Hybrid picking. Finger nails, or none?

[Dizi]

I been finger picking and flat picking forever, but recently started forcing myself into hybrid picking. I have never let fingernails grow long, but decided I'd try letting my 3rd and 4th fingernails grow longer. Its bugging me! Not sure I want to stick with this.

How about you folks...nails or fingertips?

[emu!]

Fingertips.

After awhile, the callouses will be as hard as nails.

[neocaster]

I have no nails, but even if I did, I like the slow attack that I get from fingertips.

[rraposo]

Nails. I keep the nails 1/16" past the fingertips. I have some eczema on my index finger and the nail is as thick as a Fender heavy flatpick. The Tele is a great fingerpicking guitar.

[PaisleyIsGod]

Finger tips. Can't stand the feeling of my finger nails plucking a string.

[Lafayette]

I used my nails for awhile (I also play classical). Then when I attempted to have my technique cross over onto the electric, the strings just ate the nails up. I'd play for an hour and then have to file the nail smooth. Play and file, play and file... It didn't take too long until the nail was filed down to "normal" nail length.

So I searched and searched alternative methods. At one point I even tried applying clear fingernail polish thinking it would add a layer of toughness to the nail. It didn't work.

For awhile I went to fingerpicks. Another long search for the "perfect" fingerpick. I eventually settled on the ProPik model with the open finger area; I could feel the string with my bare fingertip and at the same time get the volume and definition from the metal. There was a learning curve (I hated them at first) but after a few hours I swore they would be a part of my future. I also used one of their metal thumbpicks.

Then I got tired of the pinching of the skin the fingerpicks require. Only a snug fit will allow them to operate properly (for me). This snugness is a bit annoying.

In addition to this, the metal thumbpick was causing joint pain. It was fine for casual picking, but strumming on strings for a few hours would leave me sore. I thought there might be a temporary adjustment to the technique, similar to getting started with any exercise program. It didn't go away and only got worse. I've read too many posts here at the TDPRI about musicians that ignored pain and paid an awful price.

About a month ago I went entirely bare handed. At first it sucked. I lost volume and speed. I didn't want to go back to a standard pick as my technique in heavily rooted in classical guitar. I can play with a pick, but it puts my fingers at an odd angle that I find less than optimum.

I worked up my technique. It was a slow process and a bit frustrating at times as your speed drops. The speed comes back (not at shredder tempos but that's not my thing). I'm now to the point where I don't see myself going back to any other method. I play without nails and just use my fingertips and thumb.

There are A LOT of tonal variations that are in the bare handed approach. It takes time and patience to find them. You can strum up strokes with the thumbnail (trimmed) and downstrokes with the fingernails (trimmed) OR you can strum upstrokes with the pads of the fingers and downstrokes with the pad of the thumb (this yields a softer attack).

The most difficult adjustment period (for me) was in the development of the callouses. The softness of the fingertip is awkward and the technique really needs to be developed slowly. When my callouses developed, I realized that this is the sound I should have been getting all those years.

[Telarkaster]

Real men have long fingernails!

[HC]

You'll get used to the longer fingernails after a while. I prefer nails over fingertips, I think they make the sound more consistent going from pick to fingers.

[Groovey Records]

[polishcomedy]

A combination. Depending on the lick sometimes it starts with fingertip and ends with nail. The nail gives you a better snap I think.

[Chris S.]

I've been using nails for the past 35+ years, works for me. And of course, there's always the fake nail approach; Brent Mason seems to have done kinda sorta okay with that one. CS

[Groovey Records]

Originally Posted by Chris S.

I've been using nails for the past 35+ years, works for me. And of course, there's always the fake nail approach; Brent Mason seems to have done kinda sorta okay with that one. CS

Chet had a nail regimen that included using fake nail to strenthen and repair if he tore or chipped one

[telex76]

I tried nails for awhile, cared for them, used hard as nails, filed and messed with them. Couildn't keep them from chipping or getting snaggled. Most of the time they were filed down too far to play with anyway so I said to heck with it. I'm use to using just finger tips now and I would never try to use nails again.

[brokenjoe]

Fingertips. I've got big callouses on them!

[ecsong187]

I hybrid pick mainly with fingers, but let my nails grow just a tiny bit, not as long as Chet's, but just that little bit of nail with the finger seems to work perfect for me. It's kind of the same way Brad Paisley hybrrid picks. I remember him saying in a magazine that he usually grows out his nails just a little bit, and if it's all fingers he says "it's gonna be a long night." He said he prefers having just a little bit of nail because it is just the right amount of snap/twang and you don't have to worry about chipping the nails as easily.
hope that helps a bit
thanks

[Luther Perkins]

fingertips.... I hate the sound of my nails.....

[OceanBoy]

Originally Posted by Dizi

I been finger picking and flat picking forever, but recently started forcing myself into hybrid picking. I have never let fingernails grow long, but decided I'd try letting my 3rd and 4th fingernails grow longer. Its bugging me! Not sure I want to stick with this.

How about you folks...nails or fingertips?

I don't use nails, just fingertips.

Years ago, I had classical guitar lessons. The teacher reccomended using "Sally Hansen Hard as Nails." I never did stick with the classical guitar or the fingernails, but I played in a band with the same teacher years later. He played BASS with his fingernails. I guess that's a pretty good endorsement for "Sally Hanson Hard as Nails."

[guitarbiker]

Fingernails barely above the tip of the finger when vewed from the pad side of the fingers. The most important thing is to not "hook" the string with a tense first joint of the finger. The flesh of the fingertip touches the string first and the nail finishes the stroke. The first joint has to be relaxed and "give" like a bristle of a paint brush. This is proper classical guitar technique and it works well on electric to not wear out your nails as fast. Although I find strumming with finger nails like a flamenco player does thin your nails, then they can break when plucking. In that case if your a pro you have to put on some fake nails for awhile. That's not the healthiest either since your fingernail is covered with chemicals and can't breath.. Sorry for the long explanation but I'm stuck on the couch all day with a gout attack! Ouch!

[rraposo]

Originally Posted by Telarkaster

Real men have long fingernails!

+1 !!!

[rraposo]

I grow my thumbnail long and angle my hand halfway between
fingerpicking an acoustic guitar and using a flat pick.
I can mute strings with the heel of my right hand, with my thumb about 45° and my fingertips more perpendicular to the strings.

It works for me.

[rraposo]

Also I string with 11's and a wound 3rd

[mody]

You guys with hard nails are just lucky, I've got soft nails, even if I grow em after an hour's playing the strings shave them down if I'm using only my nails. I just keep em regular short and hope the callouses catch up, though in the mean time I do use my nails when I need to articulate with more snap. Like with a classical guitar, most of the time you probably need a little of both together, in my case less nail. But this is all still very new to me.

I've also seen a lot of players using only their finger tips only, tuck andress, and I think sol philcox has em short too.

[polishcomedy]

Originally Posted by guitarbiker

I find strumming with finger nails like a flamenco player does thin your nails, then they can break when plucking.

The golpe technique in flamenco where you bash your ring fingernail into the soundboard can also wreak havoc on your nail. I've busted it a couple of times. I use strengtheners and hardeners now. You have to keep up with it, though. I played country for like 5 hours the other day and my middle fingernail is nonexistent because I didn't put any product on it. Strings wear those suckers out fast.