finger nails

Hey all new to guitar tricks, actually new to guitar! Im 32 years old and finally decided I wanted to learn the guitar. Im already struggling on the Simple C Major chord lol........ My fingernails are not really that long but the only way I can manage not to interfere with the other two strings is when the the string is being push down with my finger nail. Its not to comfortable, is it better to have really short nails to be able to push with the top tip of your fingers?

Thanks.

Congrats on getting started, having your nails clipped is the best way. This will make it easier to move from chord to chord quickly once you get them down.

Yeah, keep the nails on your fretting hand short. You should be aiming to play right on your finger tips, so you'll know when your nails are too long... they'll dig in to the wood!

If you're playing fingerstyle/classical guitar some nail on your picking hand is beneficial...

That did seem to help, or perhaps it was just practice lol. What I find the hardest so far is slowing down. I want to keep advancing lessons but im forcing myself to follow the instructors directions and nailing the current lesson plan before moving on.....that is hard to do!

Thanks.

The best thing about these courses is being able to go back at any time. I am kind of a "bottom line" learner: Tell me what I need to know; when I need the details, I'll get them. So I do find myself going back to lessons here and there, and it suits my style perfectly.

I so dislike the feel of fingernails across the fretboard that I'm almost obsessive in trimming my nails. It's weird but I need them nice and short but I think that keeping them short also makes sure that I'm playing cleanly.

Yeah it helps to have your fingernails on the left hand nice and short

www.bristolguitarteacher.co.uk

Originally Posted by: JeffS65I so dislike the feel of fingernails across the fretboard that I'm almost obsessive in trimming my nails. It's weird but I need them nice and short but I think that keeping them short also makes sure that I'm playing cleanly.

+1 I agree with this

Hey Everyone,
If you cut them too short, it can be painful. I agree you don't want them digging into your fretboard, but you don't have to cut them to the quick. I usually leave between a 16th, and an 8th of an inch on mine. This helps with many of the techniques I use, doesn't seem like you're referring to any of these though. You will want to learn more eventually, and some of these other techniques will require a little bit of a nail.

The best thing to do is get an emery board, and slowly take them down to where they don't touch the fretboard. If you cut them too far back with nail clippers, there is no fixing them without a manicurist. Trust me, it's not easy to play with fake nails on your fretboard hand. Filing them down, makes it hard to get them too short, or cause pain. Nail clippers don't always cut evenly, and clipping in the wrong place is much easier to do with them. One little slip, and you can't play until the pain goes away, or the nail grows back out.

Have a good Memorial Day weekend, and best of luck in your learning.

Hi, you know my teacher tells me that if you turn your hand over so you are looking at your palm and can see the tip of your nails then they are too long.
You just need them short enough so you can't see them from the palm side, but not so short that it hurts and your showing an inch of skin that is normally protected by the nail. :D

its the picking fingers that bothers me ( right hand ) ...
I am just used to keeping both hands cut short. I was never into "nails" real or fake for that matter.....
I would LOVE to do finger picking style but growing my nails just anoys the heck out of me so I just continue to pick with the tips of my fingers ( when I am not using a pick that is ) I am working on getting used to being able to play willingly without a pick

I know there are those clip on style picks that help with the right hand but I havent tried them yet....also have heard they feel akward but I guess I wont know til I do it

Hey all,

For what it's worth, I keep my left hand nails quite short, and my right hand (fingerpicking) nails a little bit longer, but just on my index, middle finger, and thumb.

Kind of high-maintenance, but I guess that's what I need to do. I never got comfortable with the clip-on fingerpicks, though some people do love them.

-Lisa

lisa what are the consequences of not having longer right hand nails?
is the sound just not as crisp clean and clear? is it much harder to get the string? I mean I am sure the sound is much brighter and not as muted...rounded but is that the only difference?
I think when I hit the music shop I will try one of those clip ons but I dont think I am going to like it....

I keep my right hand fingernails a little bit long, in order to facilitate playing classical and jazz. Left hand nails are kept short enough to stay out of the way completely.

Originally Posted by: Itsmesilly
is the sound just not as crisp clean and clear?

That and, more importantly to me, is the accuracy and precision that is only possible with a fingernail as opposed to the rounded, softer flesh of your fingertip.

I can easily "dial back" my attack in order to get a softer, muted sound when desired. But without the nails I can't get up to that certain level of speed, clarity and precision.

I discuss fingernails in the first lesson of this tutorial aimed at classical right hand technique:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=324

In this one (and others) you can see I am using my nails to achieve blues:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=151

And in most of my jazz lessons I use fingerstyle exclusively. For example:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=644
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=708

Quite often I use my index or middle finger as if it were a pick. Hope this helps!

I tried growing my right fingernails once. They just don't last around my hobbies. How can you people even type with long nails anyway?

My left I am obsessive about trimming since reacquainting with the guitar. I lost the biting habit somewhere along the way, so every few days I'm trimming them.

I remember seeing Dolly Parton on TV once. She must have had 2 inch nails (almost certainly fake) on her left hand, yet still played.

Originally Posted by: RazboThey just don't last around my hobbies. How can you people even type with long nails anyway?[/quote]
LOL! I sometimes have trouble keeping mine out of the way also. And I keep them at about 1/8th of an inch past the fingertip. Still I wind up nicking, chipping, denting or scratching them.
[QUOTE=Razbo]I remember seeing Dolly Parton on TV once. She must have had 2 inch nails (almost certainly fake) on her left hand, yet still played.

True. But, to my knowledge, she also used open tunings exclusively. Therefore, she would always simply barre across the entire fretboard to play chords.

chris
this is going off topic...may deserve its own thread ???? but...when you were mentioning dolly....
could you explain why using open tuning makes it so all you have to do its barre to play chords?
thanks

Originally Posted by: Itsmesillycould you explain why using open tuning makes it so all you have to do its barre to play chords?

http://www.guitartricks.com/search.php?input=open+tuning

Essentially, you tune the strings to sound only notes that form a major chord (1st, major 3rd, 5th scale degrees), then by simply barring your index finger all the way across any given fret makes it possible to play any and all 12 major chords.

Ahhhh
thanks chris!