerboard, or along the string. What do they have, is a fearless willingness to try and an insatiable desire to learn.
Here is a picture of young bassists at a public orchestral performance/fundraiser. I think it best I not identify these youngsters, but below are three young bassists (my stars).
All these 1/2 size (or smaller) basses have at least a 37" scale.
It's true, technique is the bridge to the goal.
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I have held my iPhone in my hands like you did and my fingers seem longer than yours. That's it; I have no excuses!
#FingerTroll
People forget that most who come on here with this issue are mature, adult learners who are likely teaching themselves the rudiments. Their hands cannot "grow into" playing longer scale instruments as easily as those of, say, a child learner who is receiving formal technical instruction or even those of a teenager who is learning songs to play in bands. So it is pointless to compare these experiences. People should play whatever instrument will encourage them to keep playing. And besides, given the wide array of eminently giggable shorties available right now, it is not as if 34" basses are the only "real" basses out there.
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I don't think that the OP has arthritis or else he hopefully would have mentioned it. Yes there are some conditions that don't allow you to play a standard 34 inch bass, but most of the time it is technique. I have yet to meet a women with smaller hands than mine, and I have no problem playing 34 inch basses. That said most of the time I pratice on a 32 inch bass. However I bought it after nearly 10 years of playing 34 and 35 inch instruments.
A Squier Jaguar sound good to learn a bit on it, and then once you know some fundamentals, one can buy a new bass.
I would suggest a good teacher
Don't discount the name but a good Daisy Rock could be your answer. I just got one the other day. The neck is super thin and the pickups are bright as hell. Duncan design PJ combo. Another bass you might want to hunt down is a variax bass. The necks are smaller than most of my 6 string guitar necks around 1-3 fret. Be warned though on the variax. If weight is an issue than you might want to just find a neck and put it on another bass. It will fit in any "fender" like pocket.
He sure as hell said he had congenitally small hands. So focus on his needs, not your own. Don't presume he has bad technique. Good luck on your transitioning to smaller scale basses.
Some of the responses surprise me actually. Posting videos of 4 to 8 year old prodigies that play much better than most of the TB'ers is bit of a stretch no? Like I could play Portrait of Tracy at 8 years old. LMAO. I was still playing with dump trucks in our sandbox.
How extreme is this smallness? It does not sound like they are extremely small, in which case there is no reason you cannot play a 34" scale 4 string if you want. The necks of 4 string basses are very narrow. This is probably a case of technique.
In what way? Width, depth, stretching along the fretboard?
Even more reason it may be your technique. Is your thumb hanging over the top of the neck? Are you attempting to stretch to cover frets 1-4 and not move your hand? (this is bad). Is the bass too horizontal? A high angle helps.
What scale, 30"? If you want brightness and harmonics you actually need a longer scale for more flexible strings, short scale is inherently darker.
This is the first post that is systematically trying to help the OP sort out what are his physical limitations and what are his technique issues. The only issue I have is that there are short scale stainless and nickel rounds that do have good brightness and flexibility, although some of them may be light gauge, like D'Addario XL's.
Gold Gold commissioned La Bella to make 25" scale flatwounds for their ME bass, they fit my bass perfectly, in fact, I use them on all my electric magnetic pup basses (7), even on a few of my piezo pup bass ukes (5), even though Gold Tone says they're only for their ME... not!
MicroBass LaBella Flat Wound Strings | Gold Tone Folk Instruments
