I was practicing a piece called Carta De Amor, and I played it with feeling! Maybe with to much feeling, cause suddenly one of my nails was split into two! I play classical guitar and love the sound my nails produce together with the nylon strings. ARgh! Now it sounds so ... dull, or something!
I wrote this, because I want sympathy. People around me don't understand how this feels! A friend, who plays the piano, told me to calm down: I told him I'll do that if he'll keep calm when I broke his pinkys!
:(
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Just use a little Superglue
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
My sympathies....it's a horrible feeling when your nails are the perfect length and one of then splitsin such a way it has to be trimmed right down to the quick....
Isn't it strange that the nails on your picking hand split easily, whilst the nails on your fretting hand need a blowtorch and chisel to even make a dent in them....
:( :( :(
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I take comfort from the fact that we belong to an elite bunch where it's ok for a guy to cry when he breaks a nail.
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I feel for you.
I broke my thumb nail just the other day.
Thanks for your sympathy guys! Thanks Alan, it feels good to know I'm part of an elite! =)
Missileman: oh, that sucks! I too broke my fingernail a month ago (I don't understand it, they used to be like made of titanium, but now my nails seems so fragile).
Vic: And they grow fast too! My pinkynail grow so fast you could arrest it for speeding.
I try to look at it from the bright side. I think I've discovered something that will improve my playing. I swore to god to not let my nails become to long, so that my fingertips would lose contact with the strings. But I think that I gradually let my nails become a little bit longer. Because I feel the strings now, in a way I didn't do before!
By the way, I heard someone said something about someone saying you could play without nails, but instead cultivate some sort of hardened skin on your fingertips, or something like that. Anyone heard about this? Maybe I dreamt about that?
Along those lines,
I find that since most of my playing is fingerstyle I am developing calluses on my picking fingers and they do produce better sound than they used to.
Ok, maybe I'll play without nails for a while (like I have a choice) and see what'll happen. Do you know if there are ways to stimulate growth of calluses (other than playing)?
You know,
I was looking in my Musicians Friend catalog the other day and I saw a finger exerciser with a callous builder pads as an option.
Missileman, that was interesting! Maybe I should by one of those. Thanks!
lol this is funny. 8)
Stairway to Freebird!
As a classical guitarist who has played with nails and without, I wouldn't recommend playing with just the flesh. The sound is much much duller and worse. Nails produce much better tone.
Yoyo: It's not funny!
Hummerlein: And it's boring to play without nails too! It's so hard to play fast! Tremolos is impossible to play good!
jonsi, that is a bummer dude! I have been considering trying my nails, how long do you have to let them grow?
John M
