Nail Care - Classical Guitarists

[guitarded]

I agree with larz, nails and hair (both have keratin in their constitution) need moisture to remain in the best possible condition. There are several nail conditioners available which essentially moisturize nails and keep them healthy.

[mahler82]

Thanks for all of your comments. Minormajor, we do recommend taking good care of your nails, even if you usually use a pick. There may be times that you want to use fingerpicking on various pieces to get the exact tone quality you want. If you already are using a nail care routine, you will be used to the feeling of your nails if you do decide to use fingerpicking. Nail polish or other chemicals is not really good for one's nails on the long run, since they tend to dry one's nails, although they do look great for special occasions!

Larz, thank you for your advice about keeping one's nails moisturized with a natural compound, such as oil. I will definitely try that myself with olive oil. One word of caution, though. Make sure that no oil remains on your fingers before you play, since it could leave a residue on the strings of your guitar.

[strings]

This is a very informative post on an often overlooked but important issue! I've seen some guitar players with really long fingernails, and frankly, it grosses me out. Also be sure to be applying lotion regularly to your hands so they don't dry out.

[laguitar]

First of all, the recommended length of your right hand nails is only about 1 or 2 mm past the tips of your fingers as you view them at eye level from your palm side. During practice, we absolutely do not recommend applying lotion on the left hand as it creates slippage across the strings. However, some guitarists apply lubricant on the tips of their right hand to make their strokes smoother.

[guitargal]

Thanks for the link that you provided here, very helpful.

[selftaught]

I had no idea that so much went into nail care! I'm a self taught guitar player (looking for the right lesson program to improve my skills) and I usually just cut my nails really short. I guess I should really put a little more into it than that from now on.

[Chorded1]

I have needed this thread for so long... my nails need strengthening. What do you recommend to strengthen my picking fingers with. They chip and split very, very easily.