No, it doesn't bug me.
I consider myself a beginning intermediate guitar player.
This is the problem: because my fingers must stretch to reach some chords, one or more of the notes sound sharp. It's difficult to develop a lighter touch, because when you're forcing a finger to be longer than it is, some of the other fingers naturally push too hard on one or more frets and produce sharp notes.
Must I go to a "vintage" size, slender fret at .36 high? What's the maximum lowest fret one can go to with this challenge? I like low action and medium jumbo frets, but the medium jumbos don't like me, and I don't want my leads hampered by rubbing against the fingerboard.
This is important to me, because I'm learning a lot about lead and theory. If I can hear a chord in my head, I can find it; same with a lead.
I welcome everyone's help on this.
FlyOnTheMoon
Your lucky, I'm a motorcycle tech and my fingers are fat
Sorry you haven't had much of a response. I also have small hands and rather short fingers, being a petite woman. How long have you been playing? I ask because stretches that seem impossible, or nearly, really can get easier. There are some pretty amazing female players who have small hands, Muriel Anderson being one. There are ways to learn to use the hands we have to their full potential. You may want to check out some videos of players wth small hands and really pay attention to how they position the left hand. Taking lessons can also be of great benefit. A teacher can help you learn to finger the fretboard as efficiently as possible. Another advantantage of the guitar is the ability to play notes in different places. If a stretch on the piano is too wide, there isn't really anything to be done, but many times a phrase or chord on a guitar can be played in a way that is easier. I recently did this with a classical piece I like. Finally decided that no amount of practice was ever going to make one measure playable, and figured out a much easier fingering for those notes. No, you don't have to be limited to small guitars, but if you're generally a small person, you may feel more comfortable with smaller bodies. I, personally, do not like playing dreads, but am fine with the GA body size. ( Not really that much smaller, but the curved in 'waist' makes it more comfortable.) but don't give up on playing a guitar you otherwise like until you've addressed some of these other issues.
Keep playing and don't give up!
A teacher can help you learn to finger the fretboard as efficiently as possible. Another advantantage of the guitar is the ability to play notes in different places. If a stretch on the piano is too wide, there isn't really anything to be done, but many times a phrase or chord on a guitar can be played in a way that is easier. I recently did this with a classical piece I like. Finally decided that no amount of practice was ever going to make one measure playable, and figured out a much easier fingering for those notes.
Good advice here. I teach a number of female students of various ages with small hands; sometimes you've just got to play it somewhere else on the neck or drop a string out of a chord or let go of a bass harmony before you want to.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
