Beginner
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Finger Picking
Something else to consider in finger style playing is whether or not to grow the fingernails on your right hand.
I have grown them in the past and really loved the sound and extra volume I could get from minimum effort when finger-picking classical guitar. However, they do compromise other aspects of guitar playing and various other tasks your hands may be needed for throughout the day. Fretboard tapping for instance, which is a technique I use often on the electric guitar, is much harder when you have long fingernails on your right hand getting in the way. Playing the piano, another of my instrumental pursuits, is pretty uncomfortable when you have nails too. In considering such things, and having been through growing them and having to give them up for the reasons above, my advice is as follows:
There really is no substitute in my own experience, but there are others who feel differently, like this chap for instance, who's technique sounds exquisite without nails. There are other exceptions to all of this of course, so players like Tommy Emmanuel do exist for instance, who gets by spectacularly well with callused flesh on the picking hand rather than nails. At the end of the day, it’s you who will make the right choice for the stylistic directions you’ll take, but I’m obligated inform my students of all their options, and the merits of some vs others. |