Right-hand fingernails

jgeary

jgeary

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Hi everyone!
I'm new to this forum and love it!
I'm also new to the ukulele - having played guitar, mandolin, violin, cello.... And I LOVE playing the ukulele. And all the educational information which is available online for free - it just amazes me how generous the ukulele family is!

So here's the question (finally). I love to fingerpick and find that my right-hand fingernails are generally not strong enough - I do a lot of sailing and other activities which do not add to the longevity of my nails. Any suggestions regarding "over the counter/drugstore" type of acrylics? Is the shape of the nail significant? Do you add nails to just the index and middle (and maybe thumb, or use a thumbpick), or do you also add a nail to the ring finger? Thanks in advance. I tried to search the forum but didn't find anything.

Have a blessed, ukulele day!

Jill
San Diego
 
I actually just use nail strengthener. I believe it's by Sally Hansen and it's called "diamond strength" or something like that. I generally have very soft nails that tend to split and peel, but this works quite well. I just got mine at a normal drug store.
I've never used false nails, though (my piano teacher would probably kill me), so I'm not sure how that would work.
Hope that helps!
 
Thanks. I'll give that a try :) I'm still thinkin' I'd like to try some sort of acrylic-type thing to get a little length. Guess I can just live dangerously and experiment? :)
Jill
 
I dont use my nails for picking, but I do have my pinky nail on the right hand long because I just cant seem to get a strong enough sound with my pinky without it. So, on that finger only I use my nail. Fortunatly, I have very strong nails to begin with.

One thing you might try. I also play the banjo, and pick the banjo with my fingers, but I do also have steel banjo finger picks that you just push onto your finger tips. Ya might try those, but ya might also want to be careful, because if you used those carelessly, it can ruin the finish on your uke (if you hit the body of the uke with the steel finger pics as you play).
 
Use nail hardener. I would not recommend steel picks. There are some picks -- I believe they are called Alaska picks. They're plastic.

Wouldn't the acrylic nails do long-term damage to your real nails? It's my understanding that once the acrylics come off the nails underneath will be way too soft. That is what has kept me from trying them.
 
I've played guitar for years, and I never could get used to picking with my nails or finger picks. I would just use my the tips of my fingers, granted it does soften the attack. You can build up calousses that harden the finger tips a bit.

Oddly enough, at times I will strum using my index fingernail and on steel guitar strings will wear it pretty thin.

I fingerpick on the ukulele the same way.

John

John
 
http://img.youtube.com/vi/D1leA0JKHhE/0.jpg

Check this out. Hope the link works.


EDIT:eek:k my link worked hehe. What you want your nails to be shaped like are the ones on the top left. All of your nails should be like this except your thumb and your ring finger.your thumb should just be long. It doesn't necessarily have to be shaped. The ring finger should be shaped with the curve to the other side if you catch my drift.
 
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I agree about the steel finger picks. But wanted to throw it out there as a potencial solution, with that warning. I played with them on the uke a couple times, but was concerned with dinging it up. I do use a plastic banjo thumb pick about half the time with picking though, and it is very useful, and helpful.



sukie said:
Use nail hardener. I would not recommend steel picks. There are some picks -- I believe they are called Alaska picks. They're plastic.

Wouldn't the acrylic nails do long-term damage to your real nails? It's my understanding that once the acrylics come off the nails underneath will be way too soft. That is what has kept me from trying them.
Click to expand...
 
sukie said:
Wouldn't the acrylic nails do long-term damage to your real nails? It's my understanding that once the acrylics come off the nails underneath will be way too soft. That is what has kept me from trying them.
Click to expand...

I made that mistake a few years ago playing classical guitar. Once you start using acrylics, you either never stop or you suffer several months of no nails at all until they grow back.

Not stopping isn't a good option either unless you really don't mind trashing your nail beds. My nails were paper thin for a very long time after quitting acrylics. I couldn't play at all, and couldn't have any white showing. If it did, it would fold back at the slightest bump, and trust me that doesn't feel good.

They're healthy and soft now. I don't play classical guitar seriously anymore, preferring the less serious and more fun Ukulele, and my natural nails as soft as they are, work just fine.
 
By the way, tapping your nails is said to help with nail growth/strength. Increases circulation.
 
Aloha Vindelanda,
I agree too on the fake nails, jus wondering what happens when your real nails grow out??
There will be a gap between the cuticle and the fake nail, how do you resolve that since
the false nail is permanantly attached????HMMMM MM Stan..
If it were me, I'd fill it bondo(auto dent filler) jus kidding...
 
You're not that far off. Part of the acrylic regimen is to have "fills" done every few weeks. It's done with a fine acrylic powder and a hardener very similar to super glue. After about two or so fills, you need to remove the remaining acrylic and filler and start over. By that time the original acrylic has probably loosened anyway and is peeling away from the nail. There's a chemical bond between your nail and the material and removing this takes away part of the nail each time contributing to eventual weakening and softening of the base nail.
 
jgeary said:
I love to fingerpick and find that my right-hand fingernails are generally not strong enough - I do a lot of sailing and other activities which do not add to the longevity of my nails. Any suggestions regarding "over the counter/drugstore" type of acrylics? Is the shape of the nail significant? Do you add nails to just the index and middle (and maybe thumb, or use a thumbpick), or do you also add a nail to the ring finger? Thanks in advance. I tried to search the forum but didn't find anything.
Click to expand...
Fingernails trimmed to the quick. I use my finger tips and thumb pad to play. I don't use artificial nails, either. Just my flesh, which I find can be much more expressive than nails.
 
If you haven't already, I recommend taking another look at the earlier post in this thread by nikolo727.

I asked a similar question a while back, and the recommendation was basically the same. It's the shape of the nail that makes the difference. Mine don't look exactly like the photo in the link by nikolo727, but it's the same idea. The left side of my right-hand nails (index, middle, & ring) are filed straight, and at an angle 45-degrees or so.

When you pick, the string slides smoothly along the straight edge. When it gets to the end of the straight edge, the slight "corner" there plucks the string, giving you a plucked-sounding tone. With the nails shaped this way, they don't need to be very long, maybe 2-3 millimeters past the end of the fingertip when looking at the palm side. Since they're not too long, they're less likely to break. Also, because of the shape and the fairly short length, they're less likely to "hang" on the string.

You may have to experiment with the shape of the "point", and the angle of the straight edge.

After typing all of that, I realized that since I got a decent phone a week ago, I can actually take a photo and upload it, so see below. The photo is a little blurry, but you should get the idea. This is my right hand.

Jason
 

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  • Nails..jpg
    Nails..jpg
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Jello. Lots of jello. And marshmallows. Anything with gelatine.

Try to keep small problems from becoming big problems. Often, if I develop a tiny crack, hook or snag, that invariably becomes a bigger problem. If I just quickly file away any problems, my nails are pretty stress free. I've had them 16 years, and I've broken my thumb nail probably about 4 times. Index finger about 20 times. The rest somewhere in between.

Oh, but careful playing basketball. I once almost ripped off 3 nails going for a pass which was a bit out of reach. Ouch...
 
ichadwick said:
Fingernails trimmed to the quick. I use my finger tips and thumb pad to play. I don't use artificial nails, either. Just my flesh, which I find can be much more expressive than nails.
Click to expand...

A too long delayed Amen!!! Have gone back to just flesh for picking with back of nail strums here and there with better results all around esp. with vocals. This is too much happiness in one week...
 
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I am in the same boat with very weak fingernails that tend to shred from strumming. I wish there was a store nearby to try Alaska Piks to get the right fit rather than having to buy them off of eBAY to get the right fit. So currently I keep a wood pick clipped to the clip on tuner for when I need to strum. I would not recommend metal picks or fingerpicks. Anything harder than wood will nick-up nylon strings rapidly which will weaken the structure and tone of the strings.
 
I recommend that you use Rico Nails or the equivalent when your nails are not long enough. http://elderly.com/accessories/items/02-21316.htm In my case, I found that the double-back adhesive was not needed, just use the paper tape to attach the false nails

A cheaper alternative that works just fine for me is to use acrylic nails and paper tape them to your fingertips.

But don't stop sailing!!!
 
I guess it's all to their own - I just use a pick when I want to pick and fingers for the rest of the time (oh and a trimmed plastic thumb pick (bumble bee) for clawhammer). Just try different things until it sounds good.

I have a friend who uses acryllics and the way he's got past the issue of strong enough nails was to use about three on top of each other all glued down with Araldite glue - much stronger than superglue. Means he has to spend around three or four hours not picking stuff up for the rest of the night, but his fingernails are like rocks for about a month and a half before the nail underneath grows out and he has to re-do it. Never been tempted by this myself as I find long nails get in the way of my other instruments.
 
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