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Guitar - Fingertips vs Fingernails


Cheerios4u98

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Random question but I was just curious since I've only recently started to learn fingerpicking on the guitar (I grew up playing blink so I only learned to play with a pick). Do you use your fingertips to play, or your fingernails?

I play with the flesh of my fingertips, but I can see why playing with the nails would be beneficial. The problem for me is that my nails are oddly curved and it makes picking with my nails really awkward and uncomfortable. On top of that I hate the feeling of picking with my nails. It feels almost like scratching a chalk board. Can't stand it.

When it comes to fingerpicking, how do you guys play?

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I pick with my fingertips, and use my nails to strum. Something I do a lot is down pick the root note with my thumb, then up pick a few notes with my next two or three fingers, and then strum down with my nails. Usually like this:


 


Thumb, pick, pick, strum, pick, pick, thumb, pick pick, strum, pick, pick. 


 


Try changing chords with each thumb strike to establish a bass line. Then the picks can be a sort of accompanying higher melody or just repeated pattern, and the strum comes off as percussive. Written out, because I'm a drummer:


 


1               e               &               2               e               &               3               e               &               4               e               &


thumb       pick           pick           strum        pick           pick           thumb       pick           pick           strum        pick           pick  


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using your nails is more for classical guitar, you're taught to use your nails for it - I constantly bite my nails which is why I quit haha. most classical guitarists are quite telling because they have longer nails on one hand.


 


I pick with my finger tips, like the majority of other people. if I ever strum without a pick, which is rare because I'm quite an aggressive acoustic guitarist, I use my thumb. if I used my nail I'd break it. 


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You guys are reassuring me that I do not need to learn to play with my nails. That is good, because I didn't want to. Haha.

My fingers are still suffering because I'm not used to this, so they're hurting quite a bit. Slowly building up calluses and strength though. It's getting easier little by little.

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I think being adept at both is the best way really, if you're interested in a variety of styles of music. I love playing bass with my fingers for example because it sounds infinitely better, but because I play in a punk band I use a pick - it's just easier to play harder and faster with. 


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I didn't know playing bass with your fingers sounded better. (I don't play bass so...)

The only time I've ever played bass was once at a local show when my friends' band asked me to play bass with them for a cover of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. lol. Actually I guess I've played bass two times if you count the time we practiced the song before the show.

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I didn't know playing bass with your fingers sounded better. (I don't play bass so...)

The only time I've ever played bass was once at a local show when my friends' band asked me to play bass with them for a cover of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. lol. Actually I guess I've played bass two times if you count the time we practiced the song before the show.

 

It's the 'right' way to play bass, at least as far as I'm concerned, but it just isn't that feasible in faster music... or at least not for someone as talentless as me. it totes can be done I mean fuck look at Flea, but I'm too shit at it haha.

 

but yeah it's the more dominant way to play bass for sure it's mostly only punk and metal bands who use picks for bass.

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You definitely don't need to play with nails, but in my experience it is easier and you get a much more solid sound out of each pluck if you use a nail.


 


I do a lot of fingerstyle, it's the most enjoyment I get out of acoustic guitar. When I have a gig coming up or I'm working on something in particular I let the nails on my right hand grow out quite a bit and I find it makes a huge difference for me. I tried using thumb/finger picks that you attach to your fingers but found them really awkward.


 


Having said all that I can still play just fine using fingertips but I'm much more prone to missing a note here and there or playing some muted notes, and it just doesn't have the same 'twang' so it just doesn't sound quite as good.


 


Once my nails get long enough I usually end up getting frustrated with their length and cut them right back, then I pick up the guitar and instantly regret it because my fingerpicking ability seems to go out the window hah.


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