Topic: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

This is interesting.  I saw this picture on Reddit.  No description other than the title, which is the same one I used for this thread.

http://i.imgur.com/ZNc36.jpg

I've only been playing for a few years, but I notice the same thing is happening to me.

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Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

I think he is over exaggerating a little. Look at his middle finger. See how it's angled? He is pushing his palm towards the left to get his pinky way out there. That's why the tips are together but not where his fingers meet his hand. Try it, I did the same thing.

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Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

Eh.  Happens to horn players too.  Take a look at a trumpeteer's right hand pinky.  It's stretched WAAAAAY out there, plus a trombonists left thumb.  Both of these from the way the instrument is held.  Anything you do that takes strength and dexterity will affect the body.  If it doesn't, you probably aren't doing it right.

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Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

That may be a little put on, but I do believe that with stretching a lot, your body gets longer to a point.

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Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

Mine got longer protecting my wallet from a money hungry ex-wife.

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Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

OK, well, it obviously wasn't as interesting to others as I thought it was.

When I was growing up my right fingers were longer than my left.  That has changed in recent years.  Currently, with the tip of my left pinky (fretting hand) on the nut, I can reach past the ninth fret with the tip of my thumb.  With my right hand I can get about 8 1/2.  It's a combination of finger elongation and span increase.

"Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid." - Despair, Inc.

Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

So I wonder how many Chordians around the world right now are looking at their hands to see if their fingers have stretched. It worked ith me!
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Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

I think there is truth to flexability of the fingers from playing over a few years, I can reach and play chords from the first fret to the sixth and I have normal or even small hands in comparison to some. smile

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Re: How a guitarist's hand stretches over time

Interesting! I can reach to the 8th fret with my left hand, and about 7 1/2th fret with my right, so you're doing pretty well!

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