Big hands = no fingerpicking?

[ClairvoyantCat]

So I love listening to fingerstyle music.  As in Nick Drake/Tallest Man on Earth/etc. 

Obviously I want to be able to play it on guitar.  However, I have a problem.  I have REALLY big hands (fully extended, from the end of my pinky to the end of my thumb is over 11 inches!) and though they are very nice for left hand dexterity, when it comes to fingerpicking the fingers always lose their string because they are so big and awkward over the guitar.  I guess I'm mostly looking for tips on how to try and keep your fingers locked over the strings, but also wondering if anyone here has been able to overcome their bighandedness and become a good finger picker.  It's frustrating, because I have all the right rhythm, for the right hand but it is just too big to feel comfortable and i always lose the string after at most 30 seconds of playing.  Any tips/encouraging stories?

[rumborak]

I have pretty big hands too, here's a couple of comments:

- Yes, it's a bit of a handicap, but tbh after enough practice it goes into the background and more important things such as general talent, amount of practice etc. become much more determinant of your skill
- Even small-handed people have to get used to how their fingers interact with the strings. So, you might be over-attributing your struggle to the size of your hands
- Guitars come in different sizes. That is, especially the fretboard's width is dependent on the guitar model. You should look out for guitar that play to the size of your hands.
- There's a couple of upsides to having big hands. I for one have never had tendinitis in my hands due to guitar playing, and I always thought it's because relatively speaking I exert less force than the average guitar player

rumborak

[Marvellous G]

This will sound like generic advice, but if you just keep practicing it enough your hand will begin to default to that 'claw' shape you need.

[jsem]

I have relatively small hands, so I have difficulty in the left hand part - I can't reach extremely far. But somehow develop techniques to get around it. As Marv G said, you'll get around it if you practice enough

[Kosmo]

Bet you would kick ass on piano though.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

My hands are 10 and a half inches from pinky to thumb extended, and I'm actually a pretty great fingerpicker.