How to Find the Correct Guitar Fitting
While it is true that more boys than girls take up guitar as a primary musical instrument, many girls love guitar music, and are eager to explore playing the guitar.
However one difficulty girls and women have with guitars is proper sizing of the instrument, especially at the neck (and fret board) and also at the bottom of the guitar body.
Comfort is crucial to effective practice and playing. In the case of the guitar, it is also important to keep a girl’s interest in the guitar strong. While it might be cheaper and easier for you to give your daughter, niece or friend a guitar that has been laying since 1969, it is not likely to fit her hands comfortably.
For this reason, it is best to entice the new female guitarist with a new, well-fitted guitar. While an expensive guitar might catch your eye, or even her eye, a first guitar does not have to be a Martin. As with any major purchase, shop around. Many guitar companies have taken women’s needs into account in designing some of their instruments.
Look for models with 000, the word “folk,” or even at certain companies’ guitars. For example, Sierra’s guitars are nearly all designed specifically for women. Fender has a line of small (more for young girls, under the age of 9 or 10) electric Hello Kitty guitars. But unless the guitar fits well, it will simply be a dust collector, and not a cherished friend.
Price is often the extent a would be guitarist looks at before buying a guitar. But fitting for a first guitar, along with discipline, will ensure that the young female guitarist develops excellent form, good practice habits, and confidence in herself as a guitarist. To fit a first guitar, have the girl sit with the guitar, holding the neck and balancing the guitar over her right leg (if she is right handed).
Does the guitar fit well on her lap? Can she fret the strings without stretching on each of the six strings? Can she fret the strings at the first, second and third frets without any buzzing or damping of the sound? If the price is right, and you are willing, you have taken the steps necessary to launch a new female guitarist.
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