For a long time I had assumed that one of the difficulties I had playing guitar was that I have short fingers. I finally did a little research and found that my excuse was not based in reality. My fingers are, in fact, slightly longer than average. So I have no excuse for not making those four fret stretches. How do you measure up?
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Mine are shortish chonkers but probably not shorter than average?
Everyone feels their hands are wrong somehow when its more down to hand fitness/stretching and experience.
There are differences between us on this but they will only really matter at the extremes
Iām above average in finger length but below average (IMO) in abilityā¦ why is that??? 
Tod
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How do you measure a finger? From where?
right on the average.
Iām average at everything, so no surprise there 
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Place the ruler between the fingers and press a little to flatten any webbing. Measure to the very tip of the finger. (Most rulers have a .315 cm / .125 in gap on the end that needs to be subtracted.)
I donāt know, but I feel your pain.
Length measured from the webbing between fingers?
The bend point at the palm is the meaningful point for playing guitar.
finger ---- knuckle-to-tip ---- webbing-to-tip
1 ----- 3.5 in ----- 3.2
2 ----- 3.6 in ----- 3.5
3 ----- 3.5 in ----- 3.25
4 ----- 2.9 in ----- 2.7
I can stretch from 7 to 12 on string 5 using fingers 1 and 4. this took me several weeks to adapt my hand so I could play The Jack. I started with trouble not quite making it to fret 11. I have a little left I could work on, but not a lot.
Slight hyperbole, by no means average as a guitar player and singer 
This is interesting. I measured my fingers (coworkers looked suspiciously on me) and I am average and little bit longer and I always thought I got smaller fingers too.
Its great topic, because I am playing on 43mm neck, but my āin eyeā guitar is in 45mm neck.
On which size of neck do you all play with your average fingers?
I am scared 45mm will be too much and I wont be able to play on it. I prefer fingerstyle.
If you have average sized male hands, think about all those women with average sized female hands playing on guitars with a 43 mm neck. 43 or 45 is more about preference than about hand size.
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@LadyOfTheCastle So you think its almost same or at least adaptable? I can remember I was trying many guitars in store, but I did not check parametres and few guitars was really big to me and hardā¦ guess it was 48mm versions. Gonna pay more attention in future, because before I though they are all same size and no more exists.
Thanks for posting Greg, ha, ha!
Iām feeling like another species now, being way above average as a woman 
. The only excuse I have is to be quite tall. Iām feeling like a monster now ! You made my day
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No noā¦see this sweet one with big claws 
And donāt start talking about her long nails that itās not possible because Dolly P. could do it too 
Greetings
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At least, my big paws serve me well when it comes to guitar playing! What a cute kitty cat! Canāt show long nails, as mine are quite short 
. And: Visually, there couldnāt be a bigger gap between Dolly P. and me . Donāt know, if this is good or bad? 
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@Carreta Fretboard width is one part of the feeling of a neck, neck shape is another. Some people prefer thin necks, others prefer fat ones. Some people like narrow fretboards, others prefer more space between the strings. Itās all a question of preference and habit.
Classical guitars typically have wider fretboards. Most sit in the 48-52 range. I donāt think only people with big hands play classical guitar. So yes, I guess everyone can learn to play on a 45 mm neck - it might just not be your preference.
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@LadyOfTheCastle Thats good catch. I can remember my āfirstā guitar after my first ever practice guitar and it was unplayble for me, so I had to put it back. It was harder because I was fresh beginner and I could not test guitar properly so I know it fits to me or not. It was recommended from guy in a store.
Thanks for your tips, I gonna keep them in mind when I visit another store. 
You could probably play in the NBA! Iām working on āIs There Anybody Out Thereā by Pink Floyd. You have to fret string 2 at the first fret and string 4 at the fourth fret. Itās a good stretch.
Hardly!! I consider myself pretty typical for someone about 6ā-3" (190cm). I donāt look anything other than mildly tall with a some old-man-belly starting. 
My wifeās hands are nearly the same size as mine. She can wear my wedding ring, it is just a bit large, but fits. She can wear my watch, again a little loose but fits. Sheās not unusually tall. Top of her head is to my chin.
She is strong as well. We got a new fridge, delivered to the garage. I put it on the hand-truck and went to prep the threshold into the house with a ramp. I turn around to see her coming around the corner with the fridge. I couldnāt help but laugh.
She was about age 60 when she did this. I have never met anyone like her.
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