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Post by jeremygillespie on Oct 21, 2016 9:10:37 GMT -6
I just recently started growing my nails on my right hand to try it out on acoustic. I've always had very cut back nails from playing bass, but it hasn't been an issue as of late without touring, so I figured I'd give it a shot after noticing some of my favorite players use their nails.
So far it has taken a bit of time to get used to, but I'm enjoying the new found tones I'm able to pull out of my Martin.
Any suggestions as to proper upkeep? Anybody use nail hardener? I've got medium strength nails but I can definitely see these things cracking over time.
Girlfriend suggested Omega 3 pills...
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Post by M57 on Oct 21, 2016 9:18:37 GMT -6
As a recovering classical guitarist, I can tell you that these are people who know EVERYTHING about nails. I would recommend that you check out some sites devoted to that instrument. You'll learn more than you could ever want to know.
Some off the top of my head basics.
Never clip - Always use a nail file, and a good one, like a diamond file - no emory boards! Always file in one direction. (These things all stimulate the nail to grow - or so I've been told). Follow up with a fine sand paper - 400 or finer. This will put a nice gloss on the edge and make it less likely to catch. For this reason, sanding before playing isn't a bad idea.
Eat jello - gelatin.
Don't play basketball, frisbee, baseball, go bowling, or play any sport really (except soccer). Don't use your nails to do anything. Don't do dishes without gloves. Basically, don't do anything with your hands without worrying about your nails. Hmmm.. See what I mean when I say "recovering?"
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Post by jeremygillespie on Oct 21, 2016 9:33:15 GMT -6
Hah, wow a bit more to it than I thought. Thanks.
I've given up on trying to play within 2 hours after taking a shower. Just doesn't work and feels like they are going to rip off my hands, no matter how light of a touch I use.
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Post by chasmanian on Oct 21, 2016 16:24:07 GMT -6
some thoughts. this is all based on my experience and my opinion. as always, your experience and opinions may be vastly different.
- my right thumb nail is as hard as steel.
- my other nails were not hard. I wanted to use them. they broke. not good.
went to nail salon and got acrylics for 2 years. (had to go back every week or 2 for fills).
decided to try again with no acrylics. (stopped maybe 3 years ago now.)
my right index finger nail is even worse than before. guessing the nail bed was damaged by the acrylic dryer light. its as thin as a piece of paper.
oh well. life goes on.
my current strategy is to cut the nails very short. the reason is because if I don't do that, they just break. that is most definitely NOT a good thing.
so I clip them to keep them very short, so as to avoid breakage. that means that I'm pretty much playing with no finger nails. mostly bare skin. (I repeat, breakage is to be VERY much avoided.)
all of this said, I am now very satisfied.
one reason is that I am nearly always monitoring myself with headphones. so I can hear myself VERY good.
and it sounds just fine. no, better than just fine. it sounds excellent.
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Post by LesC on Oct 21, 2016 21:12:05 GMT -6
When I was taking classical guitar seriously, 30 to 40 years ago, I started with very brittle nails. Once a week I'd have a break, and my playing would be screwed up for a few days. I had a great teacher who had to be in constant performing shape, and he taught me his tricks to repair breaks using kleenex and crazy glue and various others. The biggest help was ingesting gelatin, my nails became much less brittle and breakages were much less frequent.
A few months ago I decided to re-learn classical guitar, and I'm so glad I did. I'm loving it even more than before. I tried growing my nails for a while, and realized how ridiculous an old guy would look with no nails on one hand and long nails on the other. I started investigating, and found quite a substantial contingent of excellent classical guitarists who play with no nails. I clipped my nails as short as I could, tried playing, and I was never happier. Within a few days I got used to it, and could get just as good a tone as I used to get with my nails.
I keep my nails as short as possible, and depending on the song, my fingers naturally play with either the finger tip flesh or the flesh/nail intersection. Even tremolo pieces such as Recuerdos are not a problem. There are some pieces with wide stretches where I occasionally miss a string because of a missing nail, but I'm very encouraged, and I think with a bit more practice it will be fine.
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Post by M57 on Oct 22, 2016 3:42:28 GMT -6
When I was taking classical guitar seriously, 30 to 40 years ago, I started with very brittle nails. Once a week I'd have a break, and my playing would be screwed up for a few days. I had a great teacher who had to be in constant performing shape, and he taught me his tricks to repair breaks using kleenex and crazy glue and various others. The biggest help was ingesting gelatin, my nails became much less brittle and breakages were much less frequent. A few months ago I decided to re-learn classical guitar, and I'm so glad I did. I'm loving it even more than before. I tried growing my nails for a while, and realized how ridiculous an old guy would look with no nails on one hand and long nails on the other. I started investigating, and found quite a substantial contingent of excellent classical guitarists who play with no nails. I clipped my nails as short as I could, tried playing, and I was never happier. Within a few days I got used to it, and could get just as good a tone as I used to get with my nails. I keep my nails as short as possible, and depending on the song, my fingers naturally play with either the finger tip flesh or the flesh/nail intersection. Even tremolo pieces such as Recuerdos are not a problem. There are some pieces with wide stretches where I occasionally miss a string because of a missing nail, but I'm very encouraged, and I think with a bit more practice it will be fine. Agree to a degree. I still feel the need for nail tone, but I keep 'em much shorter than I did 30 years ago and that seems to make a difference, especially on steel strings. When they do get damaged they come back quickly, and the difference between nail and no nail doesn't have as great an impact. Luckily, I have pretty strong nails. BTW, Requerdos was my undoing.. My i finger always comes up further than the others and I just can't maintain and even tremolo past 130 bpm. I call it the "flying i" I still have the problem when I'm playing piano (right hand only - my left hand is fine). I'm left-handed and I always wonder if things would have been different if I had learned left-handed - Not because I think the guitar is a right-handed instrument, but because of that specific deficiency. |
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Post by M57 on Oct 22, 2016 6:30:38 GMT -6
I don't consider myself as much of a guitarist these days. My focus has been on piano for the last decade or so, and I can tell you the piano takes its toll on your nails. As a result, the shorter you keep 'em, the better. Basically nails get in the way, so I pretty much don't touch the guitar. So this summer I was on vacation, away from the piano for almost two weeks. Normally we fly out to visit relatives, but this time we drove so I brought along my guitar and let my nails grow on my right hand. It was totally cathartic, and I ended up writing this song as a result. (I'm hoping to get a little action on that thread because I'd love some feedback). What's interesting is I'm working on filing my nails in a way that permits me to have a my cake and eat a little more of it. The thumb is a huge problem because the side of the nail that hits the keys is the same side that crosses the string. Not that it matters in your case, but what I've found interesting is that if I file it 'as if' I intend to play the guitar more towards the center of the nail, guess what? I tend to play more to the center of the nail! It requires a technical adjustment I'm sure, but we play with our ears, right? ..and our ears force the adjustment. Kind of cool. |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Oct 22, 2016 7:42:54 GMT -6
A friend of mine, Jon Bendis plays on my tracks occasionally, and he's a finger picker. He's been with Roseanne Cash and Don Henley, and others in that league. When playing an electric guitar, on certain notes, the little snappy ping you get from nails was distracting, almost nothing can cure it in the track. I used heavy EQ and automation to hide it, because I liked the part, but if he'd kept the other parts, and simply used a pick on the part in question, it would have made my job a heck of a lot easier.
I guess the moral is, be careful where you use it.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Oct 22, 2016 9:06:32 GMT -6
My whole reasoning for the nails is a tone I've been trying to achieve but never could without the nails, and its what I hear on Ry Cooder records. Hands down my favorite guitarist, I saw him last year and he played this tune on an old Gretsch and it sounded fantastic. He actually broke a nail halfway through the set and had his tech come out mid song to bring him a file, filed it down and then continued.
Anyway...
I'm normally a pick and middle finger guy when playing electric. Acoustic has always been an either/or situation. Either flatpicking or just straight up fingers. But there are certain times when I really want that finger nail sound. Just since I started this thread my nails have changed and its changing the way I attack the strings, hand position, etc.
Even if I don't keep them, its been an interesting ride so far and has opened my eyes and my ears for sure.
I've also tried finger picks, and I can't get used to them. At most, I'll use a thumb pick when I'm playing Chet Atkins style, but beyond that I don't like them. I spent weeks on a quest to find one that fit me (I have really oddly shaped thumbs) and when I finally did the shape of the picking surface was just odd or too long, I'd spend time with a file trying to shape it to my liking... no luck. The closest I got was when I learned pedal steel, but eventually just went back to using my fingers and I'm happy with the tone I'm able to get.
The few times I've messed around on a square neck dobro made me realize a lot of that sound comes from finger picks.
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Post by 6strings on Jul 11, 2021 19:44:39 GMT -6
To play with nails on a steel-string guitar is not easy... If your nails are naturally strong, go for it! Classical guitar world is pretty much set on playing with nails (although its really a combination of flesh and nails) for couple of MAIN reasons I can think of right now: 1) creating different colors/tones, and 2) louder, crisp tones especially for single melody runs and Flamenco-style attacks and strums. (there are other benefits).
Again, its Nylon vs Steel. Its just not easy to do it on steel strings...
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Post by Ward on Jul 12, 2021 7:47:05 GMT -6
I love to hybrid-pick and pick with only my fingers and thumbs. I was always tearing my nails apart, so I just keep them short now and have developed hard callouses which seem to do the trick.
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