A Different Kind of Fingernail question

MEH · #1 04-19-2005, 09:37 AM

Hey all,

I've read several threads about growing nails, using press-on's, etc. and it all pertains to the right hand for fingerstyle guitar players.

Here is my dilema, and I've not seen this discussed. Regarding my right hand, I have found that I like my natural nails to be just moderatly long to get a clear ring when I hit the string. No problems with this. On my left-fretting- hand I have found I need to keep my nails extremely short in order to get the string pressed down. The moment I get a bit of growth I find my nail hits the fret board and prevents me from being able to push the string down enough for a clear strike.

So on with my question... Is this my unique problem of having to keep left hand nails very short while trying to grow the right hand nails longer? Being a bit OCD this really drives my crazy to have my nails at different lenghts. How do others cope with this? If there is a thread on this I missed it.

Shpeil · #2 04-19-2005, 10:03 AM

I don't think you're alone in this. My left hand fingernails are super-short, and the right hand nails are a fair bit longer, for the very reasons you describe.

david_m · #3 04-19-2005, 10:27 AM

My left hand nails are also super short, while I keep three nails on my right hand long. I've been doing this for the last 6 or 7 years, and it still bothers me. Oh well, at least I get to play gutitar.

I recently starting having acrylics applied to my right hand. It's about $8 per treatment, and I can go about two weeks between applications. I REALLY like the durability.

David

classicalman · #4 04-19-2005, 10:46 AM

I have been doing that off and on for the past 25 years and have never gotten quite used to it. In my banjo (whispering) days, I used fingerpicks so that solved that problem. Last week I bought some new fingerpicks to test - Propicks - and I like them, a lot.

They are the ones with the open centers so the flesh of the finger pad is exposed. Not sure if I am going to convert but they really sound good for the style of music I play (acoustic blues and blues/rag).

The fingernail thing is a constant hassle as far as I am concerned. The nails on my picking hand is not as long as most folks so it isn't that big of a lifestyle issue, but it was in my classical days. Those were some serious nails.

It only takes a few days to get used to the feel of fingerpicks - it might feel better when you are NOT playing your guitar.
.

SteveS · #5 04-19-2005, 10:47 AM

You'll get used to it. It is also a good way to pick out fingerstyle guitarists in a crowd.

DJR · #6 04-19-2005, 11:04 AM

You'll just have to get used to tilting a bit to the right because of the extra weight

.

I used to have my right hand nails longer when I both flat-picked and did fingerstyle. I'm almost exclusively a flat-picker now, but I still sometimes let my right-hand nails grow a bit, just out of habit.

I have become obsessive about keeping the left-hand nails clipped short.

MEH · #7 04-19-2005, 01:00 PM

Well thank goodness I'm not the only one disturbed by this. As noted in the original post I've read alot about growing the nails--I just never thought much about only doing it on one hand.

koaguitarman · #8 04-19-2005, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveS

You'll get used to it. It is also a good way to pick out fingerstyle guitarists in a crowd.

Yeah what Steve said.
And you should wear them as a badge of honor.
Russ

dthumb · #9 04-19-2005, 05:17 PM

You could always grow the nails on your left foot out for balance...

ParleyDee · #10 04-19-2005, 06:19 PM

But then you'd have to scrounge around table rummage sales for your shoes in the hope you can find matching left and right in different sizes, wouldn't you?

(I had a one-legged friend once who used to do that but he'd sneak out with two left shoes and no one ever noticed at the checkout.)

Me too, super-short left nails and long right nails including thumb, and it's never bothered me, though people seem to think it should. They assume the right nails are long for "decorative" purposes and can't believe I don't miss the left nails.

When I took up fiddle for a bit of fun, the pinky nail went so that the finger could sit properly on top of the bow, so now I look even odder than before!

I never liked finger picks, but nails seem to deteriorate as you get older, so sometimes now as a backup I use a thumb ProPik size S (the only one I can find that's small enough for me) and am psyching up to try Alaska finger picks. It's taking some psyching, though. It just ain't natteral

rick-slo · #11 04-19-2005, 08:01 PM

Short left, longer right is pretty much the way it is unless you use picks. Wait until you start using nail polish on the right to slow down the nail splits.
Rick

ljguitar · #12 04-19-2005, 09:43 PM

Hi...
I play flesh with only a tiny bit of nail occasionally as accent. No need to grow either hand.

Yes, if I don't watch the left hand the nails will interfere.

Straycat · #13 04-20-2005, 04:56 PM

I have to keep my left fingernails cut so short there is no "white" part of the nail! I grow my left thumb nail long so I can use it to open soda bottle tabs etc. I can not do that with my right thumb because of the risk of breakage. Often people notice my short side and assume I am a nail biter...then I show them my right hand and say guitarist...hehe I have also started to use my left hand more for "risky" jobs, so as not to sacrifice my nails on the right hand !! I was a "tomboy" growing up and thought girls who worried about breaking a nail were rediculous !! NOW I go, OH S--T, when I break a nail and have even resorted to "FRANKEN-NAIL"....cutting my left thumb nail and supergluing it to the broken one on the RIGHT !!!

I can hear you all going EEEWWE! But even weirder is when my proff.guitarist boyfriend used one of MY nails to get through a week of gigs

bagelsgirl · #14 04-20-2005, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koaguitarman

Yeah what Steve said.
And you should wear them as a badge of honor.
Russ

Yeah! I like it when people notice them. They either know I am a guitarist, or they ask why and then I tell them. Hey, being a musician is fun. I don't mind people knowing.

It isn't wierd to me, I am forty one and I have had long nails on my right hand and short nails on the left hand since I was thirteen. Seems like a normal thing to me!

I get the four nails on the right hand done in Acrylics now. I have never had anyone imply that nails of different lengths was odd, but I did once have an asian nail tech ask why I just do four nails. When I told her, she looked at the other hand and at the callouses and said, "And your husband does not COMPLAIN?"

Yeah right, like my husbad was going to tell me I should not play guitar because my nails were unsightly. That would have been an interesting first and last date. (I am glad it has been 15 years! And I wouldn't change him either.)

Folkman · #15 04-20-2005, 09:13 PM

Mine are long on the right hand and I regularly use "Nutra Nail" to reduce the amount of cracks and splits. The nails on my left hand are trimmed close. I get occasional comments, but I just say I'm a fingerstyle guitarist. Seems to satisfy everyone. Recently I've taken to using fingerpicks - had a bad day at work and broke every nail on myh right hand. To get the breaks even, I really had to trim close! Since it'll be a while til they're back to normal, I'll have to make do with the finger picks. - RATS!!!

Folkman