Growing your fingernails

So you want to make your guitar playing sound like the masters you listen to on your favourite Cd’s? Nick Drake? Leo Kottke? Take my advice and grow your nails. The difference in sound compared to finger tips is huge! and far more authentic. If you have played with a plectrum you will know that crisp twang. With finger nails you get that same sound times 5! For some, growing your nails is harder than learning the guitar itself. For me it took years. I have quite long finger tips so I always needed extra long nails so they would actually protrude enough to strike the string as my finger plucked. Back in 1998 I even went to a beautician to get false nails on my right hand. I thought if Paul McCartney can do it, then so can I! I finally managed to fully grow my nails about two years ago. My guitar playing has evolved so far with finger nails now that I will always have nails on my right hand. When you first grow your nails, guitar playing does seem a little tricky to start with. You are most likely used to feeling the string with your soft skin, Also you now have extra length so that throws you a little too. Once you get going, it really makes an amazing difference to your sound. It makes an acoustic guitar sound like it is amplified. Strumming with your fingers takes on a whole new dimension. My guitar playing has improved ten fold and I really feel like I am beginning to carve my own unique style out of acoustic guitar playing. I promise you if you do grow them to a decent length you will never go back to finger tips and your guitar playing and sound will be gracefully upgraded with your very own homegrown plectrums. So organic! I had a lot of nails break over the years trying to grow them. Especially as I am actually a Glass Blower by trade. Nails never lasted long in a glass factory. For some reason, today, my nails are very strong and have not broken for over two years. Here is a video of me playing my guitar about 3 years ago. at the time I didn’t have any nails at all. I will be rerecording this very soon with my long nails and my new Martin HD28! Here is a good example of finger nails in action. Note the crisp sound and also how his fingers seem raised aways from the strings only his nails are doing the work. A truly excellent cover of the Nick Drake song Joey. Also noted is his general hand position, utilising all fingers including the pinky. Very well developed finger picking from MuNkYBizNess. Hats off! Nick Drake – Joey posted by MuNkYBizNess from YouTube. Enjoy!