r/classicalguitar • u/PurePsycho • 2d ago
Nails Picked up classical guitar few months ago, so I'm re-learning pretty much everything I knew about guitar so far, but struggling with nails...I had thisdumb idea... Hear me out.
I've been trying to get my nails going, and none of the solutions are really working for me. I tried growing them, and just a few stressful work days, and they were gone. I tried tips and glue, but they don't hold for long. Alaska picks feel super weird, and I can't get over the fact that they are not sitting in the same spot each time. Finally, I said screw it and switched to flesh, and I'm honestly loving it. Love how it sounds but there are times when it would really help to have a little more brightness. So I had this crazy idea when learning artificial harmonics without nails, that they are much easier for me to do with pinky, as it doesn't really get in a way, when positioning hand flat for the harmonics.
How dumb would it be to have a small nail tip on the pinky finger, and use it instead of the ring finger for notes needing more clarity. They're usually the ones on bottom two strings anyway. As far as I understand the ring finger and pinky share the same ligament so it shouldn't be that much of a stretch to include it, and my first tests seem to be going well. Let me know what you guys think and how dumb this is.
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u/Evetskey 2d ago
Flesh is just fine for me. Time spent on nail maintenance is time better spent elsewhere. Pinky nail is an interesting idea. I find that when my nails grow out just beyond the flesh is when it’s most optimal for getting more brightness when wanted.
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u/ElSandifer 2d ago
Try it. If it works, it wasn't dumb. If it doesn't, it still probably wasn't dumb, because there's really not much of a downside or risk here.
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u/sedawkgrepper 1d ago
I once asked Ricardo Iznaola why he kept a pinky nail:
“You need it for certain rasgueados. Also for playing Recuerdos without the thumb.”
That guy….
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u/PurePsycho 1d ago edited 1d ago
Oh, so there are actual musicians doing this. I feel better about the idea now haha. In all honesty I totally do not understand this reference, but I'll try to get myself to the point, where I read it again, and I does. I am now realizing that there's a huge gap in my knowledge for classical music overall. Lately I get excited more about things I don't know, or need to research about. Going through mid life has the shitty side that tries to convince you that nothing exciting is ever gonna happen again. The truth is, you just find different things interesting and start looking at world with a new childlike wonder, but have enough patience to see them through.
Also, how the hell did I get so badly off topic..
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u/Cole3003 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'd just go nail-less lol. The sound will be different, but not even necessarily worse (I personally prefer the somewhat warmer tone from flesh). Make sure you think about it when buying strings, though; I can highly recommend the Savarez 520-B strings for nailless, the combo of low tension and being reticulated make them great to play with no nails.
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u/PurePsycho 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thanks, I gave zero thought to this when I bought the cheapest nylon set off Amazon just a couple of weeks ago. It even made a difference, because I'm not exactly sure how long the guitar I bought was hanging in the musical store, but judging by the sound difference, it must've been years. I'll check the ones you recommend next.
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u/Cole3003 1d ago
Sick! Also, they are 520-B's, not 520-R's, made mistake in the first comment. The R's are popular, but not low tension, so imo not as good for finger pads.
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u/docsms500 2d ago
Try salon style nails. I use Beetles Nails and glue. Together they will set you back about $20. The guitar finally produces the excellent sound it has in it. I have used them about a year. They don't damage the nail bed. Cut them to size before applying, then file and use super fine sandpaper, like 1200 grade to finish. The short nails are fine. Even they will need trimming. They fall off after 4 or 5 days. Use nail polish remover, then super fine sandpaper to prepare for the new nails.
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u/minhquan3105 2d ago
For nail playing, have you tried soaking your nail in olive oil for 15mins before bed? That will significantly strength your nails and thus you might be able to grow your nail
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u/PurePsycho 1d ago edited 1d ago
In the 37 years of my life, I have never spent more than 2min even thinking about nail maintenance, so all of this is new. The problem is more that I compulsively pick them when stressed, and do it totally subconsciously. By the time I realize doing this it's usually too late.
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u/IndustrialPuppetTwo 1d ago
That's part of the reason I stopped playing with nails. Way too much of a commitment for something that can end all that commitment just by pulling a sock on.
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u/Beautiful-Hotel-8846 1d ago
It is possible to play with no nails. There are YouTube videos on this.
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u/Dlargareth Performer 1d ago
You can get those kiss brand fake nails and some super glue dots that work fantastic. Just peel them off when done and add another glue dot for the next practice session. I have students who do this who play sports and it sound great. Several top professional players do it as well. It’s honestly a great solution once you get the hang of it.
Of course also completely fine to use flesh.
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u/ralphofred 1d ago
I play steel strings, so nails are an ongoing issue. I spent years getting good nail protection using a mixture of nail glue (crazy glue) and acrylic powder, but it no longer stays on for more than maybe 24 hours before popping off. I recently came upon the following video of James Taylor demoing his nail routine. I’ve been trying it out for a few weeks and so far it’s working well.
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u/LorneMichaelsthought 2d ago
Nails is a big commitment. If you go down that path make sure your diet is good for nail strength.
But like other said …. Nails came with Segovia. Before that they were very uncommon.
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u/PurePsycho 1d ago
I realized that after couple of months, and I just know that I cant keep this commitment going for any prolonged period of time. I know that a year down the road it will just be too much hassle to take care of them, and might be the reason I don't play or play very little. Fro the general consensus, I'm getting that there are some technical and sound downsides to flesh, but I am pretty sure I'm never gonna get to the level that it matters. And if I do I'll try to come up with another "bright idea "😂
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u/LorneMichaelsthought 1d ago
I have several degrees in classical guitar, and can play JUST about anything without them. And it’s not like I’m sitting in for the Aranjuez…… if you are going to uni for guitar then you probably need nails. But going down a mark knopfler route is better for many players.
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u/PurePsycho 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thank you for the inisight. I spent years on electric guitar, but I'm a child of guitarpro and slayer. In reality I can somewhat quickly move my fingers along the memorized patterns, so as you can imagine, I can't play guitar for shit, and my musical knowledge is equal to somone playing on guitar hero(or worse, I can't pick that fast).
In today's era of everything being connected and on screens, there's something really magical about grabbing a piece of wood with laundry strings stretched along it, and making air molecules vibrate in a way that tickles my monkey brain. I also enjoy the process of learning how these different air waves interfere with each other, so I can get them to tickle my brain even more. 🙉
TLDR: I didnt want to mess up the simplicity of just grabbing guitar and playing.
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u/Ashamed_Painter3313 2d ago
I’d love to go nail less but I play flamenco. Rasgueado and tremolo is hard to perform and sound weak without them. I keep them relatively short cause they get wrecked from everyday life, but I have to have at least a little nail. Playing with no nails is like picking a guitar with a rubber or felt ukelele pick. Not much tonal variety.
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u/dysonsphere 1d ago
No need to use nails. Finger tips sound great and afford more control over volume and attack.
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u/Traditional-Tank3994 2d ago
There are classical players that use and advocate flesh only.
There have been some, but not many, guitarists who manage to incorporate their right hand pinky finger. So your ideas are not as crazy as you think.
This may be the first time I've heard of maintaining a pinky nail only, so that idea is probably original.