I Really Nailed It!

dsmarion
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Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:43 pm

Ok, maybe not LOL

But I would like to talk about nails (finger, not roofing). I have never ever grown my nails in my life, but now that I am trying to learn fingerpicking I thought maybe I should. I recently heard a few comments about nails here at TG, I also heard an old interview with Chet Atkins where he said if he breaks a nail he has to cancel a show and he wears gloves to protect them (Seinfeld show flashback there).

Well they are absolutely driving me crazy. When my nails start to get any length at all they start to become involved in the picking. I don't like the sound of the nail on the string, I don't like the weird feeling of them picking the string and I make many more mistakes of picking the wrong string because the nail catches it when it's not supposed to. So I keep trimming them down again. I happen to like the softer sound of just the finger picking the string and I can't seem to get the feel for using the nails.

What do you think I should do?

Scott


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daryl
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Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:48 pm

Go with what works for you now. Perhaps over time things will change and you'll find something else that works better for you.....


tovo
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Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:50 pm

Scott you have articulated exactly my issue so I'm with you pal. Particularly the nails catching as they start to grow a bit longer. Plus mine break easily as soon as they start to get some length.

I have considered trying false nails. I know of a couple of guitarists who do that. Advantage is that bang...there they are. You don't need to go through that very frustrating period where your nail catches (for me it's my thumb in particular) all the time. Drives me nuts.

So...false nails. Worth a try?


jayswett
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Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:51 pm

I've thought aobut this topic as well. I keep the nails on both hands short because it's awkward for me to fingerpick with long nails on my right hand. I seem to be able to get clear, reasonably loud notes with short nails. Neil keeps his nails long, as do many experienced guitarists, and I would imagine it gives a better, crisper sound. Not sure, but regardless, I'm reasonably happy withe sound I get with short nails, so I will stick with that for now.


Lavallee
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Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:26 pm

I like the sound of nails on the strings. However having the same problem as you guys describe (about braking nails), I keep mine just barely longer than the tips on the fingers. I hit the strings with the flesh first and follow through with the nail. it has the benefit to keep the same distance. If my nails are too long then I start playing with the nails only and the nails starts hanging on the string (does not release well all the time), especially on fast picking songs. When the nails are shorter, I still get the nail sound without the hanging. I always have a nail filer handy (car, home). Keeping the nails shorter help them surviving as well. I only keep the thumb longer as I like the bass sounding loud.

Marc


willem
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Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:35 am

Hi Scott,,nails he!! well i can tell you that you need a bit longer nails on your pickinhand not to long really just a bit above the flesh of you fingertip..when you pick you just hit the string a bit with the flesh first and then the nail that is how it can work,,you slide as to say from your flesh to your nail, oh never cut them totally short just care them so they grow thicker also and take good vitamines

than you nail it..


willem
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Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:26 am

Hi Scott,

I absolutely second Daryl, go with what works for you nów.

For me, I've played the guitar for a long time and I never ever éver had nails in my life. It actually didn't occur to me as well. I, like you, very much like the sound of the flesh (actually more than the sound with a nail) and never had troubles with the sound of my fingerpicking or whatever.

The only reason that I have them now is because as a 'guitarist' I thought I really should try ónce in my life to see and hear how that is. And yes, it has it's own advantages. I often like the crisp sound but I often don't as well. And indeed, I still am kinda trying to get used to them, but that is more of having them at all. The playing itself is going alright, but that is maybe also because I'm already used to fingerpicking in the first place.

So again, Scott, go with works for you now. Maybe if you're getting the hang of the fingerpicking itself some more, than you can try again and see how that works for you.

But really, it is no múst.....in my humble opinion.

Ness


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neverfoundthetime
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Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:44 am

Interesting subject Scott and I was thinking about it over the past weeks. Yesterday I broke the nail on my digit finger, right hand, so I now have a problem playing the riffs I play as I don't use a plectrum but that nail. Otherwise, I have always wondered why I only use the back of my nails on strings on down strokes but never on up strokes, there I use the pads. My nails grow fast and quite strong and my thumb nail is glorious ... except I never use it! Duh!


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skaladar
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Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:55 pm

Interesting topic Scott. I’ve struggled with my nails very much the way you have. It felt somewhat awkward to use my nails partly due to the fact that because of breaks and chips I had a hard time keeping them at a consistent length. So I became quite content keeping my nails very short and fingerpicking with the fleshy part of my fingertips. That was fine for most fingerstyle songs. The problem was working on songs that require hybrid picking. With some practice I was able to balance the sound between pick and finger for hybrid picked parts but regardless of what I did it didn’t sound the same as the parts of the song where I was just using the pick. Now when I am learning/practicing a song with any hybrid picking I have to either be very careful with the nails on my right hand or tolerate the lack of a crisp sound the nails provide. I think I’ll have to try and find a happy medium as Marc suggests and hope for the best.

♫ Ken ♫


dsmarion
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Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:43 pm

Thanks for all your comments. Sounds like I am not the only one struggling with this. I think I will probably continue to trim them but I will maybe get more and more used to them as they grow out each time and also (as Ness mentions) as I get more a more used to fingerpicking in general. Still baby steps for now in that department but learning more each day.

Scott


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