Extra Long Fingers

[JAK]

Are extra long fingers a help or not when fretting? Seems like a help for stretching to 3 or 4 frets apart or more, but what about just one fret to the next one?

[Al Trujillo]

From one with short-fat fingers....I wish I had that problem to find out.

[T.D.Nydn]

I don't think it matters what size they are,what matters is their dexterity and your skill level..

[Jim Garber]

I was thinking of acquiring a set of ELFs but am waiting for Blue Chip to come out with their version, I believe to be introduced at NAMMM in 2019.

[MontanaMatt]

I read once that Jetheo Burns had very long fingers...worked for him!

[Mandoplumb]

Too long fingers is like too much money

[Jess L.]

... but what about just one fret to the next one?

Extra-long fingers are not required, but it won't get in your way either - it's not like the fingers are too long to go only such a short distance.

[Jess L.]

Too long fingers is like too much money

Unless said fingers have bad arthritis. That levels the playing field considerably. Still though, it's all about the technique, how the hand is positioned.

[Mandoplumb]

Unless said fingers have bad arthritis. That levels the playing field considerably. Still though, it's all about the technique, how the hand is positioned.

Arthritic fingers are a pain long or short. I know mine are now so stiff I can barely reach around a guitar neck. Thankfully the smaller mandolin neck is still doable, at least for now.

[yankees1]

I don't think it matters what size they are,what matters is their dexterity and your skill level..

But longer fingers do help !

[James Miller]

And people were wondering what aliens looked like ... look for those extra long fingers... 👽

Someone told me to get a pair of nitrile gloves, fill the extra with something, and try that.

[Mark Gunter]

I'd imagine (strictly conjecture) that if the normal number of fingers are reasonably "long", the length would have pros and cons for fretting a mandolin.

I doubt seriously that any extra, or additonal, long fingers would be of help, since there are only four courses of strings to begin with. They'd probably get in the way.

Sorry, it was too hard to resist that one

[Ryk Loske]

MontanaMatt is right about Jethro. Don Stiernberg's discussion of Jethro's hands is a story worth hearing. Actually any story from Don is worth hearing.

Ryk

[Jess L.]

... I doubt seriously that any extra, or additonal, long fingers would be of help, since there are only four courses of strings to begin with. They'd probably get in the way.

Sorry, it was too hard to resist that one

Ha! I had to re-read that 3 times to finally 'get' it. Lol!

[Tavy]

As someone with very long fingers I would say not-necessarily: it depends on hand width more than finger length. Some folks with wider hands can for example play a G chop without moving their fingers apart hardly at all, those of us with narrow hands (no matter how long the fingers!) have to stretch really hard.

+1 on hand position though - get it right and you can reach for most things no matter what, get it wrong and any kind of reach is simply impossible no matter what your hand size and shape.

[Br1ck]

Very early on, I thought, finally an instrument where little hands would be an asset. Then someone showed me the four string G and said you need to learn this, it's very important.

[Bill McCall]

I can't be part of that research sample, but practice and dexterity (and 3 note chords) go a long way to mitigate a short, 'wide' hand.