What should I do to my nails if I want to play guitar?

Question

From what I've heard, long nails can really get in the way when you are pressing down frets. So I should clip them on my left hand. However, I've also heard that I should have nice, long nails on my right hand for playing strings. Another thing that I picked up is that nothing looks stupider than a guitar player with uneven nails.

So... it's impossible for me to play with my natural nails as they are now (about 4 mm above my fingers), yet I do not want to completely chop them off because I would like to do some classical guitar, which frowns upon pick use.

How long should I cut them and to what shape?

Answer 1

Cut both of them short and get those finger picks...they slip on ur fingers and they look like fake long silver nails..classical guitarists use them..=)

heres pics of them..
http://www.interstatemusic.com/wcsstore/InterstateMusic/ims/ipf/900001200.jpg

http://thefourarts.com/prodimages/P3260031.jpg
that is how they look on the fingers..they some longer than that

and these are different style ones..
http://www.interstatemusic.com/wcsstore/InterstateMusic/ims/ipf/900001199.jpg

put those on ur strumming hand

hope that helps
=)

Answer 2

Go with a happy medium. . As I recal., my brother used to play professionally with about 1/2" long fingernails. Obviously, bluntly rounded about the shape of the end of your fingers. They need to be strong anough to pick with, with enough roundedness to be able to pick cleanly. Square will not work for the picking hand.

OR try it with current length & shorten a little at a time till it works for you. 4 mm sounds plenty short enough. Or do you mean 4 CM, about 1 1/2 inches?

I wonder how many people actually have played the guitar? My nails have alays been end of finger short. Works great on the frets, but cannot pick at all that short.

Answer 3

Honestly, since I am a left handed guitar player, I leave my left hand fingernails long, but I manicure them so that they have smooth edges so I can pick the strings with my fingers and not get them caught. On my right hand (which I use to play on the fret board) I cut my fingernails right down as far as I can, because they do make a bad sound if you play with your fingernails long on frets.

I personally have always been taught to play this way, because I was taught by a classical guitarist who did not believe in using picks. Whoever said it was impossible, it's not. You just have to keep your fingernails on your string-playing hand in good shape, and not TOO long, but long enough to pick the string :)

(I should also mention I play an acoustic with steel strings)

Good luck to you!

Answer 4

Ya know , that's a good question. All i can offer you is this: I play electric, acoustic steel string , and nylon classical. Of course for the electric i'd mostly use a pick - except when i do soft parts and tapping , etc. For acoustic and nylon i use the fleshy part of my fingers and not nails , mostly cause i keep my nails short. So , it's kinda open to interpretation, so just try what works best.

Answer 5

I keep my fret hand clipped short and allow a little length on my picking/strumming hand. For me, if my nails get too long on my picking hand, they just get in the way. Good luck!

Answer 6

It's amazing you play strings with nails!! i thought it impossable, for me anyways. My nails are chopped otherwise they leave dents in the frets... who cares if your nails are uneven? Start a new trend.

Answer 7

cut them right at the top of ure skin with a square shape .. round can give u ingrown nails!!! GOOD LUCK

Answer 8

ok, this might sound bad but cut them off completly. but thats how it is. if you need lessons just ask. i cant read notes but i can learn pretty fast just by hearing the sound.

Answer 9

I'm a guy, and personally, I don't like long nails. I know a lot of like lengthy, painted nails cause they're "so pretty", but I don't like them.