How Big Should Your Hands To Play Guitar?

If you want to learn guitar but worry about having short or big hands, this article is for you. Here, we will be telling you how big your hands should be to play guitar. There are a lot of stereotypes that will be telling you about your hand size and playing guitar.

For each size of hands, guitars are easily available in the market. But some guitars are big in size and some are small. Acoustic guitars have large bodies and electric guitars have relatively small bodies.

So, if you want to know the right knowledge about your hand size and guitar playing, then follow this article religiously. Below, we are going to mention some facts and myths about hand size and guitar.

Hand size chart for guitar

Can You Play Guitar With Big Hands?

Yes, you can play guitar with big hands. Almost every guitar company produces all sizes of guitar. Usually, 39″ scale length guitars are best for big hands.

Usually, if you are a normal person with small or big hands, you need not worry about the size of your finger; you only need to enter the guitar shop and choose whatever fits the best for you.

However, the size chart is given to provide accuracy to those guitar lovers having any disability, or

injuries of extra-small or extra-large hands. But, if you are a normal person, you can follow this hand size measurement and the hand size chart for selecting the right guitar.

So, for this, first, you need to measure the size of your hands. Take a foot scale/ruler and place your hand on it.

Keep in mind that the tip of your thumb should be on the 0 scales, and the tip of your little or pinky finger must be on the ending scale as per the size of your hands and vice-versa.

After it, measure your hand length in millimeters. Once done accurately, you need to follow the size chart.

• For hands having 250+, the scale length will be 664mm, and the guitar size will be 4/4 or 40 inches.
• For the hand size of 230-250, the scale length will be 656, and the guitar size will remain the same.
• For hands of 210-230, the scale length will be 650mm with the same guitar size.
• For the hands of 190-210, the scale length is going to be 640 with the same guitar size.
• For hand sizes between 170-190, the scale will be 630mm and the same guitar size.
• However, with hands size below 170, the scale length will be 630, and the guitar size will reduce to 7/8 or 37 inches.

Does finger size matter for guitar?

Most people think that the size of the finger matters for the guitar. And, to some extent, this is true. But, even if you have small or large fingers, you can play guitar with ease. Playing guitar does not only depend on your fingers unless you have really small fingers.

Guitar playing is all about practice. In our band, there are two guitarists, one lead and one bass, whose fingers are smaller than other guitarists, but when they are on stage, there is no one better than them. They simply rock the stage. The reason behind it is nothing but their practice.

So, if anyone ever tries to stop you from playing guitar just because you have got extraordinary fingers, reply to them with your practice and jamming.

We do not say that finger size does not affect playing. It does affect playing the sound of the guitar, but only when you are a beginner or you do not practice much.

However, if you are one of those who practice many hours a day, then no matter how small or large your fingers are, you will never face difficulties while playing guitar.

How can I manage to play guitar with short fingers?

This is the issue most people with small fingers face. We have told you that with practice you can play an impressive guitar even if you have got small fingers. But for this practice, you will have to make a lot of compromises.

First, you need to adjust the thumb position while playing if you have got small fingers. There are guitarists who play guitar with their thumb placed entirely behind the fretboard. This is not the wrong way to play guitar, but if you have got small fingers, you cannot play this way.

So, what you will have to do is just place the tip of your thumb behind the fretboard. It must be only that you can get the support for pressing strings while playing guitar. Laying your entire thumb behind the fretboard is only for those who have got big hands.

So, always keep in mind that people with short fingers only need to put the tip of their thumb behind the fretboard for support.

Is it hard to play guitar with big hands?

Not really, but it is true that initially, you will feel a lot of trouble while playing guitar having big hands. We all know that a guitar may have a larger scale and large body, but the width of the fretboard will remain almost the same unless you are playing a 12-string guitar.

So, what will you do if you have big hands? Well, we have already answered your question only if you are reading the article carefully. What you need to do is perform the opposite of what we have suggested to people with small hands and fingers.

So, what you will be doing is, to place most of the part of your hand behind the fretboard and generate as much support as you can. Keep in mind that only your fingers must be above the front of the fretboard.

Doing this will assist you in two ways. First, you will have more support from the back of your hand, and secondly, you will be able to play beautiful music despite your big hands.

So, try this method and let us know how well it worked for you.

Guitar neck shape for large hands

This is one of the most important parts, and we want you to pay utter attention to this phase of the article. Because, if this thing is missed, you will regret getting a new guitar with the wrong type of neck.

The most common guitar neck shapes include V, C, D, and U. But, not all of these shapes are designed for large hands. So, here we will be telling you which and why you should select the guitar neck carefully for large hands.

If you have got large hands and want to play guitar, then there are two types of necks that you can bet on while getting your favorite guitar. The first one is a V-neck and the second one is a U-neck.

The reason for selecting these two necks for large hands is that they have more space between the strings when compared to other types of guitar necks.

With more space between the strings, there are low chances of muting or buzzing any string. So, if you ask us, we suggest you get any of these two necks. However, if you still want us to select only one neck for you, then we ask you to go for U-neck.

Though both of the necks have almost the same string space, some experts say that the U-neck has a slightly higher string space when put in comparison to the V-neck.

We hope that you’ve got your answers, and you will only bet on either V or U neck guitars for large hands.

Why is it important to measure hands while getting a guitar?

Not all human beings are made the same way. We differ in attributes, physiques, and even tone. So, there are also different guitars for different kinds of people. Some prefer sharp-tone guitars, and some get guitars for creating blues music.

But, there are some who get their guitar after checking their hands. Some of the people have either smaller or larger hands than average, and for them, we need to first measure their hand size and then select the right-sized guitar.

Though they select from the same guitar collection as we do, they need size measurement, and they have got extraordinary hands, and not all types of guitars will fit their hands.
So, if you are one of them with a slightly larger or smaller hand, then you also need to follow the above-given method for selecting the right type of guitar.

Can a person with short hands play a normal guitar?

Certainly, any person with short hands can play normal guitar. However, for this, you will have to master the art of playing guitar.

It requires a lot of effort and dedication. But when you have mastered the art of playing guitar, and you know how to play a normal guitar with short hands, then you are good to play any guitar with shorthand.

Are electric guitars hard to play for people with large hands?

Not particularly, but when we compare it with acoustic guitars, the electric guitars are a bit harder to play. The reason behind it is that most of the time, on electric guitar, we play lead songs, and for this, you need to go down on the fret.

This is the point where the fret size is too small to handle.
So, if you have got big hands and you are a beginner, then it will be hard for you to play an electric guitar. Along with it, some of the electric guitars have shorter frets than acoustic guitars.

Does the hand size affect the tonality of the guitar?

The tone of the guitar never depends on the size of the hands of the player. It is related to the style and experience of the player.

There are a lot of stage guitarists with both large and small hands; you will feel no lacuna in the tone of the music.

So, it is a mere myth that guitar tone depends on the size of the hands.
If you can play a good guitar, then no matter what the size of your hands is, you will play amazingly without affecting the tone or the sound of the guitar.

Conclusion

To conclude, it is fine to say that this article is a treasure for those looking to know how big your hands should be to play guitar. Above, we have given our best to school you on everything about playing guitar and the size of your hands.

Whether it is the size chart of hands while selecting the guitar, the tonal effect due to hands size, or the perfect guitar neck while selecting a guitar, we have enriched you with it all.

We believe that you have acknowledged everything that we have mentioned, and you will follow the above-given instructions while selecting a guitar for either big or small hands.

Lastly, we must not leave without saying that if you even have any questions related to the title, do let us know. We’d love to resolve all of your possible issues.