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I was asking a classical guitarist friend of mine about instances where a half-barre is required for example over strings 4, 3, and 2 while keeping string 1 open to ring (like in that PdL falseta from the jaleo "Olé" which I commented on with photos but have yet to receive responses). I was telling him that my left hand is just too short, altogether, and each of its components (fingers and their segments).
He said, "You need to lengthen your left hand." So I assumed he was joking, but he assured me (with clear photo illustration) that practicing a lot of stretchy pieces and working the left hand hard actually made his left hand LONGER than his right hand.
I use the word "longer" because the fingers actually no longer coincide when the two hands are put together palm to palm. It is obvious that the creases at the finger segments do not align anymore, clearly showing how the left hand and fingers have become longer than the right. He told me that he was not born this way, but this was a result of 5 or 6 years of practice. He told me that other guitarists he knows have experienced this too.
This notion is interesting because those of us that complain of short hands / fingers have hope after all. Surely the hand won't become 3 inches longer, but it does get longer and in my case, maybe that will give me a bit more "finger" to do that half-barre like Paco without having to suffer from it (unless y'all have words of wisdom for me about that issue) or get a narrower string spacing.
What is more interesting to me though is how this happens from a scientific standpoint. We know that the growth plates of bones are sealed by puberty, and thus bones don't usually lengthen after that time. In acromegaly for example (excess growth hormone release by the anterior pituitary gland), the hands characteristically are enlarged, but mostly in width / bulk due to soft tissue effects. Patients with this disease however are said to become taller due to lengthening of bones in the legs...
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Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands
RE: Left (fretting) hand LONGER than... (in reply to rombsix)
I have the same thing, but it is only the upper joint, I think it is the callux, together with the little backwards bent of the top of the finger trough years of playing.
Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 26 2009
From: The land down under
RE: Left (fretting) hand LONGER than... (in reply to rombsix)
Hey Ramzi,
When i put my hands palm to palm "naturally" the left hand fingers appear to be longer than the right. Interestingly the thumb on the right hand seems longer than the left also. However, if i align the fingers at the tip and then align the palms and stretch both hands, the length can be made to appear the same. So that leaves me unsure about the whole thing.
RE: Left (fretting) hand LONGER than... (in reply to rombsix)
The middle, ring and little finger on my fretting hand are indeed longer, most noticeably on the little finger. Strangely my index finger on the PLUCKING hand is longer than on the fretting hand. Its interesting but i would first check if fingers have to be the same length on left and right (my assumption would be no, just like the left and right side of faces, which look completely different). I have no idea what makes it longer, i would guess it is the joint or soft tissue as you said, coz that stretches the easiest. The difference is so small that that could be even possible, having in mind there are 3 joints in the finger and each however small lengthening in a joint would add up quite easily.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Left (fretting) hand LONGER than... (in reply to rombsix)
What a load of bs. Only truth is callouses add a bit of material to the tip, but we are born how we are born in terms of lengths. My 9 year old just pointed out the same thing the other day, fingers are different sizes. Woopy...it don't affect guitar playing AT ALL.
About half barre, there is a trick to it, depends on specific passage. Some students are double jointed and have had other problems, others the joint is so stiff they can't bend at all to do a half barre....at first...but it just takes some time and not easy problem to address here verbally.
RE: Left (fretting) hand LONGER than... (in reply to rombsix)
Holy ****! It turns out the fingers on my left hand are slightly longer as well. I knew I had the same issue with one of my legs. My left is about half an inch longer than my right.
Still I doubt that this impacts playing a lot at all..
Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 26 2009
From: The land down under
RE: Left (fretting) hand LONGER than... (in reply to rombsix)
quote:
Check this out, Kris...
In the photo it looks as though the top hand is relaxed and the bottom stretched. I believe that by aligning the fingers starting at the tip, the person in the photo could consciously stretch the right hand fingers to match the length. I just think the left hand naturally relaxes into a stretched position after years of guitar playing. And then appears longer.
RE: Left (fretting) hand LONGER than... (in reply to rombsix)
quote:
What is more interesting to me though is how this happens from a scientific standpoint. We know that the growth plates of bones are sealed by puberty, and thus bones don't usually lengthen after that time.
differences probably due to soft tissue rather than actual bones being different size. There is a lot of difference possible resulting from what we do and how we do it. The two hands are used very differently
very simply put here
quote:
I just think the left hand naturally relaxes into a stretched position after years of guitar playing. And then appears longer.
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Surely the hand won't become 3 inches longer, but it does get longer and in my case, maybe that will give me a bit more "finger" to do that half-barre like Paco without having to suffer from it (unless y'all have words of wisdom for me about that issue) or get a narrower string spacing. 
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