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CreepyDarkPrincess

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First of all, a lot of people learn to play on an acoustic guitar which is about 3 times as difficult as an electric guitar. Consequently it is very common to give up. So, if that is you, throw the acoustic guitar away until you have a lot more playing experience and strength in your hands.

With small hands I guess find an electric guitar with a narrow neck. But, yeah, it's still all about practice. You'll have the most fun if you make up your own tunes anyway. In which case, I'd recommend you get into black metal and stick to tremolo riffs played at a million miles an hour, until you go through an avant-garde period later in life.

I have been playing guitar for 30 years and never made it through a cover song ever (although I tried the first 20 seconds of Enter Sandman in 1992 and can still remember it). This is a retarded approach if you actually want to get better and learn solo technique (which I've never done) but it does give one a sense of purity.

Come to think of it, I don't often need to play a barre chord. Play in drop tuning (bottom E tuned down to D) and you can chug away all day and never feel your little fingers are stretching in awkward positions. Some say it is cheating, but you should never care what anyone else thinks when it comes to music.

Playing an instrument is about having fun unless you are hyper-motivated to practice 8 hours a day. 

Good luck!

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  • 11 months later...

For one you can lower the action of your guitar, there will be less tension on the strings. Another thing could be your thumb positioning on the neck. Use a device to strengthen your hands make sure you stretch your fingers well before playing for at least 5 minutes. Look for a neck with a thin radius. I have small hands so I use Jacksons and Schecters, These are a few choices I would pick, hope it help. Also suggest you spend a few hours trying out guitars to see what suits your hands best. Don't feel bad, I learned on a 12 string and it really sucked. :roll:  

Jackson Soloist SL2

PRS SE Custom 24

Schecter Hellraiser C-1

ESP LTD EC-1000

Gibson SG Modern

 

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