nail clipping

geitenvla · #1 August 9th, 2007

I'm wondering if people here clip their nails in a special way in order to improve playing. Of course this only applies to people who don't use a plectrum. Here's what I came up with:

My left hand - I'll clip it as far to the flesh as possible. I hate playing with long nails on the left 'cause it makes me slip.

My right hand is a little more complicated. On the thumb I clip some sort of triangle. Then I clip a little edge in it so I can choose to hook a string on to my thumb, making it sound louder.

The index and middle finger I'll clip only on one side so it's got a wedge shape.

The ring finger I'll clip round and smooth.

The pink (yes I use it for picking as well) I form into some sort of curled dagger...

Are the more people around who clip nails in special ways? What works best for you?

allthumbs · #2 August 9th, 2007

I just try and keep them a consistent length. Nothing as fancy as you do.

jdpaz · #3 August 9th, 2007

I leave a little bit of nail on the fretting hand just to support the pad.

Because my nails tend to get wavy, I have to do the "triangle" shape to i, m & a. P is kinda rounded on the string side, flat on the end and longish. Pinky is trimmed back like fretting hand.

Scott Tenant has good nail advice in Pumping Nylon.

Oh...and I don't actually clip my picking fingernails...I use nail files/buffers.

krissovo · #4 August 9th, 2007

I am terrible, I just stick my finger in my mouth and bite the nails off down to the skin if not even further!

scorpius · #5 August 9th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by krissovo

I am terrible, I just stick my finger in my mouth and bite the nails off down to the skin if not even further!

That's really terrible.

For me, I just clip my left fingernails normally, and the right fingernails a little bit longer than the left.

Stratrat · #6 August 9th, 2007

I keep the nails on both hands clipped very short. I've also been mucking about with playing bass, and long fingernails on the picking hand make for some nasty tones on the bass!

justinthyme · #7 August 9th, 2007

geitenvla - you've managed to turn nailclipping into a new artform!

I'm with the 'keep it simple' school - nails on the fretting fingers clipped as short as possible, nails on the other hand allowed to grow a little longer. But sometimes the thumbnail tends to keep 'catching' the strings and causing an unwanted twanging when fingerpicking - so the offending edge of that gets clipped from time to time.

starsailor · #8 August 9th, 2007

We've had a few nail threads on, on the last one I had my playing nails long because I liked the sound when I was fingerpicking and I kept my fretting nails short, I now have them all short again as I'm brushing up on my strumming and my nails started catching a bit, I do look after them though and keep them well rounded, I'm sure I'll change again, it does depend on what you're happy with and your routine works well for you, my job isn't very kind to my hands so I too have to keep things simple as the nails get a fair bit of abuse at work.

Jekyll · #9 August 9th, 2007

I'm not at the stage wher I can learn figer picking yet but I hate long nails. Are those finger\thumb pick thingies any good does anyone know?

If I grow my nails I will bite them off I know it!

pamelody · #10 August 10th, 2007

Ian sort of took the words out of my mouth lol! Keep fret hand short as possible. Right hand long enough to pick comfortably. Many professionals now use artificial nails on the picking hand..no chance of me ever doing that though.

Hilch · #11 August 10th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by krissovo

I am terrible, I just stick my finger in my mouth and bite the nails off down to the skin if not even further!

Same here

geitenvla · #12 August 10th, 2007

Thanks for all your comments... yes maybe I did turn it into an art-form

It's something that has grown gradualy over the years. I just started out with only my index finger but it has grown a bit out of hand. Still, I can hear a difference when playing with or without my little "system". I guess that's all that matters to me...

scott58 · #13 August 10th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by geitenvla

Thanks for all your comments... yes maybe I did turn it into an art-form

It's something that has grown gradualy over the years. I just started out with only my index finger but it has grown a bit out of hand. Still, I can hear a difference when playing with or without my little "system". I guess that's all that matters to me...

I'm pretty much the same as you. It's about the play and i'm alot better when my nails are right.

cshude · #14 August 10th, 2007

I keep the left hand very short, the right I allow the nails to grow just enough where I can catch the edge on the string when I want a good attack. Nothin' fancy at all.

PepticDust · #15 August 11th, 2007

I don't cut my nails at all, right hand or left hand. I've been meaning to cut my left hand nails but keep forgetting.