Finger Nail Length

[playalot86]

How long should your finger nails be? Mine are just over the top of my fingers. Thank you.

[sha]

I like the sound when the nails are relatively short and you hit the string with more flesh. However, longer nails tend to give you a better control. I guess there is kind of a trade off ... at least that is my feeling. Would also be interested in other opinions.

[playalot86]

Thank you for your words of advice. My nails are not too long, but just long enough. I just got done watching a video on You Tube and it was very good. They had a chart and everything. I too am very interested in other peoples opinions. Thank you for your response though.

[Tubbers]

I've found that keeping my nails below the fingertip works best for me. I know some say to be even with the tip but for me that's too long and my nails hang up on the string. Frederick Noad said you should use as short a nail as possible. I believe him.

[sha]

So what do the top players do? That's always a good benchmark. Looking, for example, at David Russell's nails, they seem to go well beyond the finger tips.
Of course, one also has to take into account the shape he gives his nails.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15 ... ssell.jpg/

[Louispalooza]

I tend to keep mine short as well. Primarily for two reasons:

1. I've found that getting a good tone and easily maintaining it is easier for me with short nails rather than long.

2. As I have a busy life outside of my guitar playing short nails are just easier and less hassle than long ones. Tidying the garden/playing cricket in the park with my son/changing a nappy are all easier with short nails and less likely to damage them!

There's also the potentially odd looks you get (in the UK at least) if you have long nails in a professional/work environment - I'm a lawyer and think very long nails would feel a bit odd in a client meeting (at least I would feel a bit self-conscious I think). Though that might be my personal hang-up as much as anything else.

[andywopp]

My tone has improved since I started shortening them to just over the flesh tip. I had problems with the tips hooking slightly on the first and second fingers. I routinely moisturise the base, put a moisturing layer on the nails followed by two layers of Sally Hansen nail hardner. This keeps then nice and straight and prevents them chipping when you knock them.

[playalot86]

Thank you everyone for the great advice! I love this forum so much. My nails tend to hook too on my i and m fingers. I might just shorten them because I too find that they are at their best when just over the finger tip. Thank you everyone.

[paulcroft]

There is no formula to offer and it's dependent on very many factors. Most of these you will only be able to judge after you've played for quite a while. Two things though: none of the concert guitarists I've met and worked with over many years had nails that were as short as being advised but, of coures, it's their career. More importantly, in my own experience, if you let the nails grow longer, and put up with some negative issues as they do, you'll find they are a lot easier to shape and, at least to some extent, mould. At that point you can come to your own decision as to what you prefer.

Paul Croft aka PP.

[playalot86]

Percy Penguin I agree with you. I have only been playing for a year, but I am confident in my playing because I work so hard at it. My nails are a little bit longer than everyone else who has responded, but I agree with you that giving yourself some leg room to work with really gives you an edge when shaping and preparing your nails. Good call.

[paulcroft]

Cheers and good luck with it.

Paul.

[mae]

So what do the top players do?

The homepage of Trilogy Guitars features photographs of the hands of Martha Masters, Scott Tennant, and Andrew York.

[oski79]

I agree that there is no one set formula that's right for everyone. I think it is an individual thing, best determined by trial and error. Find the length that works best for you, one which allows you to get good contact with the string between flesh and nail, and good tone, but not so long that your nail gets hung up on the string.

[playalot86]

Yes I agree with everyone because I just got done filing my nail on my m finger and it plays a lot better now that it is shorter. That was the only nail that needed to be filed.

[Robert Goodwin]

Although plucking is easier for me with short nails I find I prefer the sound produced by longer nails so I am suffering through the growth phase and learning to shape and use my nails.

It's especially onerous right now because the flesh pulls and then releases the string which then hits the nail before being plucked. That 'false' pluck produces an ugly click. Plucking with the nail alone seems to bring out overtones and colors in the sound that are missing with a more fleshy pluck.

Rereading this, I sound like a chicken; pluck, pluck, pluck.