I have short fingers! Do I need a short scale guitar?

I don't think it's any coincidence that the majority of world class guitarists seem to have preternaturally long slender fingers - there are just some physical attributes that seem to have been designed for specific activities and this seems to be one of them for classical guitar playing.  However there are many of us who haven't been so blessed... does this make it impossible to play well?  And assuming we are not trying for the impossible, what will make it easier?

I get the impression that amateur acoustic guitarists spend a lot more time fussing about size and shape of their guitars than do classical guitarists.  After all there are a lot more options available - sizes from parlor to jumbo-sized and numerous configurations of scale length, neck shape,  nut width and string spacing.  I must admit to having paid more than passing attention to this myself, having been born with short stubby fingers.  As a result I've come to some conclusions that seem to hold true most of the time.

• Scale length most definitely makes a difference for people with small hands (and here you have to define small - my fingers are not especially short for a woman, but they are probably as short or shorter than most people of the male persuasion). It seems that there are few penalties sound-wise for playing a 640mm rather than a 650mm guitar and 640mm guitars do seem to be becoming increasingly available.  On the other hand reducing the scale to 630mm often is associated with a slightly smaller guitar, which could potentially affect the sound.  I'm not a luthier so would appreciate more information on this point - I don't know if the size reduction is necessary or if its simply because people wanting a short scale guitar also want smaller guitars. In any case, my 630mm guitar is indeed about a cm shorter than my regular scale length guitar.  
• That being said, some short scale guitars are not significantly easier than regular scale guitars because of other factors - for instance a chunky neck. Many classical guitars seem to have necks that are a flattened D-shape, but vertical sides do make it more difficult to reach around. Similar issues with a deeper neck.  For me the easiest to play necks are shallow with sloping sides (more like a flat C-shape than a D-shape).
• The other major factor is nut width - maybe even more so than scale length.  it's obviously harder to reach the bass strings on a guitar with a wider nut.  Depending on the amount of room  taken up by your finger ends, a 50mm or even smaller neck may substantially improve reachability. Most of us don't have the luxury of specifying neck width however, and most guitars are 52mm. But, even on a regular width neck, you can have a new nut built with tighter string spacing. My main classical just got back from the shop having the string spacing reduced from 43 mm to 41 mm and it has definitely improved access.  Coincidentally it has also made descending slurs on the top E string easier - I think the E string was too close to the edge before so the mod has been doubly helpful.   I've also heard that offsetting the strings slightly towards the treble side can help...I haven't tried that, but I may yet reduce the string spacing another mm and offset the change so everything moves towards the treble string.  And if it doesn't work it's not a big deal - one good thing about modifying nuts is if you don't like it, it's not permanent - you can replace the original nut without even taking the strings off :) Bear in mind that changing the string spacing may change the way you fret barre chords because of the creases in your fingers.
• * An instant way to assess the effect of scale length (and to put in perspective the effect you can expect from a 640mm or 630mm guitar) is to put a capo on the first fret, which brings the perceived scale length from 650 all the way down to 615mm ... however this is offset by the wider neck width. It's never really worked for me not to mention it puts the dots on the side of my guitar in the wrong place :( 
• Hand position and how much you can stretch makes a big difference. I'm sure like me you've noticed you can reach things now that seemed impossible when you first started playing - practice certainly improves strength and flexibility, though sadly it has done absolutely nothing for my finger length ;)  I believe regular stretching exercises can also help -  there are a lot of stretching videos on the web, but you might check this one out from a physical therapist, particularly if you have any nagging aches and pains  from sore tendons https://youtu.be/brPzQdBaSjg  While I'm thinking about it, there is an excellent video on finger dexterity available - https://youtu.be/HWmDbbYH1OQ?list=PLF6196E9CC6F6371E
• It goes without saying that if your guitar is not set up properly and the strings are too far above the fretboard, the guitar will be difficult to play regardless of other factors.
• Once everything else is optimized,  lower tension strings also make things easier to fret.
• Whatever anyone tells you - 1mm difference in nut width or distance between frets really does make a difference, though it may not be noticeable to those who are not struggling to reach.

Guitar/music camps for adults - why go?

I must admit I am an addict of adult music camps of all sorts - guitar, folk music, a mix of crafts and music....  Ok so they aren't for classical guitar - in fact I rarely see anyone else with a classical guitar at these camps, so why go?  I guess if you are a dedicated classical guitarist who has no interest in other types of music, there may not be much to interest you musically. On the other hand the amateur guitarists I meet generally have wide-ranging musical tastes, and this is a golden opportunity to discover other musical genres up close, or even add to the type of music we play.  I have been to a number of different camps now and each offers something but they all seem to have one thing in common.  Most of the participants are older - most likely because we finally have the time to indulge our hobbies now our children or careers are not consuming most of our spare time and energy.  This gives us a rare opportunity as adults to meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds with similar interests.  Looking back, perhaps the last time most of us were in that situation was in college.  Unlike college however, we are there because we have made an active choice to switch gears and go back into learning mode.  There is usually the option to stay in a dorm room inexpensively - I've tried it, and that's one aspect of college living that I can do without, so I often stay in a local bed and breakfast, although if you want to take part in early morning yoga or late night jamming staying on-site is a better choice.

So what exactly can we gain by going to these camps?  When I first started to go I thought I would  learn a lot of new guitar techniques and 'instantly' become a better guitarist.  I should have known that nothing is instant on the guitar, and the chances of achieving a breakthrough in an hour or a week are remote :( Even the week-long camps, where you take an hour or hour and a half group lesson with the same instructor each day,  it can only scratch the surface of a new skill.  However what it can do is expose you to new ways of thinking, new methods you may wish to develop over time, new types of music you might want to play, new resources you haven't heard about.  I personally found that I would really like to add some Bossa Nova to my repertoire once I get the hang of those jazz chords - added bonus - usually played on a nylon string guitar :) I certainly got a new appreciation for jazz and blues guitarists! I discovered that old-time music, although not to my personal taste, is a great way to practice listening to chord changes (there are usually not too many options) and celtic music is a good way to listen to modal playing. As for bluegrass - let's just say that watching the incredible speed of play makes a good spectator sport.

The camps often offer music theory classes, too and they can add insight or suggest ways to practice some aspect of theory you may be working on.  I have been to a couple of camps this summer and found many things taught that were directly applicable to classical guitar.  A class on flat picking (not so easy on a nylon string, but possible) used scales and scale patterns to practice basic picking - got to work on that  - a class on Indian Classical Music introduced complex rhythms, with lots of in-class practice - not so easy!.  There was a whole series on modes,  and the jazz instructor went to great lengths to discuss how to pick which inversion to use when selecting jazz chords... and those are just the classes I went to. Other opportunities have included how to record yourself, performance practice (guess who's too cowardly to take that one), composition, harmony...  A word of warning - in the week long camps it's tempting to fill up the day with classes - it's so hard not to take every opportunity.  However I have found it best to leave at least one session free so you can go over/practice the new things that were introduced in class because classes often move fairly fast and cover a lot of ground in one week.

Folk camps also offer the chance to try other musical instruments - ever wanted to try a banjo? violin? ukulele? tin whistle? native american flute? bodhran?  Many offer the opportunity to spend an hour trying one, or beginner classes to get you started.  Personally I only have time for one
instrument with a long learning curve.  On the other hand I found the tin whistle is easy to pick up and play simple tunes on if you have had experience with another wind instrument.

Combined camps (such as the Traditions camps offered by CommonGroundOnTheHill) also offer

my flute

varied crafting opportunities and lectures on topics ranging from philosophy to social activism.  There tend to be more couples at these camps because there is something offered to interest almost everyone.  I gravitate towards those relating to music - I actually made my own Native American flute at Traditions camp.  Sounds pretty good too even if I say so myself, and I'm tempted to challenge myself with the bodhran next time.

Let's not forget the concerts.  There are usually concerts with the guest artist-teachers every night included in the cost of the camp - what a treat!  And the opportunity to jam into the wee hours with professionals if you have the stamina and can pick up and play with others.

And back to my original thought - these camps are a great opportunity to meet a wide variety of people, meet new friends and maybe even find someone to play along with.  Happy camping!


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How I found the right teacher

This really goes back to when I first decided to learn guitar for real - after my spouse voiced the opinion that I should take lessons if I wanted to do 'it' properly.  I had this little video playing in my head from back when I was doing an externship overseas many years ago: we had so much fun hanging out with the guy with the guitar - the music was the magnet that pulled the students together. I wanted to be that person.   Fast forward a few decades to 3 years ago, and I had a guitar, and I wanted to learn.  For real.  So I looked online for a guitar teacher and found someone only a mile from where I live. Online reviews were positive and he actually said he took adult students. Great!  I carted my rather large steel string guitar to him and after suffering through the sore and bleeding fingers stage, applied myself to learning some tunes.  Though I didn't know much about guitars, I do know I don't have a great singing voice and I really love melodies, so I made it clear what I wanted.   To learn fingerstyle, fingerpicking, whatever it's called.   All started off well, he was a truly nice young guy who played in a local band, could definitely play melodies, and did his best.  The trouble was, his best was demonstrating how the melody sounded and asking me to do it.  If I was having trouble he told me to do it again.  I didn't get feedback on what I was doing wrong, how I should practice something, what I needed to do to fix things.  I consulted with my friends - what could be the issue?  I liked the guy but I didn't feel like he was teaching me anything I couldn't do on my own.  Perhaps he was nervous about actually telling me I was doing things wrong, they suggested.   "Just tell him it's OK to criticize".  So I did.  But nothing changed.   I had a lot of angst now - this wasn't what I wanted, I needed to move on, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings.  Looking back I realize this was silly - it was a business relationship and he wasn't a good fit for me. Nevertheless I chickened out and told him I needed to take a break, and looked for another teacher.

Next time around I checked in with a mom and pop "music school" about half an hour away.  Yes they had guitar teachers who taught fingerstyle.  I wondered - did they have someone older, with more experience teaching as opposed to just playing in a band?  Yes they did, if I didn't mind long hair.  Strange question I thought, but let's face it, I don't care what his hair looks like (yes it was a guy) providing he can teach guitar.   At first everything went well.  My new guitar teacher did indeed have very long hair, but more importantly had been trained in classical guitar at one time.  He was older, friendly, and did a much better job at teaching me basics, though admittedly in a somewhat haphazard fashion.  I learned what Giuliani arpeggios were,  began to learn a simple Beatles arrangement and felt I was making progress.  Then things started to go wrong.  My new teacher started to turn up for lessons without a guitar - OK he could demo on mine.  He was late, sometimes very late.  OK - I waited,  and he always made up the time.  Sometimes he seemed a bit spaced out and the black fingernail polish was weird -  but maybe that was just me.  Then one time he didn't turn up at all.  I wasn't happy having made the hour long round trip and I was fed up with not knowing what to expect...  I made my feelings known. I continued to go but yet again started looking for a new teacher.

Once again my husband chimed in.  "you know there's a proper music school in town - why don't you take lessons there?"  Well I had the answer for that.  "They only teach classical guitar and I don't want to learn classical it's too serious."  He persisted saying that I could just "get the basics" then return to fingerstyle when I had a good grounding.  I wasn't convinced, but signed up for adult group guitar lessons for beginners, which were heavily discounted so I didn't feel I had much to lose.  I was a little worried because I only had a steel string guitar, but the only prerequisite was a guitar of some sort and a footstool.  The lesson turned out to be really great.  There were 5 of us, and we started with the basics, including reading music, how to make the guitar sound sweet and how not to hurt our hands and wrists. I learned more in the first 2 lessons than I had in the previous 6 months.  The teacher could play like an angel, had an engaging personality, and more importantly, knew how to teach.  I enquired about private lessons, but as there were no vacancies till the next semester I continued with my private teacher.  However within a couple of months he again failed to show for a lesson, so  I called it a day.  This time I told him why I was quitting - I needed someone who was reliable - and I registered for classical lessons with the music school teacher.  Which turned out to be the beginning of the end of my acoustic playing.  My steel string got replaced with a classical.  Initially I still had the intention of switching back to steel string when I had mastered "the basics" but it turns out I may study for years and still not acquire them.  No mind - I am totally in love with the sound of the classical guitar, and am happy working towards making that kind of  music.   And I'm more than satisfied with my teacher, 2+ years later - he seems to take the outsized expectations and undersized abilities of adult students in his stride and still get them to make progress.  I look forward to my lesson every week and do my best not to screw up too badly.

So what do I take from this?
- Taking music lessons is a business relationship.  You might be friends with your teacher, but the bottom line is you are buying a service and that service has to meet your needs. If it isn't working, it may even be helpful to tell your teacher why it hasn't worked out for you - assuming you have a good relationship that is.

Your teacher has to have professional ethics - be dressed appropriately, polite, reliable and encouraging not punitive.

- You have to be comfortable with your teacher.  Personally I think you have to like them - as an adult there's a social component to taking lessons and I certainly wouldn't want to take lessons with someone I didn't like or respect, although I could see taking a few lessons with someone I didn't like if they were teaching me something I really wanted to know.  However, I doubt it would be a long term relationship.

- You have to be taught what you want to learn.  It's OK if learning something is a means to an end ( a lot of classical guitar seems to be like that) but guitar playing encompasses a huge number of genres and you're not likely to want to stick with it if it isn't meeting your musical needs.

- The bottom line is, the teacher has to be able to teach.  Some of the most brilliant players suck at teaching, whereas there are outstanding teachers who may not be destined for greatness.  I would pick the good teacher any day.  After all, I'm not destined for greatness either :)