• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Jaco's Hands

E

Eargasm

Jan 27, 2004
10
0
Visit site
#1
Fellow musicians,

Everyone says Jaco had big hands, but does anyone know any rough measurements? Truthfully, I don't think anyone went up to Jaco and was like, "dude, hold out your hand, I wanna measure it," but I might be wrong. Who knows. :smug:
 
#3
Eargasm said:
Fellow musicians,

Everyone says Jaco had big hands, but does anyone know any rough measurements? Truthfully, I don't think anyone went up to Jaco and was like, "dude, hold out your hand, I wanna measure it," but I might be wrong. Who knows. :smug:
Click to expand...

Given what I've seen him do, compared to what I can do(I have big hands) I'd say they were about 10 inches thumb to pinky
 
#9
mlcratyea said:
I'm 5'9" & can palm a basketball... Is that big enough to play the bass?
Click to expand...

It's interesting, because palming a basket ball doesn't take hand size as much as it takes gripping it in such a way. ya know?

besides, hand size really doesn't matter too much in bass playing, it can help you do some things, but it won't give you any definite advantage over someone who has smaller hands but more conviction, ya know?
 
#10
Wrong Robot said:
It's interesting, because palming a basket ball doesn't take hand size as much as it takes gripping it in such a way. ya know?

besides, hand size really doesn't matter too much in bass playing, it can help you do some things, but it won't give you any definite advantage over someone who has smaller hands but more conviction, ya know?
Click to expand...

true. Have you seen Adam Nitti's hands? Tiny, but man that cat can do stuff that makes my head spin off... :eek:
 
#13
I think the ideal hand situation would be to have a smaller plucking hand, and a bigger fretting hand.

personally, my fingers get in the way sometimes while slapping and such. and you don't really need long fingers to lay a groove with your plucking hand. So it goes both ways I think, smaller hand people have some slight advantages too.
 
#15
I was hanging with Felix Pastorius a couple weeks ago....and his hands look exactly like his dads! Same finger shape, same double jointed thumbs....SPOOKY!! ANyways, Felix is 6'6"....so his might be a little bigger than his dad's.....but I saw Felix stretching to a few notes that made me look twice.....he's got a 6-7 fret reach in the lower registers!!

But, yes....Adam Nitti, Victor....small hands. Even Steve Bailey has relatively small hands and he's navigating a 6 string fretless!

Aloha, Garey
 
#19
Garey said:
But, yes....Adam Nitti, Victor....small hands. Even Steve Bailey has relatively small hands and he's navigating a 6 string fretless!

Aloha, Garey
Click to expand...

I'm still amazed that he does those 'hazard' exercises on that thing.

but then again, his 6 string has very tight string spacing, but still..wow.
 
#20
I would say my hands are medium sized. I think its an allright size. Big enough to let me do the common stretches but sometimes they come up a bit short on some extremely long stretches, in which case i just simply.. move my hand. So it isnt that bad.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back