help: playing hard damages fingernails

[mic4h]

Some guitarists like to use a slap technique on certain beats (commonly 2 and 4) to keep rhythm. In order to keep the melody alive during the slap, you can slap with your thumb for rhythm and use a free finger to strike a note or two as your hand comes down for the slap. (The result is that you get a solid percussive sound and a note, simultaneously)

 

I've studied and practiced this with great success, but I do it so much that my fingernails are wearing away on my pointer and middle finger of my picking hand, leaving the tops of my fingers very sore and tender. This makes it difficult to play anything.

 

Anyone have any ideas on how to protect my hands from getting hurt? I've seen Ani DiFranco with electrical tape all over her hands, but that seems like it would be very cumbersome. Also, I don't know if I could get a clean note with tape between my fingernail and the string.

 

Thanks everyone! I love this community.

[Mikeo]

Some guitarists like to use a slap technique on certain beats (commonly 2 and 4) to keep rhythm. In order to keep the melody alive during the slap, you can slap with your thumb for rhythm and use a free finger to strike a note or two as your hand comes down for the slap. (The result is that you get a solid percussive sound and a note, simultaneously) I've studied and practiced this with great success, but I do it so much that my fingernails are wearing away on my pointer and middle finger of my picking hand, leaving the tops of my fingers very sore and tender. This makes it difficult to play anything. Anyone have any ideas on how to protect my hands from getting hurt? I've seen Ani DiFranco with electrical tape all over her hands, but that seems like it would be very cumbersome. Also, I don't know if I could get a clean note with tape between my fingernail and the string. Thanks everyone! I love this community.

 

 

 

 

my pointer finger wears a bit too.

 

Try a couple of coats of clear nail polish, otherwise it's fake nails or national finger picks or something like that

[guitarist21]

Fake nails sound like the solution here.

 

I'm a little worried about your nails wearing away though. I'm familiar with this technique (I believe we're talking about the same thing, is this the technique utilized by John Mayer on "Stop This Train"?) and use it myself, but it has not caused my nails to wear away to the point of experiencing pain. Maybe I just have resilient nails.

 

Anyway, protect your hand and get some fake nails. Or get used to using fingerpicks.

[mic4h]

highway61

 

As I'm male I'd rather like to avoid that, but I'll remember it as a definitive solution to fall back on.

 

Mikeo

 

After reading your post, I spoke to my sister who is going to give me her clear strengthening polish, which I intend to apply liberally, as often as possible.

 

guitarist21

 

Yeah, same technique. That's actually the exact song that inspired me to learn the technique. I watched Noah's video on youtube. Playing Stop This Train never affected me, either. But recently I've been implementing this technique into my own stuff, and I play really hard, usually slapping and finger flicking on almost every down beat. I'm punching the sound hole again and again in quick succession, and my nails can only take so much of that.

 

I think part of the pain is because of the nails (this has happened before when using a standard pick with poor form, such that I dragged my nail across the strings with every strum, especially when palm muting). I think the sheer impact of my fingers against the strings might also be contributing to the pain... which sucks, because there's not a whole lot I can do about that.

 

Thanks so much for your input, everyone-- I really appreciate it!

[Mikeo]

Mikeo After reading your post, I spoke to my sister who is going to give me her clear strengthening polish, which I intend to apply liberally, as often as possible.

I have Sally Hansen Diamond Strength NO CHIP clear right here at my house. I actually do both paws so they have the same shine. All the chick nail manufactures of nail polish have a strong clear coat. It will last a long time ( maybe evena week) on all the fingers except that index one that drags over the string, you can do touch ups. 2 coatsput it on a few hours before you intend to play and let it dry really good. It comes off with nail polish remover and a cotton ball.


I hate to tell you this, but my nail are more gorgeous than what most chicks have:D, mine are also rather thin though

I use National picks too, but never really got used to em, I most use em when playing round neck dobro and want some real volume, the stings are pretty heavy on the dobro and I start mine with a 16 gauge string and go up.

You don't need your nails reall long either, nothing like you see on some classical guitarists.

The nail polish costs like 2 bucks ar wal mart

[Guitarplay]

what about just applying a layer of superglue to the top of your fingernail?

[freetime]

u can use nail polish, fake nails, or ping pong ball shells.

 

I play with my nails all the damn time. The strings will wear my nails out if they're long but that's it. I just cut them when they get all misshapen.

 

yes, that's spelled correctly

[DStreur]

what about just applying a layer of superglue to the top of your fingernail?

 

 

This. Superglue on the tip of your nails works wonders, also when tapping.

[OldGuitarPlayer]

Anyone have any ideas on how to protect my hands from getting hurt? I've seen Ani DiFranco with electrical tape all over her hands , but that seems like it would be very cumbersome. Also, I don't know if I could get a clean note with tape between my fingernail and the string. Thanks everyone! I love this community.

 

 

Ani Difranco uses those fake glue on nails on her picking hand. Because she also picks very hard she wraps electrical tape over the fake nails to keep them from coming off during her performance.