Hands....

[ZenG]

Want to find out what the average size hand is in relation to the bass guitar that you most often play.

My fret hand fully outstretched is 10 inches from tip of little finger to tip of thumb. I play an Ibby SR500.

What's yours?

 

[seanm]

Strange measurement... I never use my thumb on the fretboard with the other fingers. But it is 8 3/4".

 

[Kmonk]

My fretting hand is 9 1/4 inches, my other hand is about 8 1/2. I play MIA Fenders, Spectors and Alembics.

 

[bigboy_78]

Close enough to 8 inches. I have small hands.

 

[StyleOverShow]

9.25 inch, EBMM, Fender P and J

 

[Jensby design]

My left is 9.75" my right only 9.25" . . . WHAT THE HELL DAMN GUY

 

[elgecko]

This might be a more meaningful measurement.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f21/whats-your-finger-span-995013/

 

[MalcolmAmos]

On my acoustic 6 string rhythm guitar hand size becomes an issue more so than on the bass. Why? On the 6 string rhythm guitar we form chord patterns with our hand and then strum. On the bass we play the notes of the chord one note at a time so hand size is not as big of an issue.

There are many patterns you can use, some span four frets, others span more or less frets. I'm sure you will find one that will work for you. Here is the one I live with.

Major Scale Box.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

 

[pfox14]

I'd like to have hands the size of Stanley Clarke or Jimi Hendrix.

 

[ZenG]

MalcolmAmos:-

Well we might be playing one note at a time......but when you fret a note your brain is miles ahead of you getting ready for the next note. My style of playing I do quick walks and runs all over the neck a lot of times.

With the hand span that I have I find that four- fret "spreads' on the lower end of the neck are at times challenging.

I'm wondering how people with smaller hands would do this.

If you haven't got the span then you'd have to "jump" from note to note a lot.
Which maybe doesn't bother some people at all.

Curious........



I go 6 3/4 inches on the finger span chart posted by El GECKO.......

 

[t77mackie]

~8" using OP's measuring standard. 5" pinky to index. I play 34" scale basses.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

MalcolmAmos:-

Well we might be playing one note at a time......but when you fret a note your brain is miles ahead of you getting ready for the next note. My style of playing I do quick walks and runs all over the neck a lot of times.

With the hand span that I have I find that four- fret "spreads' on the lower end of the neck are at times challenging.

I'm wondering how people with smaller hands would do this.

If you haven't got the span then you'd have to "jump" from note to note a lot.
Which maybe doesn't bother some people at all.

Curious........

I go 6 3/4 inches on the finger span chart posted by El GECKO.......

I like the word slide instead of jump. So I have to slide over some, I do not beat myself up over stuff like this. Yes I learned - four fret pattern use four fingers, however, if I have to slide some, so be it.

 

[Lownote38]

9 inches

 

[FretNoMore]

~8" using OP's measuring standard. 5" pinky to index. I play 34" scale basses.

8 2/3" and 7 1/2" respectively. My basses are 35" and 41 3/8" ...

 

[mrbell321]

8.5" little-finger to thumb
5" little-finger to index-finger. Altho that's stretching. I couldn't manage that span playing anything.
I have an Ibanez SR300(34") and a Squier Bronco(30")