Members pinkzep52 Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Hi can anyone tell me of any good guitarists who played fingerstyle w/out using their nails or some links on how to achieve a good sound w/out nails. I'm asking because a while ago I really got into fingerstyle & thumpicking and grew out my nails. I soon got pretty good at it and incoparated it into my playing style. However the nails eventually became too much of a hassel and I even can't play football with my friends in fear of scratching them or harming my nails. Now I cut them short but as a result my fingerpicking sounds dull and with no attack in contrast to the nice, focused attack of nails. So instead of growing out them out again I want to see if there is a way to get good sounds out of the flesh of my fingers. Oh and I don't plan to use fingerpicks either. I mainly play electric guitar but I figured that I would get more results on fingerstyle in here than in the electric guitar forum. Thx in advance everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members live-I-evil Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Elliott Smith was a great fingerpicker who chewed his nails. He had an older Yamaha that was "just real loud and boomy" that helped him along. I'm guessing the mic situation is pretty key also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members outdoorgb Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Given the info I think you'll do fine with just fingers...Steel string right? There are many here on this forum that play fantastic fingerstyle without nails. I choose to use a thumb pic but play mostly fingerstyle; no nails no pics. I just read your sig line; you have a classical and a Norman. Can't help with that attack on the classical but the Norman might have a cedar top? Maybe a nice big spruce top guitar with a good string for volume?(whole different thread) And, practice will give you a stonger attack and thus, more sound...What kind of music? Rock, folk, traditional, etc...? Others with much more info will chime in shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pinkzep52 Posted November 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Given the info I think you'll do fine with just fingers...Steel string right?There are many here on this forum that play fantastic fingerstyle without nails. I choose to use a thumb pic but play mostly fingerstyle; no nails no pics. I just read your sig line; you have a classical and a Norman. Can't help with that attack on the classical but the Norman might have a cedar top? Maybe a nice big spruce top guitar with a good string for volume?(whole different thread) And, practice will give you a stonger attack and thus, more sound...What kind of music? Rock, folk, traditional, etc...?Others with much more info will chime in shortly. Yep steel string. My main concern is the electics (I know kind of the wrong forum). I can still get pretty good volume and tone from the Norman w/out nails altough not so much from the classical. But the electrics just sound really dull when playing with flesh as opposed nails. I know people will say just use a pick but that's why I use a thumbpick and also I don't want to throw away some of my favorite fingerpicked lines. I and my band play mainy a combination of rock, folk, psychedelia, and progressive rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrmoe Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 I fingerpick with bare hands....put away the picks 30 years ago....steel strings and no nails....just extremely hardened fingertips.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brahmz118 Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Hi can anyone tell me of any good guitarists who played fingerstyle w/out using their nails or some links on how to achieve a good sound w/out nails. I believe Laurence Juber uses mostly flesh, if not all flesh. It's easy to find YouTube clips in which he's not wearing any fingerpicks or a thumbpick. His tone seems a bit fatter than those who use fingerpicks or nails. Here's a 27-minute YouTube video with an interview and some outstanding playing. S-M5H-Eoyu8 By the way, I'm primarily a fingerstyle player who eschews (not chews) nails. Eventually some slight right hand calluses start to form, and that appears to firm up the tone without making it too bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodeous Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Playing without nails vs with them is as brahmz describes in the sense of fatter tone. But I'd say that is more in the bass range than mids and trebles, IMO. The trebles lose their brilliance without nails. I have to play with fingernails. 35 years ago I learned with flesh alone and would keep my nails trimmed way back so they wouldn't interfere. Now I'm just the opposite. I really enjoy lively up-tempo instrumentals and my attack is much more tactile, audible and requires much less force with than without nails. That may not be altogether worrisome with electric guitar and perhaps more to your advantage without nails. If you're playing a Strat, for instance, unless you have a very light attack you'll stumble into the middle pick up with nails. That's why I traded off my Strat. A Tele is more suited to my style because of my nails. But, as an electric player you'll probably do just fine without nails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Raj Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Kelly Joe Phelps is one of the best fingerstyle players on the scene, and he uses flesh-only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sangemon Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 I haven't been playing very long, less than a year, and have just begun to learn and love fingerpicking with a new teacher who I began studying with about 3 months ago. I've had little success in getting my nails to grow out. They break very easily and I can never get them to where I imagined they should be, so I've just accepted that and keep them pretty short. Sometimes they still break if I strum without a pick and get on it too hard. I tried a thumb pick, which really livened up the sound, but I have finally decided that just using my fingers is the most comfortable for me. The callouses have begun to build on my picking fingers, particularly my thumb, and the sound has begun to get a little harder and it's really nice. I've also discovered that the guitar is not as loud when I don't use the thumbpick, And that's good for me because I've also begun to enjoy singing and the softer guitar tone allows my voice to be heard when I sing. Oh, and Jeb Puryear, of Donna The Buffalo, is an amazing guitarist who eschews the use of any type of pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scodiddly Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 I guess the real question is what tone you like. I've gotten to the point of where I leave the strings on my guitar forever, and trim the side of my thumbnail especially short. On the other hand I play a Taylor, a brand which many people consider too bright anyway. Then there's hybrid picking, where you hold a flatpick with thumb and one finger while fingerpicking with the other fingers. Makes the bass parts really stand out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hadden Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Andy Mckee also flesh only. Don't know how players get a good sound from that. Some seem to though. I use plastic nails with super glue and peel them off when I want too. You could do that when you want to play sports or whtever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrmoe Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 there are a lot of "good" sounds that you can get from bare fingers that are impossible with picks....first thing you would need to do is harden your fingers and thumb by playing a lot.....by the way, you can ad Roy Book Binder and Steve Stills to the list of bare handed fingerpickers..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 I used to grow my nails out, but they become too brittle and ragged and more easily broken. I now cut them short so as to only barely hit the string. So I still get a bit of a nice attack from them and on the rare occasions when I do break one it is only a couple of days before it reaches the length of the others again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Flesh only on either a gutbox or a djangobox (though on this one I tend to use flatpicking only). I chicken pick on my tele w/o nails. I tried nails for a while and got tired of the upkeep. I prefer the feel of flesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pinkzep52 Posted November 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 wow thx for all the help guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roughtrade Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Fernando Sor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wu ming Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Fernando Sor http://www.classicalguitar.net/artists/sor/ http://www2.latech.edu/~sajones/Classical%20Guitar/Fingernailst.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 http://www.classicalguitar.net/artists/sor/http://www2.latech.edu/~sajones/Classical%20Guitar/Fingernailst.htm The guitar used to be called a tavern instrument "Used to be"??? Actually, I hear that classical music is making a comeback in some taverns around the world. Classical musicians and listeners are seeking new venues and experiences. It's an exciting period! I also hear that improv is being taught again. Cool article! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodeous Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 "Used to be"??? Actually, I hear that classical music is making a comeback in some taverns around the world. Classical musicians and listeners are seeking new venues and experiences. It's an exciting period! I also hear that improv is being taught again. Cool article! Though I'm not an avid listener from what I do hear the acoustic sound is revitalizing pop music and bringing it back to earth. Pedal-mania and Marshal stacks are being put in perspective as a way to flesh out instead of dominate. Balance is coming to the force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wu ming Posted November 30, 2008 Members Share Posted November 30, 2008 Electricity is just noise, as all acoustic musicians know well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pk1fan Posted December 1, 2008 Members Share Posted December 1, 2008 . But the electrics just sound really dull when playing with flesh as opposed nails. I know people will say just use a pick but that's why I use a thumbpick and also I don't want to throw away some of my favorite fingerpicked lines. I and my band play mainy a combination of rock, folk, psychedelia, and progressive rock. Here's one the best I have heard doing fingerstyle electric [YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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