picking electric strings with nail...

your weirdo turkish pal here again! :p
well, this time ill dont try to be funny or smthin :)

ok...
its a tele with 9 gauge...
i practiced alternate picking, n build some skills on it... not so great but theres a process everybody can notice... my left-right hand interaction gettin better, buildin up some speed, n dexteriy was nice...
then i focused on finger picking for polyphonic area...
(i hope its the right word for it, eh)

i shaped long nails except my pinky, n practicin some spanish guitar tecnics...
everything was great, im so enjoyed picking multiple strings, buildin rhtyms with a rich harmony of sounds... but theres a big problem... electric strings eatin away my nails... especially my forefinger...

im not so harsh on picking but it happens for sure everytime...
i know some great guys like albert collins dont use a pick for picking...
any advice for finger/nail picking on electric?

get DR strings...they are silky ;)

get a manacure. ;)

turn the volume up and play softer.

Last week I heard an interview with a classical guitarist who spoke of another prominent player who just plain had small brittle nails that would break, and they use nylon strings. But what he would do was use pieces of a ping pong ball. You can cut them fairly easily to size and they're cheap. However he actually made replacement nails that he glued on top. If you didn't want to glue, you might be able to create something like a ring. I think I might look into it myself, as I hate growing out my nails, but miss the tone.

yea i think u shud use a classical guiar wiht nylon strings..it sounds better and is easier to play... never knew anyone playing flamenco on an electribefore..tho itis not impossible..

thanks everybody :)

well maybe the guy wants to try something new and play flamenco on the electric.

Get an over the counter acrylic nail set. This is also commonly done by fingerstyle guitarists.

i have a set of fingerpicks. i dont like em much because i don't play fingerstyle but maybe they do work.

Originally Posted by: purewell maybe the guy wants to try something new and play flamenco on the electric.

flamenco? :p
ahah nope man, thats not for an average electric player like me... :)
im just playin fingerpickin with 4 nails. u know flamenco has too many rich n unique techniques...

Originally Posted by: jimmy_kwtxGet an over the counter acrylic nail set. This is also commonly done by fingerstyle guitarists.

exactly. as girly as manacures sound, they do add a nice thick layer on them.

robby krieger played flamenco stuff on electric

Originally Posted by: arska007robby krieger played flamenco stuff on electric

wow!
i never listen doors for him, but i was know hes way more skilled then he shows... now im sure... :)

Originally Posted by: redspecial...but i was know hes way more skilled then he shows... now im sure... :)

Yep, I think he was in studying to be a classical guitarist in college, but then dropped out to join The Doors. Spanish Caravan has always been one of my favorite songs by them, even if it's pretty much a rip of Asturias (a traditional Spanish standard).