OK, how many here tried and tried with a standard (long) scale bass, and after a decent amount of time said the heck with it and went and got a short scale bass? And how did it work out? I have a J and a P and small hands. I keep practicing and my hands are stronger, but they seem to be getting tighter as I’m having trouble stretching even just a couple of frets! I’ll play from the 3rd fret to the 5th fret and I keep getting buzz because my finger is in the middle of the fingerboard and away from the fret-wire. I don’t really want to get a short-scale, but if it would make playing more fun then maybe it’s time to start checking them out.
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Micro shift. We are not Pino, 
Short scale is super awesome there are so many good reason to get one but that’s not one of mine.
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If the “fun” is dwindling, then I think you have your answer.
But first try one out, if you can. Don’t sell/trade what you have in case you don’t like it; maybe you would like having both and switching around, mood/whatever depending.
That said, there are plenty of not-so-tall people (Tal Wilkenfeld, to name one) that manage to be g-r-e-a-t on the standard bass. So it CAN be done, but if it’s just a hobby…“fun” should be the goal and not ergonomics.
Do you find your playing even a bit better on the Jazz bass, which (generally) has a thinner neck than the P? Maybe small adjustments could be made to the ‘action’ of your bass and string tension, etc.
There and many, many threads on here about short scale basses. They are pretty cool and there is a wide variety of them.
Good luck.
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Where is your thumb? I got huge man mitts but if my thumb is wrapped around the neck my reach is garbage. Try playing with it in the middle of the neck and focus on bringing your fingers across the fret board more parallel to the frets. Also pull your fingers into the fret board rather than clamping with your thumb. Use the lightest pressure possible to just get the note clean.
I still wrap my thumb like a goon but at least I move it around now and I’m not trying to squeeze the neck anymore.
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one of THE most common threads here is the “I have small hands” thread. it doesn’t matter. really. al is right - it’s your technique, you have to microshift. don’t make me post (AGAIN) an ellen plays bass video with her on a 34", cuz i swear to god i’ll do it 
buy a short scale bass for many reasons if you like, but not for small hands.
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I love short scale basses, and I play one now for physical reasons. But micro shifting is a thing too. I don’t think short scale is a magic bullet for fretting.
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light weight is a real selling point.
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^^^ That!
My 27" Valiant Mini Bass from Ukraine is a case in point. It’s a J bass format that’s ALL bass. It’s fantastic instrument that weighs about 6 lbs. They make everything, including the duralum tuners and bridge.
The body is so small that I have to hang it. It goes through the rack to the floor.
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added to short love thread
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And Ellen and Mina etc…
Sometimes what is real, true and just the way it is, may not be what you think it is.
Get over what you think it is and accept what it really is.
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bass makes all of us think we have small hands, just like guitar makes you think you have slow clumsy hands.
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Try mandolin.
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Yeah or violin. “My fingers are too big!”
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Or a 23” scale. Kala makes one too (solid body) then you’ll have the opposite problem. My hand is tooooo big. It’s not easy going that small
You can hear the tone difference for yourself. Two 34” a 30” and 23”.
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You get used to it. You do get a lot of practice leaning your fingers out of the way though.
This is one of the greatest living violinists and his hands definitely look more bass sized!
Yeah that’s my problem with guitar, is I get 2 strings with a finger when I fret chords.
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If you want a good shortscale bass, I recommend the epiphone viola, Hofner violin ignition series, joe dart sterling I, II, III, Gibson standard sg bass(avoid the epiphone one at ALL COSTS), danelectro longhorns, rockbass shortscale, sterling shortscale and the mustang(squier or fender). I listed all of these from memory. Your welcome! 
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I tried and tried, switching to short scale was a real game changer. They sound great to me, are comfortable, and some balance better than others. Try some out!
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The only one that really tempts me is the Reverend Mike Watt Wattplower Mk I. The MK I is the one with just the P bass blade pickups (not the 3 pickup P + humbucker that the MK II has. Comes in at under 7 lbs. I’ve wanted one of them for a hot minute and I was sad when I figured out they were only 30" scale.
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There’s also Medium Scale like the Yamaha MB-III and Ibanez Talman.
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