bar chords + small hands + ?????

[phenix98]

Hi all, I've just recently started playing the guitar. I've always wanted to, but just didn't have the time to devote. Well, I'm finishing up my degree in two weeks and I'm ready to immerse myself.

The big problem I'm having right now is with bar chords. My hands are really small (yes, I'm female) and it just doesn't seem physically possible to cover so much area with one hand. Any suggestions?

Thanx!

[Pezcore]

what guitar do you play?
if your hands are too small for your current model maybe you should look at one with a thinner neck?

if you already have a thin-necked guitar and your hands are THAT small.... i dunno, maybe some of the others here would be better suited to answer this - i dont play that many bar chords (ever tried barring an acoustic 12 string? pain.) and when i do its on my electric (which is blessed with a nice thin neck anyway.)

plus i have long, thin fingers haha

[marc-antoine]

well, i have small hands too (and i'm a boy...) and i had problem with bar chords, but now with some practicing i can play them (and i'm playing with a classical guitar, with a WIDE neck!!!).
Maybe the position of your hand is wrong... did you read the Jamie andreas articles on this site? there is a good one about the barre chords.

and don't worry, you will be soon able to play these chords... just take the time. (sorry for my english!!):p

[Crazy Fingers]

I strongly believe that small hands are not a handicap when playing the guitar. Perhaps at first, but once you advance I believe that they are an advantage.

My hands are extremely small for a man's, and although I'm not perfect yet, I can usually get at least a decent tone out of barre chords on a 12 string acoustic, and they are no problem at all on a six string.

Turn your hand "outwards" so that you can use the side of your index finger to barre. It is very important to keep your thumb directly behind your barring finger. Push hard on the front neck of the guitar with your hand and push hard on the back of the neck with your thumb. It should hurt, if it doesn't you're not doing it right. You can also push out on the guitar with your body if you must, but I don't recommend doing this... although I find it useful with guitars that are hard to fret.

[jazzman15]

If you're having trouble with bar chords, then you might want to look into alternate voicings for these chords. Freddie Green (the best jazz rhythm guitarist ever to inhabit the earth) used only three-note voicings on the 6th, 4th, and 3rd strings. There's no need to bar, and you don't get such a "muddy" sound.

If you can read sheet music, go to freddiegreen.org.

If not, go to http://jazz-primer.com/Band01.html.

[musiclover]

well. there's this really cool guitarist named jennifer knapp, i dont know if you've heard of her or not, but she has really short fingers! and she's really good, so i guess that means its possible for people with small hands to play bar chords. i think it'll just take practice. bar chords can be tricky, i think everyone struggles with them at first regardless of the size of their hands. you just have to practice, practice, practice.