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?
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?
John A. Karsemeyer
From one with short-fat fingers....I wish I had that problem to find out.
I don't think it matters what size they are,what matters is their dexterity and your skill level..
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.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I read once that Jetheo Burns had very long fingers...worked for him!
2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
Several nice old Fiddles
2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
Deering Classic Open Back
Too many microphones
BridgerCreekBoys.com
Too long fingers is like too much money
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.
• Seagull S8 • Weber Y2K6 • David Hudson Bloodwood Didgeridoo (C#) •
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
WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
----------------------------------
"Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN
----------------------------------
HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
- Advice For Mandolin Beginners
- YouTube Stuff
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
mandolin ~ guitar ~ banjo
"I'm convinced that playing well is not so much a technique as it is a decision. It's a commitment to do the work, strive for concentration, get strategic about advancing by steps, and push patiently forward toward the goal." Dan Crary
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.
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.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
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.
Not all the clams are at the beach
Arrow Manouche
Arrow Jazzbo
Arrow G
Clark 2 point
Gibson F5L
Gibson A-4
Ratliff CountryBoy A
Bookmarks