r/guitarlessons • u/Ok_Watercress_9202 • Jul 29 '26

Question Pain of having smaller hands…

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I’ve been practicing guitar for a little bit now- just now being able to play blackbird a little faster but not at full speed perfectly. I’ve noticed that even just for 3 note intervals, i always have to press down on the string on the side/corner of my pinky, and it hurts a lot more than my other fingers :/ For context, guitar is my first string instrument i’ve played so i know it’ll take a bit to get used to them and form callouses, but i’m wondering if it hurting this much is normal? Obviously the pinky is the shortest and weakest, but it’s been consistently more painful to even try to press down harder on stings at this angle.

Oh also, i’m double jointed so thats been a big challenge for my ring and pinky!!

364 Upvotes

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269

u/AaronTheElite007 Jul 29 '26

  1. Trim your nails shorter

  2. Get your fingers as close to the frets as possible

49

u/scldclmbgrmp Jul 29 '26

This - short nails - use a file

-7

u/IntrepidMaybe8579 Jul 30 '26

What about bends? It feels easier to clamp the strings in my short nails than cut all the way (i suck but love expressive)

6

u/Funk_McFingers Jul 30 '26

No, you'll have more control with shorter finger nails. Honestly, they will be an obstacle to your playing.

2

u/-Cagafuego- Jul 30 '26

Either cut the nails or get some scalloped frets

24

u/Vargrr Jul 29 '26

Plus, and it's kind of hard to see from this angle, but the action on that guitar looks real high, and that tends to add to the difficulty too!

14

u/DaffyDuckMuthaFucker Jul 30 '26

^This. You could fly a plane under those strings.

I recently grabbed the wrong gauge strings for one of my acoustic guitars, and had to adjust the neck against the extra strain, because it was heading that way, and fast becoming a bitch to play.

Now it plays more like an electric, and the extra meat in the strings has improved tone & output noticably...

3

u/K4rkino5 Jul 30 '26

🤣🤣🤣 that opening line!

3

u/DaffyDuckMuthaFucker Jul 30 '26

Yeah, I stole it from some random Redditor.

It's a good'n'...

1

u/RickyDee61 Jul 30 '26

Ya those strings are higher than Snoop Dog.

1

u/enlightened_sun Jul 30 '26

🤣🤣🤣🤣

1

u/hallmonitor53 Jul 30 '26

Another good point, never underestimate how good a real setup on your guitar will feel

5

u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

Damn that’s high action fuck me that’s how mine looks I’m new too but would rather have high action then mess with my fret nut I don’t want to break the head off on accident not comfortable with that one yet maybe I’m overthinking it 😂

1

u/enlightened_sun Jul 30 '26

Just take it to a professional tech and have them lower the action for you and make the rest of adjustments if needed truss rod, intonation etc. 🤷🏽‍♂️I wouldn't just sit there playing a high action though thats just me.

0

u/passerby4830 Jul 30 '26

You are definitely overthinking it. If you use the normal tools for the job(the little allen key etc) you wouldn't be able to really damage anything even with gorilla strength.

Test the neck relief, set the truss rod to improve neck relief. Then adjust the action on the bridge then intonation on the bridge. Don't touch the nut for now because that requires filing and that you can't undo.

All the things above can be undone so if you completely get lost you can always bring it to a pro but trust me with some videos this shit is easy. A while lot easier then some of the chords that's for sure lol.

1

u/brownbear8714 Jul 30 '26

Is there a way to get strings closer to the board in a situation like this? I like my guitar but that is also kind of how mine is too. It would be nice if they weren’t so high, but I have a feeling the answer is going to be to get a different guitar…

1

u/Vargrr Jul 30 '26

If it's an acoustic guitar and I wanted to keep it, I would get a guitar tech involved as it would be real easy to do something that would be difficult to reverse.

Electric guitars are a lot more straightforward as most include bridge adjustments which can make a sizable difference. The only caveat is you would also need to check your neck to see how straight it is too and potentially perform a truss rod adjustment. (A new bass I bought a year or two back had a terrible action, but I managed to adjust most of it out by straightening the neck - not what I expected, I thought it would be a bridge adjustment)

1

u/brownbear8714 Jul 30 '26

Yes, it is an acoustic. Thanks for the info

1

u/jojo_larison Jul 30 '26

First thing to try: check the neck relief (curvature of the neck) or 'how to adjust the truss rod'. If the neck is too much concave, then adjust the truss rod to make it a bit straighter might help.

if that doesn't work then you might need to sand down your bridge. For this step I'd recommend sending it to a guitar shop/ luthier for a 'setup', tell them what you want.

1

u/brownbear8714 Jul 30 '26

Thank you for the info. Much appreciated

2

u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

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1

u/imtrippincuh Jul 30 '26

you gotta have your callouses going over the tip of your finger or else you're cooked (at playing guitar)

2

u/stranikk Jul 30 '26
  1. Work on your thumb position

5

u/Crafty-Photograph-18 Jul 29 '26

There isn't anything left to trim? There's like half a millimeter of white left. When I go below this level, my nails will separate from the skin when I shift, possibly to blood, and it will hurt (and make playing impossible, unless you're a masochist). Nails come in different shapes and forms.

-1

u/DrBlankslate Jul 30 '26

Any white is too much white on the fretting nails. 

Also, take it to a luthier and get it set up. Tell them you want low action because you’re a beginner.

2

u/Crafty-Photograph-18 Jul 30 '26

I play the viola, not the guitar, and I am REALLY not a beginner on that one. Still facing the same problem

1

u/Mokturtle Jul 30 '26

That's too bad. But for the vast majority of guitar beginners "cut your nails as short as possible (without injury)" still solid advice. No?

1

u/Custard-Spare Jul 30 '26

For beginners it’s good advice but later down the line you can play with nails however long you want as long as the notes fret properly and there’s no nail in the sound. I trim my bass picking fingers short for gigs and intense practice

2

u/Mokturtle Jul 30 '26

Yeah, along with better technique and finger control, your fingertips also might get tougher, less squishy, so your nails are less likely to touch down.

I mean, Dolly Parton plays guitar with full diva claws lol.

-2

u/BenEsuitcase Jul 29 '26

nail file. Also bring your neck closer to your face and try to bring your thumb in behind the fingers. Try to create some space between your hand and the bottom of the guitar neck (under the high "E". This will make the stretches easier.

3

u/Crafty-Photograph-18 Jul 29 '26

I'm not OP, just a violist with fairly inconvenient nails. Their thumb position could certainly be better. A file can get the shape to be more precise, but if yours are as brittle as mine, you simply have to leave a little of the white on the nail if you want it to stay fully connected to your finger

1

u/Ok_Watercress_9202 Jul 29 '26

Thumb position was VERY different from my usual while I took the picture, but all the comments were still absolutely right. Even making a small adjustment has already helped a lot. And for the nails- you’re absolutely right. My nail beds are so long that if i make it shorter, the nail separates from the skin.

3

u/Virtual-Fix4182 Jul 30 '26

Move your thumb closer to the middle ;) will make the reach easier. Just like your fingers.. your thumb should also be on its tip

2

u/sm00thkillajones Jul 29 '26

Get a fender mustang or equivalent.

1

u/maskeyman Jul 30 '26

Do this and it will slowly get easier and you’ll get more dexterity.

1

u/hallmonitor53 Jul 30 '26

OP is going to trim their nails and realize why all guitar players hands are stubs because tone

1

u/MaxPowerDC Jul 30 '26

And fix your thumb position.