I'm a little tough on my fingernails but I don't think my fingernails are very tough. A long time ago I met a guitarist who used horse hoof hardener on his fingernails to strengthen them. Is this a good and reasonable practice? Are there any other products to help guitarists keep their picking fingernails in shape?
No idea about that, but I did want to say welcome to the asylum for the musically insane!
I find I do all right fingerpicking even if my nails are very short and I'm using the finger itself to do the plucking though. But then again I don't fingerpick all that much.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Keeping your nails short will help. You just have to refine your aim so that the nail catches the string, but your fingertip doesn't. I don't know about the hoof hardener. You might try acrylic nails if yours keep breaking on you.
Yes! Hoof cream is a wonderful nail hardener. They use it to keep horses hooves from cracking and splitting. You can get it at a feed store or a tack shop (or you can probably order it off of the internet!).
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-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
Just noticed that you're in Japan! Don't know if there are many feed stores or tack shops there! I'm sure you can find it on the web, though!
..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
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((¸¸.·´ .·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
I use extra virgin olive oil, i once read that they use that in spain on horse hoof. It works for me though. You cant have your nails too short, you need them to be just visible above your fingertips from the front of your hand.
