[newlite]

how long are your fingernails? i have to cut mine every week or i cant play chords.

and a good guitar player i know said that long fingernails are good for fingerpicking. is that true?

[MC.exe]

It doesn't really affect me, but I like to keep them short. I'm more of a pick user.

[si16]

They should be long on your picking hand, short on your fretting hand.

[allthumbs]

Left hand as short as possible. Right hand, for me at least, nails long enough so I can pluck the string with the nail and flesh of the finger tip at the same time.

[Fretsource]

Short nails on your fretting hand is a must.
Many fingerstyle guitarists and most classical guitarists grow their nails on their picking hand - usually not too long though, just enough to strike the string with.

[newlite]

do ppl think its wierd that you fingernails are different lengths? not that thats matters, id rather rock...

and how long for picking hand?

[jon_stggt]

Originally Posted by newlite

do ppl think its wierd that you fingernails are different lengths? not that thats matters, id rather rock...

and how long for picking hand?

If people comment on my fingernails being longer on my right hand than my left, I look at them in a confused manner and say " dude, your finger nails are the same length on both hands, do you not play guitar? man that's weird.

[Teddy Madison]

Short on the fret hand, I cut them when I notice I am fretting with a nail and not the finger. Long on the picker, if you look across the top of your finger from the inside and can see the tip of the nail, you should be long enough. Mine are actually a bit shorter than that and I get good picking tone.

I find that if they are longer I start to snag the strings, they are not as smooth as a pick.

Wayne

[Justapicker]

On the picking hand you only need them about 1/16th of an inch past your fingertip, just barely showing. If they are too long you get a nasty "naily" tone.

[coldethyl]

Unfortunately, I'm a "nail biter" so currently my nails are in need of being left alone so they can grow more.

[eddiez152]

Here is a link about fingernails related to classical guitar playing.
I have found pictures in the past

www.classic-guitar.com/lesson4.html

eddiez152

[newlite]

Originally Posted by http://www.classic-guitar.com/lesson4.html

I actually got my first job in Engineering when I was asked by the Engineering Manager who interviewed me to let him see my hands. When he noticed that my right hand fingernails were perfectly manicured and my left hand nails were very closely trimmed, he smiled, spent 45 minutes of the next hour discussing classical guitar and, hired me for the programming position.

sweet

[tomg123]

I only have a problem with the thumb. The thumb nail has to be long enough for me to catch the bass notes when pickin, and i like to upstrum with it, so it has to be long enough to sound the strings. The problem is i like to down strum sometimes with the flesh part, and the nail catches. So i have find that perfect length

[doug russell]

Mine keep breaking off on my strumming hand, which really annoys me. but the nails on my fretting are really strong and I have to keep trimming them. I wish it was the other way around.

[eddiez152]

Here is another link to fonger nail shape.
http://herso.freeservers.com/nails.html

eddiez152