String Benders, How do you Trim your Nails?
 

I am trying to get back into playing, but the style I am evolving involves lots of full step string bending. I am playing nines on an electric. I end up bending a string way past it’s neighbor. My nail(s) hang on the neighboring string. I have trimmed my nails pretty darn short, but they still hang on the neighboring string.

I am sure that you experienced guys have learned to deal with such things. The key to solving my problem may have nothing 5o do wi5h my nails, so I appreciate any suggestions you might offer.

Thanks in advance!

I use nail clippers






:)

Thanks rocker.

I guess I left myself open for that one. Do you trim them ridiculously short, or leave some length and drag the nail along the fretboard to keep the string from getting underneath?

I doubt that the length of your nails is actually the problem. A couple of things to try:

1. Look at your bending technique. Are you bending with one lone finger or with 1-2 additional fingers supporting the bending finger and helping you mute and move the adjacent strings as you bend? There is a REAL good chance that correct bending technique will fix this (it sure did for me).

2. Try higher action with those .009s, or maybe try .010s. Some folks think skinny strings/low action facilitates bends but that's definitely not always the case, as you tend to bend up under the string(s) above the string being bent, which can also lead to getting the string hung on your nail.

3. Of course, just plain old practice solves most problems.

I bend a lot, and my left hand nails are non-existent, no white at all. But that's mostly because feeling nails on the fretboard annoys me, not so much because they interfere with bending. ;) I'd echo the higher action comment, something I learned from a Robin Trower interview decades ago - to bend strings well, you need higher action so you can get under the adjacent string, and how high depends on your own fingers. My electric action is not as high as my acoustics, but it's quite a bit higher than many electric guitars, and that's because I like to bend strings.

Short nails and use 1 finger to bend with others behind it on the same string but positioned in such a way as to move the other strings out of the way. Said position is different from player to player.

i trim for electric and acoustic.

try using the pad on your finger(s) more as you bend. that will keep the nail(s) out of the way and should deaden the string(s) you want to mute.

play music!

Short but not too. When they start to be in the way, they get cut.

I keep mine trimmed real short, but most of your problems will be solved by a bit of technique practice.

I mostly use 3 fingers and my nails are short but not too short because I’m not a fan of ingrown nails.

Great comments and advice folks! You have already helped me. I had started bending with one or two extra fingers and had been getting away from that. Using three fingers sometimes and two fingers sometimes has helped already.

Thanks a bunch!

I use the Eco - Green method and just chew them short :D;)

Seems like you are on the right track with using multiple fingers to bend. I keep my left hand nails very short, but they don't come into play with bending if I forget to trim them.

The pic below is of me bending with the second and third fingers. You'll notice my index finger is covering all six strings. There is a reason for that -- I can strike all the strings as I'm bending the second string, but only the second string will sounds (there is also a cool percussive effect from beating on six strings to bend one note). My point is that it's always a good idea on the electric to mute any notes you don't want to sound.... especially when bending.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4577/...cbc36c_z_d.jpg

happy bending!

I bend a lot. As others have said, I keep my finger nails short, but not because of the bending.

Bob

You guys are the best!

I have probably gotten a few hours practice altogether since I started reading your suggestions. I have made a remarkable improvement. There is a lick I have been working on for awhile, but I was interrupting neighboring strings while bending. I now play that lick pretty darn clean!