Breaking fingernails playing classical guitar

Interesting. Well, better than breaking nails. I grew three nails out 1/8" for the classical finger picking, and broke two just this week. I remember that my classical teacher (when I was 11) had four grown to almost 3/8", and had lacquered them heavily with nail polish to strengthen them. The layers of polish were ancient and yellowed. It looked pretty gross.

Do other classical guitar players (or other fingerpickers) here just use their fingertips, or do you use a bit of nail? How do you keep from breaking them?

Nice idea. I’d like a little time to raise my level of playing first, but at some point I think this would be fun to do, yes, especially when I get to the back of my book, where there are some duets.

[quote=“Dragonbones”]Interesting. Well, better than breaking nails. I grew three nails out 1/8" for the classical finger picking, and broke two just this week. I remember that my classical teacher (when I was 11) had four grown to almost 3/8", and had lacquered them heavily with nail polish to strengthen them. The layers of polish were ancient and yellowed. It looked pretty gross.

Do other classical guitar players (or other fingerpickers) here just use their fingertips, or do you use a bit of nail? How do you keep from breaking them? [/quote]

Nobody?

Mine just didn’t break. Dunno. Didn’t really pick that much, though. My teacher also had the gross nails

I haven’t picked up a guitar for over a decade, but do I have nice long nails BUT they are bendy, not hard so not good. Part genetics, part nail care - some people just have weaker nails and hair. It’s going to be harder for a guy to suddenly grow long nails; they are not used to going beyond the end of your fingertips. Get nail hardening stuff- look for ‘base coat’ -it will be matte, not shiny. You need to harden them and also to file ANY tiny little jags off - if you catch them and they tear, it will make your eyes water. If you file 'em into a very regular shape, they will break less because they won’t catch on anything. Also, if you remove the hardener, don’t use cheap nail polish remover - it shreds your nails.

The simple reality in relation to Classical guitar is that if you want decent tone, you need nails. Often the case is that the longer the nails the better the tone. However, as one’s nails get longer, it is harder to play things like arpeggios. Every player has to find the balance that they are happy with. John Williams manages to play with rather short nails (mind you he is a god), while Pepe Romero, Julian Bream, etc. play with rather long nails.Generally the i is the shortest, the m next, the a the longest of the hand nails, and the thumb longer still.

For me personally, I have changed back and forth. I have had rather long nails for a while now (on the strong urging of my present teacher). However, I have been working a lot on Villa Lobos’s Etude #1, and I find with a shorter a, I can play the piece much better. So it takes time (think years) of experimentation to figure out nails length.

That being said, I would STRONGLY discourage the use of artificial nail hardeners. As guitarists, we demand a type of dynamic strength from our nails that people who use them purely for ornamental uses do not. Our nails are as a violinists bow, they are the tool by which we mold our music. If you need to, rub an oil into your nails after you shower (olive is fine), and more often if you wish. This helps keep them healthy. As well (but don’t do this when people are around or they make kill you), tapping your nails softly on a hard surface helps to stimulate the nail bed, and can help to harden the nail overall without making it brittle.

And as to the shaping on your nails, it is another art altogether. Most guitarists these days ramp their nails in that they play with a straight wrist rather than the strongly turned wrist of Segovia’s day. For me, I have to ramp my i and m towards the right, and my a towards the left. It helps to have someone who knows look at your nails and you can have a better idea.

And if you aren’t a member already, go join Delcamp. They are a great community of classical players, and there is a whole sub-forum dedicated to nails.

delcamp.net/forum/en/index.php

We should definitely get together soon so I can show you a thing or two.

Noel

Oh and something I forgot to mention. Avoid playing fingerstyle on steel string guitars until your nails are strong. They will shred them to pieces.

Thanks Buttercup and Noel! :slight_smile: I’ve broken three nails now in what, ten days? So the natural remedies are only going to be given so much time to work before I try something more desperate. Still, I tried olive oil just now and will be sure to take my calcium and vitamin E.

I wonder how you say base coat in Mandarin?

Noel, I’d love to get together before too long. :thumbsup: Thanks.

No idea! Just have a look around Watsons. Ask your wife if you feel odd hanging around the Maybelline counter. :laughing: Check out Sally Hanson.

Oil will nourish 'em, but will take a lot of time and also make them bendy (although healthy) rather than percussive.

Is eating jelly cubes just an old wives’ tale? Get yer oils - wimmin don’t just take Evening Primrose for their ‘troubles’.

Key to avoiding breakages is to not run before you can walk. Work on hardening 1/4" nails, rather than going for length straight away - hardness is more important, initially. Keep them filed VERY smooth and regular and oval. Nail hardener can be used as ‘scaffolding’, while your nails get use to the new regime.

Thanks – yes, I’ve been keeping them very short and working on precision of placement, rather than trying to grow them long. I don’t really want them long. Yuck. They’re breaking when they reach 1/8". I’ve been filing, not clipping, so they should be pretty smooth. I’m ok with putting on base coat as long as no one can tell. :blush: No one gets to see my frilly pink undies either. :stuck_out_tongue:

Turns out that polishing the edges with 3M - 405N TRI-M-ITE, 500 sandpaper, which Noel introduced me to, has completely eliminated breakage. I guess microscopic nicks catch on the strings if the nails aren’t polished, and the damage grows as you play, until they break; but if you file them into shape and then use this stuff, the nicks aren’t there and the nails, being smooth as glass, last MUCH better. :thumbsup: These files are good too, as they have one section with light grit, then progressively finer buffers for polishing.

Hey,

I’m glad I stumbled onto this post. A few things:

(1) I used to break nails before, but since I’ve started applying olive oil I haven’t had a problem.
(2) Where can one find a decent classical guitar. All the shops I’ve come across sell low-quality instruments?
(3) Is there a classical guitar get together happening?

  1. Yeah, I’m still applying olive oil with vitamin E added, keeping the nail edges well polished and of the right length daily, and have not had any recurrence of breakage. I think the polishing as described earlier has been the most important factor, but I’m sure the oil helps too.

  2. Where can one find a decent classical guitar. All the shops I’ve come across sell low-quality instruments?

What’s your definition of ‘decent’? What shops have you been to, and what’s your budget? (Not that I have the answers, but that may help others who do.) Are you looking for a luthier-built guitar like these?

My nails don’t break usually, but I eat a lot of meat. I think you are not supposed to use the nail only, but the pad of the finger and the nail at the same time. I need to start playing regularly again.

Flesh plus nails simo works best for me, with a scant 2mm of white, or about .5mm visible past the fingertips if seen from the palm side. I use more flesh with the thumb, though. And I do use the pinky to play; I don’t really understand how you can avoid it if you’re given five notes at once to play and you’re not strumming.

Nails? What is this, a girlie thread?
McCoy is right, pad and a hint of the finger. Forget not the base of the palm. That Tennessee Trio riff works on all parameters.

I’ve been experimenting with nail shape/length. So far I haven’t been pleased with anything, although it’s getting better with the development of a ramp that starts low on the left side. I’ll try the reverse after this.

Left when you view the back of the hand, or left when viewing the palm with the fingers curled closed?

What about using finger picks?

eaglemusicshop.com/products. … -Picks.htm

Haha, funny guy!

No, really. The ones you slip over your fingers as nail substitutes. A lot of classical musicians use them. Scroll down the link a little. Finger picks, not picks/plectrums.

I can’t imagine a classical guitarist using something like picks attached to each finger! I don’t think you’d have the same level of control.