NAILS! Do you grow them?

I'm still experimenting with what combination of grown nails is ideal. As of right now, the thumb-nail is pretty long for tremolos and picking. I cut the pointer a few days ago. And the middle finger is still growing. But over all, I want to be able to move all three fingers in an efficient manner so that I don't hit the fret board and still pick the notes I need.
 
I play upright and fingerstyle electric bass (and work in a microbiology lab during the days) so growing nails is not an option, but I have grown calluses from hell instead. Works alright for me, and if I really want to pick with something nail-like, theres always fingerpicks:
fingerpickplast_1.png
 
I keep all my nails trimmed short. It's an occupational thing- I work with small children and they often come running at me.

I use the top of my nail for strumming and sometimes the pad of my thumb. Picking doesn't seem to be too big of a problem, but then again I'm not getting going as fast as most of you.

Gelatin is good for hair and nail growth. So, eat your Jello!

Also, there's a reason hippies have long hair and it's not just because they want to stick it to the man. I'll leave that at that. ;)
 
My nails are a life-long concern for me: Too short, too long...then when the break?! I've finally found the right balance for me, but this isn't a standardized thing...so much of one's nails depends on one's genes. My 85-year-old mentor has a gianormous thumb nail that never breaks....and he gold mines on the weekends! I've found that by taking 3,000 mgs of Glucosamine with MSM, daily, has allowed my nails to be stronger than ever.

I hope you can glean some info from my rambling...
 
Nope. Fingernails cropped to the quick. Even a hair's breadth of nail annoys me. I play with my fingers and fingertips. Nails are vulnerable to cracking, tearing, splintering, bending and scraping.

Much easier to keep clean if they're too short to allow junk underneath.

The fingertip gives me a wider range of pressure and surface to apply to the string than a nail allows. I can just do a short pluck, or pull a larger part of my fingertip over a string for a different effect. I can pick very lightly and softly with my fingers, or loudly and aggressively.

With my fingertips, I feel the string, feel its surface and its resistance; I can sense if it's rough or smooth, clean or dirty.

If I want the sound of a nail, I can play with a pick. Don't like finger picks that act like artificial nails, either.​
 
I grow my fingernails out just a little bit, just enough that they make a difference in the sound of my fingerpicking. I try not to let them get so long that they look creepy.
 
I grow out my right hand, but just a tiny bit. I play electric bass, and I haven't quite figured out what to do when I don't feel like using a pick there, since I usually do about 50/50 picking and fingerstyle/slap. It depends on the tone I want for what I'm playing.

I do have a creepy long thumbnail. I can't tremolo without it, and it doesn't get in the way on my bass.

This reminds me, I really need to file my nails. And have a cup of coffee.
 
I try to grow them but I'm always biting them. I'm still experimenting with different fingernail lengths for different sounds, I think I like a bit of length for the thumb nail and less for the other fingers but I'll keep growing them and see what happens.
 
I have a little bit long thumb (2-3mm), index (~1mm), and middle (~1mm) nails.
I always keep their length by filing and buffer.

I used to have very long thumb (~5mm) and index (~5mm) nails like Ohta-san.
But as it was hard for me to make intonation with nails, I shortened them recentrly.
This way I can use finger or nail.

Though my nails are healthy and strong by nature, I have started using hand and nail lotion a few times a day.

Terry
http://www.youtube.com/terryukes/
 
:shaka:I don't have the patience to let my nails grow out. They bother me they get too long, so my nails are short. I seem to do ok that way. But come to think of it, I am not a very good player-so growing them out might help. Whatever you are most comfy with is what I always say.
 
I've grown out some nails. Use strengthener now and again. Keep them filed to a good length and take care of things as soon as I can if I feel any kind of snag. (that's where I always run into trouble.) It's not really a whole lot of maintenance. Just a certain amount of conscientiousness in establishing a status quo.
(I personally have never been able to use fingerpicks. I just prefer to actually feel the strings with my fingers when I play.)
When it comes down to it, you really don't need to grow anything super long. All it really needs to be is just slightly higher than the finger pad to be effective. It's a matter of adapting to having them if you're not used to such things. It's taken me a while, but even I've managed to do it and I'm certainly not much more disciplined that the average human.

And from a playing perspective I've found it to be a whole different experience. There's a pretty stark jump in terms of volume, precision and clarity over fingertips. I can strum faster and pick leads. It opens up an entire other level of playing possibilities. Notes just ring louder and longer. (and my cat is happier and I can scratch the itch on my wife's back she can't reach a lot more effectively as well.)

It's also worth it for me in terms of a performance perspective in that we do play live. I need/want to have that little extra bit of projection for a show but which might be less essential if you're just plucking away around the house for your own amusement. But growing some nails does have a time, place and purpose for playing. If you can, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.

My only problem is that somewhere down the line I developed a weak spot in my thumbnail that grows up vertically from the bottom in a line. It's like a permanent vertical crack that keeps me from growing that out like I'd like to.
 
ichadwick said:
Nope. Fingernails cropped to the quick. Even a hair's breadth of nail annoys me. I play with my fingers and fingertips. Nails are vulnerable to cracking, tearing, splintering, bending and scraping.

Much easier to keep clean if they're too short to allow junk underneath.

The fingertip gives me a wider range of pressure and surface to apply to the string than a nail allows. I can just do a short pluck, or pull a larger part of my fingertip over a string for a different effect. I can pick very lightly and softly with my fingers, or loudly and aggressively.

With my fingertips, I feel the string, feel its surface and its resistance; I can sense if it's rough or smooth, clean or dirty.

If I want the sound of a nail, I can play with a pick. Don't like finger picks that act like artificial nails, either.​
Click to expand...
Testify!!! Amen, brother.
 
Being a guitar player of over 30 some years I do grow nails on my right hand thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. They are not what I would consider long. I tend to mainly use a flesh and nail combination. I have had problems with breakage mainly in the winter until I started using Nail Tek XTRA. My nails are so much stronger now, even when I play steel string acoustic guitar.
Regards,
Ray
 
I grow mine out but I'd feel weird only having some fingers long and some short. However I guess I can get away with long nails easier :D
 
Short, or I snag my thumbnail on the G-string as I'm strumming, giving a loud rubber-band-like twang, and everyone laughs.
 
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