I got the idea for this thread from another one on here. Someone mentioned that several guitarists, including Hendrix, Berry, Robert Johnson, and SRV had huge hands. I have long, thin fingers (my ring size is a 6.5 :) ) and in certain situations (such as pinky stretches) it is a plus. Is it that big of a deal though? Django only had 2 fingers and he seemed to do really well, so is having huge hands a big deal? Anyone out there with big (or small) hands have any thoughts?
Big hands help but they only help so much. They come in really handy if you want to play the Hendrix thumb stuff. They are certainly better than hands that are too small.
But look at Ace Frehley - his hands are gigantic and his solos are mostly one string!
First off, I wouldn't brag about 6.5! :) Just kidding....
Though I do NOT consider this guy a great artist, watching a live performance of (of all people!) Roy Clarke showed me that shorter stubby fingers can still fly.
Maybe not the best example, but that guys nubs are shorter than mine and I didn't hear him make excuses ... so I don't.
Django was a great example as well.
Leroy Lanes rocks my world
It was shrinkage! I just got out of the pool......
Well my fingers are really thin and long kinda like Robert Johnson's in a picture I saw of him, too bad I have the fingers and not the talent :) They are piano player's hands I've been told (though I don't play paino). It does seem to help with the thumb over the neck position which I tend to favor over the thumb in the middle of the back of the neck position. It also helps on the blues shuffle pinky stretch type stuff.
Hendrix and Stanley Clarke and Tal Farlow have the biggest hands of any guitar players.
Danny Gatton had short stubby fingers and he burned faster than anyone so who knows?
I can see where a real long thumb like Jimi could come in handy he used his thumb as a barre instead of index finger freeing up the other 4 fingers.
I have big mitts... 13 ring size (wedding ring) and I can stretch 11" from the tip of my thumb to the tip of my middle (or bird) finger..
My play still sucks... ;)
Seriously, I think, like anything, big hands can be a minus too.. I need to have large clubby necks to feel comfortable, and I feel like I'm holding a toothpick with anything smaller and I seem to screw up more on little necks.
-NOCD
Dog Groomer to the Stars
Spose-
I moved to austin in '75. My first nite there I found out Albert King was playing at the original Antones on 6th St. Finally found the club and was sitting there with my scotch and water when I felt a "presence" beside me. Look over and up and up and up. It was Albert King. I slowly got to my feet stuck out my hand. It was engulfed by his. Now, I was 6'2" and about 200 lbs. then and got pretty big hands but that nite they felt like a little girl's hands compared to his.
On the other side Redd Volkaert's got short stubby breakfast sausage fingers and there's Nothing he can't play with those.
trey
If you play bass, I think it's a plus.
For guitar, I always wished my big mitts were a bit thinner. :)
For me, the only advantage is being able to get my longs paws around those big, chunky, toneful neck profiles that I prefer.
Clem Wittler
Hey Spose! I think that's a DI box.Originally posted by Spose
Hey Ken, what is that box behind the bridge?
:rofl[i]PS - you look so young in that pic heehee
Last edited by Ken; 09-04-2002 at 12:54 PM.
"Big hands a big plus? " With the ladies they are. :nelson
I agree with Silvertone re: Redd Volkeart. Check out his website for a look at those fingers. The size of our hands determines the technique we need in order to play what we want. We work with what we were given and I don't think we should feel limited or advantaged by our hand size and capabilities. Just play.
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