I have noticed that earlier with some other lessons as well but now with power chords am really struggling:
Reaching the frets as needed is a real struggle. In M4 I repeatedly are reminded to not bend my wrist too much, but I can only reach the E or A string if I really bend it. Stacking fingers is not an option, I am happy if they reach the right fret without interfering with the string above. And I feel left out when I get the feeling that who worked on this course didn’t think of that.
I know I am not the only one with small(er) hands. I can see that Alex has larger hands, but not all people are large and not everybody has long fingers, so I really miss that he is addressing those as well.
So here I am and I come to you and ask for your advice.
I am sure it takes patience and repetition. But is there other tricks? How do you deal with wrist pain?
What I would advice you to do, is before you start, do some light stretching of your fingers and hands. Then, without strumming, just try and reach the chord.
Learning something like this takes time and your hands and brain needs to adapt. Take it slow, don’t get discouraged and when you feel pain, stop, take a break and observe your hand positions. Then get back into it.
Also, when I started learning bass, I was sure I was destined to fail, as I also don’t have super large hands. I could not do 1 fret per finger. In time my hands have become much more flexible, to the point I’m able to do a 5 fret stretch with index and pinky to reach the 2-6 fake harmonic in portrait of Tracy by Jaco Pastorius. Don’t give up.
I know I’m a larger-handed individual, but I still have some tips for ya.
Wear a strap and have your guitar sit a little higher than you currently have it. This should allow your fretting forearm to have a slightly upward angle when reaching toward the neck. This could help you get your hand in better position on the fretboard so you don’t have to painfully drop your wrist to an extreme angle.
Do some dexterity exercises with your fretting fingers. I like to go through each finger and separate it from the rest individually. Start with your fingers together > pull your index finger away from the other three, and then bring it together > separate index and middle from ring and pinky (Star Trek hands), and bring them back together > pull your pinky away from the other three, then back together. You may not be able to do them all easily right away, but you want to try to get your hand/fingers to do those motions all on their own (rather than forcing them apart with your other hand).
Use two finger power chords until you’re feeling stronger/more comfortable, then go back the three finger version.
As others have mentioned, it takes time for fretting to feel natural. Be patient, keep working, and try to keep having fun. I hope this helps
I use these guys for dexterity and stretching. Most joints have agonist and antagonist muscles, and string instrument players are doing lots of flexion (like biceps and hamstrings) and very little strengthening on their extensors (like triceps and quads). Playing a lot of guitar or bass without stretching and strengthening your extensors is like going to the gym and only working chest.
I use these things, but I don’t use the finger holes. I just flip them inside out and do a few sets before I play. It helps not only build flexibility, but strengthens that movement. They’re cheap too.
I will try to readjust my positioning. I might have it sitting a little low atm because when I first set it up it put pressure on my breasts and hurt. But I’ll definitely experiment with that and try to find a compromise and will start the stretching/exercise you described as well.
Ah! I wasn’t considering this with my first tip, so it might not a great option for you. Please let me know how it goes, so that I know whether or not to give this as a tip in the future.
