Fingerpicking with nails or pads
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NatalieS
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I'm definitely interested in seeing the responses to this. I prefer the sound of nail fingerpicking, but maintaining long nails is really hard and discouraged in my career. I've considered trying finger picks but haven't yet.
janeray1940
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Nails, and I'm not the type of person to have long nails at all, not do I have strong fingernails - mine are thin and brittle. They don't have to be especially long - just long enough! I keep my right hand nails just long enough to peek out over my fingertips, which doesn't take a lot of maintenance at all - maybe five minutes a week of filing. I keep my left hand nails trimmed as short as possible.
Steveperrywriter
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Lot of information about this if you google it with "classical guitar" attached. Been an ongoing discussion there since before Segovia. Same principles, I'd think.
Big Bird
Member
This does come up on the Classical Guitar forum. Check this guy out for info regarding playing with out finger nails. I play without as a personal preference. I can grow them but I am old and cranky, so the maintenance wasn't worth the trouble. I play to impress myself so mega projection is not required. My wife said she likes the sound better now.... She is my audience so I must listen!
http://rmclassicalguitar.com/
http://rmclassicalguitar.com/
Croaky Keith
Well-known member
Presently, I use my thumb (side of pad), but it doesn't give out a loud sound - when I record for the Seasons thread I use an amp on my electro accoustic.
I'm fairly new to fingerpicking and still experimenting a lot, but I mostly use nails. That does include a bit of flesh, too. My nails are short, pretty much like recommended in the "Pumping Nylon" book for classical guitar, except for the thumb nail, which is a little longer. (I don't play classical guitar, but I picked up "Pumping Nylon" because it is often recommended for subjects such as nails, finger positions, etc, and I was curious about it.)
But as I said, I'm still experimenting. Just yesterday I discovered that there is an interesting number of famous guitar players who picked with only two fingers (thumb and index), which I found quite amazing. Doc Watson and Merle Travis are two examples. Then I discovered that there are fantastic ukulele players like Gordon Mark (the ukulele player) and Ledward Kaapana who also only pick with thumb and index. So today I tried this, and I really like the tone it yields. (I also learned that 2-finger style is pretty common in the banjo world, too.) I had started practicing PIMA, but now I'm seriously considering to stick with PI for a while and see where that takes me.
But as I said, I'm still experimenting. Just yesterday I discovered that there is an interesting number of famous guitar players who picked with only two fingers (thumb and index), which I found quite amazing. Doc Watson and Merle Travis are two examples. Then I discovered that there are fantastic ukulele players like Gordon Mark (the ukulele player) and Ledward Kaapana who also only pick with thumb and index. So today I tried this, and I really like the tone it yields. (I also learned that 2-finger style is pretty common in the banjo world, too.) I had started practicing PIMA, but now I'm seriously considering to stick with PI for a while and see where that takes me.
actadh
Well-known member
I fingerpick with pads. I strum with thumb and index and do PIMA for fingerpicking. I did the nail thing for a year, hated it as I hate having nails anyway, and when I picked up a Rob MacKillop book where he mentioned he plays with the pads of his fingers, that clinched it for me.
I grew out my nails again 2.5 yrs ago (after many years of having them clipped to the quick).
I am similar to JaneRay here.
However I try to keep my nails about 2mm past the fingertip as it helps with better articulation in both strumming and fingerpicking.
Occasionally I've had a nail split or chip and had to cut or file it down and wait for it to grow back to the length required (about 3 weeks).
This is a real PITA as so much of my technique is now dependent upon my nails, as I really am crippled without even one of them and have to wait for it to grow back.
I detest ALL fingerpicks, for playing with them is too far removed from actual contact with the instrument, I might as well be playing with a prosthetic hand.
Also, I refuse to superglue fake nails or similar in the event of losing a nail (because reasons).
The main takeaway for me, as per what JaneRay has said above, and with my own experience is if you keep them short and keep the edges smooth, they will last a long time, and requires very LITTLE actual maintenance, and the payoff compared to playing with only your fleshy finger pads is HUGE in terms of increased dynamic range, articulation and control.
However, plenty of folks play without nails too, so to each his/her own....:music:
70sSanO
Well-known member
There is no correct way.
I fingerpick with the pads of my thumb and fingers and been doing it that way for a long time, even back when I played guitar. I generally will strum with my index finger nail, at least down and the thumb nail up. Almost like holding a pick but without the pick.
There is a distinct difference in brightness between fingerpicking pads and strumming nails, although I will thumb pad down and index pad up for effect if it is not a fast strum.
Over the years I never really wanted to have one hand with long nails and the other with short nails... long nails on a fretboard is not a good thing.
John
I fingerpick with the pads of my thumb and fingers and been doing it that way for a long time, even back when I played guitar. I generally will strum with my index finger nail, at least down and the thumb nail up. Almost like holding a pick but without the pick.
There is a distinct difference in brightness between fingerpicking pads and strumming nails, although I will thumb pad down and index pad up for effect if it is not a fast strum.
Over the years I never really wanted to have one hand with long nails and the other with short nails... long nails on a fretboard is not a good thing.
John
Fleacia
Well-known member
Same here re. nail care and style. But I do both - fingerpicking with pads and nails. I agree that pads are more mellow and nails are brighter/louder. So I change picking method according to the sound I'm looking for.
pritch
Well-known member
That's about where mine are now and I find that to be a good length. Any longer and I'll need to do some maintenance.
Previously I have only used a nail file to clean up the ends but recently experienced some unattractive sounds so finally bought an emery board. The result definitely sounds better.
Tootler
Well-known member
That's me too. Strum with the nails - fingers down, thumb up, fingerpick with the pads of my fingers and thumb, usually just first finger and thumb.
My nails are very prone to splitting and I can guarantee they will split, especially the middle finger if they grow beyond the end of my finger tips, so I keep them short on both hands.
Down Up Dick
Well-known member
I use my pads to fingerpick ukuleles except a flat pick for Irish music. I use my fingernails covered with Scotch tape (it's very slick) for Clawhammer. It works well.
I have a theory that old people have thick, inflexible nails that chip and split easily. Mine certainly do.ld:
I have a theory that old people have thick, inflexible nails that chip and split easily. Mine certainly do.
ld:
I haven't (yet) used picks on my Ukes but used to on my guitar. I have also noticed that some/many pro players do use picks.
I see that Aaron uses Alaska picks and a plastic thumb pick like these:
There are metal versions of the plastic Alaska pick:
And there are the old metal finger picks that guitar and banjo players have been using for years:
These cover the pads of your fingers.
I see that Aaron uses Alaska picks and a plastic thumb pick like these:
There are metal versions of the plastic Alaska pick:
And there are the old metal finger picks that guitar and banjo players have been using for years:
These cover the pads of your fingers.
Recstar24
Well-known member
Nails for me. I try to maintain them where a tiny bit creeps over the finger, nothing more. I have to file about once a week and use a glass file and micro mesh pads to get a nice smooth surface. I love the tone and projection.
I tried going with Alaska finger picks and they were too bulky and uncomfortable so I just grow my nails.
I tried going with Alaska finger picks and they were too bulky and uncomfortable so I just grow my nails.
brimmer
Well-known member
A little bit of fingernail is my preference. No-nail picking sounds nice too. One of my favorite players, Rob MacKillop, plays with no nails - both on uke and lute. But I prefer the crisper tone you get with some nail. For me the most important thing is to keep the nails pretty short, and to burnish the ends and underside of the nail with very fine grit sandpaper. There's a piece of sandpaper in every uke case. I never clip my picking nails, just use a manicurist file. When I'm playing more classical guitar, I need to grow them a fair bit longer.
Nothing is more boring to a non-fingerpicking musician than a discussion of fingernails. But to us, it's pretty fascinating...
Nothing is more boring to a non-fingerpicking musician than a discussion of fingernails. But to us, it's pretty fascinating...
This is exactly how I do it.
CasanovaGuy
Well-known member
I use flesh whenever I fingerpick. The only rare exception is when I tremolo pick, but I would never grow my nails out just to make tremolo picking easier. For strumming, it varies depending on what sound I want (nails for loud, punchy sounds and pads for mellower ones).
My instructor Roy Sakuma had really long fingernails on his picking hand and really short fingernails on his fretting hand I remember thinking, "I'll never score honeydips with non-aesthetically-pleasing fingers," and that thought stuck when I was learning how to fingerstyle. So even though having some nail is good, I prefer too short over too long xD
My instructor Roy Sakuma had really long fingernails on his picking hand and really short fingernails on his fretting hand I remember thinking, "I'll never score honeydips with non-aesthetically-pleasing fingers," and that thought stuck when I was learning how to fingerstyle. So even though having some nail is good, I prefer too short over too long xD
Thanks for the responses. Currently I'm using the pads of my fingers for picking and a slightly long nail (index) for strumming. Being a Clawhammer banjo player the nail is there already. Down the road I may grow the nails and give that a shot. Funny thing, if a poll were conducted it would probably be close to a 50-50 split. Keep picking whatever your choice.
