I just went back to the video “Pentatonic Puzzle Solved” and I noticed it’s a Mustang you’re playing Troy, which has a shorter scale I think (24"). That might make it easier to do the longer stretches too. 
1 Like
Yes I play shorter scale guitars but it’s because the whole instrument is smaller, not for the scale. The scale length doesn’t make much practical difference. If you capo your 25.5" guitar at the second or third fret, then presto change-o, you have a Mustang!
Do you have a problem playing the typical fingerings you would find in a diatonic or pentatonic scale, and are you sure it has to do with finger length? Or are you just worried that you might have a problem doing this down the line? Because I really wouldn’t worry about things if they’re not actually problems yet. Chances are good your finger lengths will pose zero issues for most things you want to play.
2 Likes
It’s the latter, I just have concerns I’ll have problems down the line. To be honest, I’ve got the rhythm guitar stuff down decently but I lack knowledge of scales, modes, arpeggios, etc. I can play a major scale from all over the fretboard and I learned the major and minor pentatonic scales years ago but never learned how to use them. I was able to teach myself the “chorus” to Cliffs of Dover, I found that one of the other parts I tried to learn was quite a stretch of the fingers.
I’ve been able to take advantage of your Cracking the Code program so far to aid with my picking though. I couldn’t even do upstrokes consistently until I learned about downward pick slanting. Thanks so much for confidence boost everyone!! Nice to be able to talk with you Troy! My next step is looking for some instructional material on scales, modes, etc while working on your program to improve my picking.
1 Like
I don’t think I would even worry about half of that stuff yet, some of that just comes with time and exposure. Honestly I would only start concerning yourself with things you like and would enjoy playing. If you like shreddier stuff, start with short one or two string sequences, or two string arpeggios then slowly elongate them into longer sequences and see where that goes. There’s really no need to cram a whole undergrad theory course in there right away.
3 Likes
Yes. Slightly less than 2’’. Moreover it’s deformed since it was restored from pieces after one nasty injury.
Well… I never had an intention to become a shredder. But after hanging on this forum I learned couple of tricks that might impress people (only those who can’t play guitar 
)
The thing is - some patterns don’t require your pinky being long. Some do. For example some Gilbert’s stuff is a no go for me. Also barre with pinky is impossible for me since my finger cannot get straighten (and it lacks some flesh in the middle).
But I can play scale runs moderately fast (~180bmp), I can do one string tremolo, I can sweep a little. And then, when I combine those thing I get fast sounding soloes.
There’s that thing that I call ‘paradox of learning’. The less a person is focused on a result and the more he’s enjoying the process itself - the better he gets. So my advice is: just try to do it. It wouldn’t hurt (if you don’t overdo it of course). In the worst case scenario you just won’t get any results… though it’s unprobable. Some things would definitely improve, like hands coordination, picking precision, fretoard knowledge etc since those are not related to your pinky size.
3 Likes
I started writing my reply yesterday but then had to leave my pc, I see you got a lot of great advice in the meantime In any case, here’s my 0.02 for completeness!
I think this question has a sort of phylosophical problem (is that the right word? In any case, I mean this as a positive as I’ll try to explain 
)
Essentially, “shredding” and “practice” are terms that are thrown around a lot in guitar culture but are extremely vague, and don’t really tell you what do do when you pick up a guitar. It’s a bit like saying “I want to study so I can be good at Maths”. Compare that to the more clearly actionable: “I want to be able to solve exercises 1-10 from my trigonometry book and understand the related concepts”.
Back to guitar Most shredders have a specific vocabulary: Joe Satriani can’t play Malmsteen (YJM), YJM can’t play Satriani. Even when we restrict to specific types of mechanical strategies (e.g. upstroke escape), Eric Johnson and YJM play completely different things, and I am pretty sure they can’t cover each other’s songs. TLDR: every player has some sort of limitation and they tend to develop their “virtuoso vocabulary” around that.
So, you can develop your own way to shred by putting together licks and riffs that are comfortable for you to play. You don’t have to do things like some other player does. Maybe you’ll find a difficult stretch, and you’ll find a different way to play it with — say — two-handed tapping.
The only logical way forward is just to start playing some music that you like, and approach challenges one by one as they show up. Maybe you’ll have to re-arrange some licks to avoid uncomfortable stretches. Maybe you can write your own variations that are more comfortable for you to play and sound even cooler than the originals
Edit: I always like to bring up Andy James in these discussions, as he very explicitly admits that he can’t do certain things and has developed some very cool workarounds. I don’t think anyone listening to Andy James will think: “hey, this guy is clearly avoiding to play technique XYZ, and because of that he sound bad” 
6 Likes
Agree. For example when I need to play pentatonic stuff faster I prefer to use 2.5 nps instead of typical 2 nps. And thus I have not just different technique but also a different sound, since some things are easier to do in one way and others - in another way.
1 Like
I have a short pinky as well. Would recommend playing 22.5 to 24" scale guitars; 24.75 is stretching it, and 25.5 is essentially unplayable for me. Lower register 3NPS scales are going to be challenging, but not impossible. Contrary the posters here, I do think it is a disadvantage compared to having a pinky that is inline with the rest of your fingers. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t work-arounds or enough musical ideas to make learning to shred a waste of time.
2 Likes
I know its not your goal but that upsets me because I just bought an expensive full scale length guitar. I’ve always played full scale length but I’ve never tried to play fast. There doesn’t seem to be many quality smaller scale guitars out there either. Now I’m wondering if I should I return my Ibanez RG? 
I just measured mine. I’m under 2.5 inches. Tbh I never even thought about it. I have three main guitars that I play, I don’t know how long their necks are. I just play what I can on each one and if a fingering isn’t working, I just find another way.
2 Likes
No reason to give it back if you like it!
Do you have a time limit for returning it? If so, I would make to most out of this time to try and play some “shreddy” things of your choice on the 25’5, and checking if indeed you run into problems because of the overall size of the guitar.
Try different positions too: standing up with a strap (try different strap lengths), sitting down with guitar on the right leg and also on the left leg (classical-style).
If you find a setup that’s comfortable, then you’re good
It is now time to try and see how it goes I can see you are a MiM member, have you already tried the experiments “testing your motions” and “unlock the tremolo” sections?
2 Likes
I only have 45 days to return it. I’ll need to review those two experiments again. I’ve tried some different positions too and those definitely help. I honestly love this new guitar. The way it plays, the way it sounds, it’s just incredible. I feel like if Li-Sa X at 8 years old, with what looks like a pinky as long or shorter than mine can shred on a full size guitar, so can I.
4 Likes
This is getting kind of absurd. I doubt this matters in practice, what does is how independently you can move them, and that takes time and practice. If you can span a 5 fret stretch on the lower frets, as your picture indicates, No need to buy a different guitar with a shorter scale or any of that. You already have 90% of the stretch you will likely ever need or use.
Enjoy your new guitar, and then worry about this stuff if it actually becomes an issue on your guitar journey, right now it just sounds like an obsessive compulsive speculation.
1 Like
In the photo, it looks like you can cover the first 3 steps of the major scale from the F on the low E string (whole-step whole-step stretch). While there are tricky licks where the ability to stretch even further is desireable, I think the main milestone for “should I use a shorter scale length” is whether you can comfortably and quickly do a “whole-step whole-step” stretch from the G at the 3rd fret of the low E string. To me, that’s the widest “super common” stretch in “shred” guitar.
My pinky is around 2 and 3/8 inches, and while I sometimes strain on certain licks on a 25.5" guitar, I find it’s mostly not a big issue. Most frustrating is licks where I can just barely make the stretch, but not in a relaxed enough way to play fluidly, but those are rare.
And as Troy pointed out, you could always DIY a shorter scale by slapping on a capo at the first or second fret if you really felt you needed to. And if you go that route, there are even removeable fretboard stickers you can buy to adjust the appearance of the fret markers.
1 Like
You’re right. It is somewhat obsessive speculation. Do you know of some good songs to learn in the beginning? Preferably ones without large stretches?
Well where are you at playing wise now? Are you just starting out all together, or have you played for a while and just want to branch out into more advanced lead playing?
The latter. I’m pretty decent at rhythm playing and can do a few very simple leads but when it comes to playing anything complex and / or fast then I can’t do it.
I’d recommend you start with what @tommo has advised. Find your fast tremolo, without thinking too much about how you do it. Experiment and see what comes easiest. Film it (there are filming guidelines here which are important so that we can see exactly what is happening)
And post your videos here. From there it’s much easier to advise on the next step.
1 Like
Well, I can only tell you what my experience has been. I used to play a strat when I was a teenager, when I didn’t know anything about scale lengths and hand sizes. I didn’t put any thought into it. I wasn’t playing any 3nps runs in the lower registers, and couldn’t do it now most likely. The max I would play nowadays is a 24.75.
I would say return it if the disadvantage of having a wider stretch outweighs all of the advantages the Ibanez gives you. And I definitely understand where you are coming from, they are very nice guitars. I wish they made a 24" scale model for lefties. I just returned my 22.5" scale Ibanez due to a nickel allergy, but it was a very nice guitar.
And I’m not saying you can’t play fast on the Ibanez – not at all. Its just that some fast runs in the lower registers may be too difficult unless you downsize. 3nps runs in the higher registers are certainly doable, as is every other fast technique. So you aren’t that limited.
1 Like
I’m sure I’m blushing.
@AerithAngel if you could make a video of you playing a 3 note per string scale shape I can give you pointers on fretting postures and mechanics which will alleviate any problems you experience. Simply knowing how your fretting hand should approach the neck is itself incredibly powerful.
For example, these stretches
1 Like