fingerpicking ?

[Michael Martin]

I too am a flesh-man. (speaking of guitar-plucking fingers here, not the six island ladies) I trim my nails as short as possible.

I get good tone and volume by varying the dynamics. My fingers fly around a lot when playing this way. Never the sharp bite of a pick (or nail), but you'd be surprised how much you can do with just skin.

The one drawback: picking up pieces of paper with nail-less fingers.

[oldnewbie]

I use my nails and no thumbpick when I play. Actually I get some flesh from my fingers and let the left side of the nail snag the string for crispness.

On the topic of nail strengthening, I once asked a pharmacist about the gelatin caps/jello theory. He told me that wouldn't work, that I should take a multivitamin once a day and the protein would help strengthen my nails. I've been doing that for about 2 years now and my nails are pretty strong. I keep them short enough and filed so that I haven't had a break in a really long time (*knocks on wood*).

I keep my fretting hand nails very short.

[horseman1]

I know this is a noob question, but do they make picks for all your fingers so you dont need to have fingernails? Seems like it would allow folks who couldnt have fingernails like me to play that way if I wanted to. They have them for the banjo or is that not the same thing?

Oh, sign me up for that island deal, but one woman is plenty for me as far as I can tell. I never understood that wanting more than one at a time thing. OK, maybe just one more as a spare in case the first one breaks a g string or something.

[Michael Martin]

maybe just one more as a spare in case the first one breaks a g string or something.

OK, that was actually pretty damned funny. Good on you.

[glockdoc]

I know this is a noob question, but do they make picks for all your fingers so you dont need to have fingernails? Seems like it would allow folks who couldnt have fingernails like me to play that way if I wanted to. They have them for the banjo or is that not the same thing?

 

 

There are all kinds of fingerpicks that people use for guitar, including banjo picks. I used to use Propik Fingertones but switched to Fred Kelly Freedom picks because I like the sound of the delrin ones and because they made it easier to play for some reason. With plastic (including delrin) you can wedge coins in them and immerse them in hot water to expand them to fit. The only thing is, with delrin, they slowly return to their original size, so you have to do it again every so often.

 

Here's a selection:

http://elderly.com/search/elderly?page=2&query_start=21&step=20&days_since=30&catalog=a&cname=Picks&terms=Propik

http://elderly.com/search/elderly?terms=Freedom+Pick&x=0&y=0

[tyrone111]

i use nails since i do flamenco but i find them quite comfortable on a steel string broke one using a pick tho caught my nail on the high e on a upstroke and it went. i've been using this nail hardening solution for ahwile now its colourless iodine mixed with olive oil not sure the measurement will find out for anyone who
is interested takes a while before you notice it but i really do think it works only broken one in 6 months but that was nothing to do with nail strength. finger nails do help it allws you t rest your bottom fingers on the string securely because they hook onto it

[horseman1]

Thanks glockdoc and Michael