Which fingernails for guitar

If you are unsure what shape to use for you for your nails, I recommend you start with rounded first. To make a rounded fingernail, file the tip of the nail so that it looks like a half-circle. There should be no edges or points, if you divide the nail in half, it should look symmetrical.

Sloped fingernails are the next most common nail shape. They minimize resistance when going through the string, and produce a warm, mellow tone. To make a sloped fingernail, file the tip of the nail so that it slopes left or right. The slope should look like a straight line. When you play, the string should start at the lower part of the slope, and end at the higher part. With flat fingernails, it's easier push your finger through the string and to produce a very warm, mellow tone.

Flat nails are especially good for techniques like rest stroke, and fast scales. To make a flat nail, file the nail very short, and relatively flat across the top, so that it almost looks like a straight line. Pointed fingernails are the least common of all the nail shapes, but some people like them for their consistent, bright sound. To make a pointed nail, file each side of the nail so that it comes to a point in the middle. The nail should be symmetrical on both sides. Here's what a couple of them say about our nails, and methods of application: "This is a huge revolutionary change for guitar players.

I think even you do not realize how big of a revolution this represents. We are now in the realm of bassoon and oboe players with their reeds!! They actually feel like real nails, good ones. And they lend so many possibilities for different sound effects and tone colors! I was expecting a plasticky and dull sound I've heard so many times before, but I found none of that.

Thank you again! Here's a video of Grisha talking about GuitarPlayerNails. To hear what our nails sound like, here are some samples of guitarists who are using our nails: Grisha Goryachev Eliot Fisk Dave Kear Click here to read what some of our customers say about using our nails. We have great service, and support for as long as you need us Good form, positioning and technique will make our guitar playing sound more beautiful.

Also, the different characteristics of our unique fingers and nails also affect the ultimate shape and length of our fingernails. Some people have very meaty finger tips. Other people have the very thin tip that slopes away from the nail at a severe angle.

Some people have very flat fingernails, while others can be curved or hooked. Nails grow in a variety of different ways. So there is no a particular length or shape work for everyone.

There are, however, methods of shaping that can be used by nearly everyone, regardless of playing style. More on these below. To understand how to shape your nails, you need to first understand how they stroke the strings. When the string is activated in a circular motion, the resulting sound is warm and beautiful. When the string is snagged or hooked, the string vibrates with more of a back-and-forth motion, which makes the sound brash and ugly.

So we want our stroke to activate the string in a circular motion not back and forth. To do this, the string must slide off of the skin flesh and fingernail as the finger moves through the string. If the finger nail snags in any way, it will produce a bad tone. A good stroke produces a good sound. We instead benefit from well-shaped nails that work with our playing technique.

So to move the string moving in a circular pattern, we need to use good right hand guitar technique. Using good technique will improve both scale playing and general arpeggio finger picking pattern playing technique.

You may not file your nails absolutely perfect the first time you shape them. Over the years you will improve at it. Chances are, your ear has not yet developed to a point where you automatically know how your guitar sounds best and how your nails affect it. This is a process every classical guitar player goes through, and one that will progress over the years.

Feel free to experiment and play around with abandon. There will be times when you take off too much nail, or have too much or not enough of an angle to your nail.

Your nails will keep growing, and you will have more opportunities to practice the art of shaping your classical guitar nails. Tip: Keep your nails still and move the nail file. One of the biggest mistake beginning classical guitar players make with their nails is that they try to cut them into a particular shape, using scissors or nail clippers. This rarely ends well. There are a number of different types of nail files on the market. Many classical guitarists fingernails are shaped with a metal or glass file.

But you can achieve great results from just about any shape or material of nail file. To start with, it might help to sit in a chair with your elbows resting on a desk or table. This will keep your hands stable. Many right-handed people hold the nail file still and move the nail across it. You will have more control moving the nail file.

Important: Remove just a little at a time. You can always file more. So go slow and check frequently. File nails from underneath, at an upward angle, instead of flat. When we file our nails, we want to file from the bottom of the nail at about a 45 degree upward angle. Do not file at a right angle to the edges of the nails. The next angle you may want to start with is the angle from the corner to the peak of the nail.

Form a ramp that the string can slide off of. You can start with about a 30 degree angle and go from there. The angle at which you play the strings will affect this angle.

How you hold the guitar , and the angles of your hand and wrist play a part as well. With time, you will better understand and be able to get things just right. To begin, just go for it and see what happens. Alternate between shaping and filing, and playing your guitar.

What the nail looks like is of no importance. Most guitarists do not use the little finger, so this nail can be kept short. You will have to experiment to find the right length, but a good rule of thumb no pun intended is to have enough nail so that the string is activated in a circular pattern.