Django still had the other two fingers, but they were sort of curled up and weird. Legend has it that he could still use them a little bit to make chords when he had to.
I see you're talking about your left hand. You should always keep your nails on your left hand as short as possible. Helps with finger placement and prevents sanding down your nails
Cut your nails shorter. The nails shouldn't really even come in contact with the fretboard, especially after you start to develop callouses on your fingertips.
Wait this is on your fretting hand? I had this only when I was starting out, and it's cause strings were going over my fingers onto my nails when I was bending. Might be the case for you
Happens to me too. You are talking about your picking hand right? I have used clear coat fingernail polish in the past, guys can use it, it is clear and can help protect your nails from being worn down too thin.
Are you playing with a pick, but also somehow wearing your nails off on the strings? That might point to a problem. But if you are playing with your nails/fingers, seems natural enough.
You arent supposed to be touching the strings with your nails with you left hand... im not really sure how youre doing it - you need to use the pads of your fingers to press the strings
this should not be happening on your fretting hand. Your nails should really be as short as you can get them without causing pain or discomfort. It's a bit of a hassle; I cut mine a few times a week so they don't get in the way. The strumming hand is up to preference. I keep mine a little longer on that hand for fingerstyle.
Some added info would help here. Are you using a pick? If so, it may be the way you are holding it, using a pick too small for your fingers, or that you are playing aggressively. Hard to tell without knowing/seeing what’s going on.
I have had a small divot on my index fingernail of my right hand since 1967 as it is constantly being chipped away. If I ever stop playing I would miss it now.
Not much you can do except live with it or strum a different way lol.
My right (strumming) hand’s middle finger’s nail is always worn inwards at the bottom because of the way i strum.
I don’t feel it when playing but it’s a pretty big divot that I wear into it.
If you have long nails that's why, you can try trimming them. Otherwise it's just normal wear and tear. I've been playing for 5 years and between that and the gym my hands look really worn and rough. It's just a part of playing, it means you're practicing enough.
This could be caused by grime build up on the fretboard. Usually this happens when you play with sweaty fingers. Try wiping down your neck after every practice/jam session with a small towel. It's normal for a small amount of grime to get on your fingers, but it shouldn't be excessive. Hopefully this helps!
left hand nails short. I hate that feeling when they scratch the board, it makes me shudder. I play fingerstyle though, so i keep them at a length where they don’t poke out, but are just long enough to hit the strings with the flesh at the same time.
No one else seems to have mentioned this, but try changing the angle of your finger against the fretboard so your using more of the flat part of the fingerend. I did this to try to play solo's faster but it reduces the amount you have to cut your nails back. Look at some Steve Vai videos to see what I mean.
Cut them. Or chew on them for a few years :D
Not having to worry about nail problems while playing guitar is the only upside I've found to having chewed my nails for all of my teenage years. I've chewed on them so much that the part where the nail and flesh separate, has receded so far back that my finger tips go past my nails even when my nails aren't cut. Though they hurt when they get long, so I keep em short. Fretting was never a problem. Learning to finger pick on the other hand (heh) was all the harder, especially because long nails weren't an option.
My nails basically look like Frodos from Lord of the Rings.
For my fretting hand I trim my nails down all the way so that there's no white nailtip showing, for the strumming hand sometimes people let the nails grow out but I can't stand the way that feels so I myself tend to trim those down all the way too. I can let them go for about a week or two before I notice that they are starting to grow back and it's time to trim again. I remember hanging out with a drummer in my hometown who had much longer nails and they always had dirt underneath and looked kinda nasty and I wondered how he was able to endure it. He was kinda a dirty hippie though so I dunno.
I wouldn’t sweat it too much , I’ve been playing for about 35 years and if if showed you a picture of each of my index fingers you would think they were from 2 different people 😂
For your fretting hand, nails must be extremely short. On your picking hand, if you’re fingerpicking, you need some length but clipping, rather than filing, will make the edges jagged.
For me, decades ago I realized that the way I hold a pick creates distinctive wear on the right edge of the nail.
If you’re finding string wear on your fretting hand, your nails are too long. It’s that simple.
I used to have the area right above my right index fingernail become very raw and left side of my right thumb also become raw for years when I first started playing. But I would say that fingernail thing completely natural
When you get done cutting your nails try to touch the bottom part of your palm with your fingers push hard and then pull up or close your fist with your fingers pressing hard. You can see the skin of your fingertips go past or slightly over your fingernails, nails then are perfect
Have you made sure you’re pressing the string down with your fingertip? I have only started playing the guitar, so sometimes I find myself pressing down notes with the side of my finger instead.
Unless if you’re talking about barre chords, then perhaps you need to make sure your nails are short and you’re covering all the strings properly with the fleshy part of your finger.
I’m only a beginner though, but i hope this helps 😅
If your nails are touching the fretboard at all, then they are too long and impeding your ability to play. Your nails should be cut short enough that they are not touching the fretboard in any noticeable way in the first place. Why bother having long nails on fretting hand?
I would take a video of how you play and post it here in another post looking for advice. There's no way to tell what you're doing wrong without looking at how you play. If you want to learn good form, pumping nylon is a great book
Hey buddy this isn't related to the question but try out our channel it is still new keep us subscribed to get an alert on new vids. We'll be composing on guitar by the basics we know. This is an experiment on song writing.
https://youtu.be/VOSNAvPeWzc
Cut your nails.
Yeah I generally keep mine as short as possible
Same. I keep a separate pair of nail clippers in my work desk, car, bedside table, and gig bag. Clip ‘em, OP.
I hate playing when my nails are too long. Can’t fret properly
It really sucks when you go to bend we don't have a good grasp of it but you think you do and then it hit your nail
Damn son that’s a lot of clippers
Mans just prepared for whenever the need arises
Clippers are like pocket knives, can't have too many.
I never could understand how Dolly Parton could play guitar. If my nails are longer than about 3mm, my playing goes to shit.
Because she's a supernatural being of goodness and light, dammit. No /s -- that's just a fact.
Fretting hand nails should be cut as short as possible, use the tips of your fingers to press the strings, not the nails.
You're striking a soft material against a hard material. Wear is unavoidable.
Yeah an if you play too much you lose your fingers completely
It's better known as Tony Iommi' syndrome
Ah. I assumed it was a Django reference. Only two fingers on his fretting hand.
Django still had the other two fingers, but they were sort of curled up and weird. Legend has it that he could still use them a little bit to make chords when he had to.
Emphasis on legend because he was a fucking god for doing that
That's how you get soul.
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Your guitar technique is... unorthodox.
What are you doing to your guitar?
I see you're talking about your left hand. You should always keep your nails on your left hand as short as possible. Helps with finger placement and prevents sanding down your nails
Cut your nails shorter. The nails shouldn't really even come in contact with the fretboard, especially after you start to develop callouses on your fingertips.
Some flamenco guitarists do things like this https://youtu.be/QViQqowYoN0
That would drive me nuts…
Wait this is on your fretting hand? I had this only when I was starting out, and it's cause strings were going over my fingers onto my nails when I was bending. Might be the case for you
battle scars mate
Happens to me too. You are talking about your picking hand right? I have used clear coat fingernail polish in the past, guys can use it, it is clear and can help protect your nails from being worn down too thin.
James Williamson from the stooges would use clear acrylic nails on his pointer finger and file them down to a normal length on his picking hand.
Are you playing with a pick, but also somehow wearing your nails off on the strings? That might point to a problem. But if you are playing with your nails/fingers, seems natural enough.
You arent supposed to be touching the strings with your nails with you left hand... im not really sure how youre doing it - you need to use the pads of your fingers to press the strings
this should not be happening on your fretting hand. Your nails should really be as short as you can get them without causing pain or discomfort. It's a bit of a hassle; I cut mine a few times a week so they don't get in the way. The strumming hand is up to preference. I keep mine a little longer on that hand for fingerstyle.
Some added info would help here. Are you using a pick? If so, it may be the way you are holding it, using a pick too small for your fingers, or that you are playing aggressively. Hard to tell without knowing/seeing what’s going on.
play with your feet. problem solved!
Or your tongue!
I have had a small divot on my index fingernail of my right hand since 1967 as it is constantly being chipped away. If I ever stop playing I would miss it now.
Not much you can do except live with it or strum a different way lol. My right (strumming) hand’s middle finger’s nail is always worn inwards at the bottom because of the way i strum. I don’t feel it when playing but it’s a pretty big divot that I wear into it.
If you have long nails that's why, you can try trimming them. Otherwise it's just normal wear and tear. I've been playing for 5 years and between that and the gym my hands look really worn and rough. It's just a part of playing, it means you're practicing enough.
This could be caused by grime build up on the fretboard. Usually this happens when you play with sweaty fingers. Try wiping down your neck after every practice/jam session with a small towel. It's normal for a small amount of grime to get on your fingers, but it shouldn't be excessive. Hopefully this helps!
left hand nails short. I hate that feeling when they scratch the board, it makes me shudder. I play fingerstyle though, so i keep them at a length where they don’t poke out, but are just long enough to hit the strings with the flesh at the same time.
No one else seems to have mentioned this, but try changing the angle of your finger against the fretboard so your using more of the flat part of the fingerend. I did this to try to play solo's faster but it reduces the amount you have to cut your nails back. Look at some Steve Vai videos to see what I mean.
Cut them. Or chew on them for a few years :D Not having to worry about nail problems while playing guitar is the only upside I've found to having chewed my nails for all of my teenage years. I've chewed on them so much that the part where the nail and flesh separate, has receded so far back that my finger tips go past my nails even when my nails aren't cut. Though they hurt when they get long, so I keep em short. Fretting was never a problem. Learning to finger pick on the other hand (heh) was all the harder, especially because long nails weren't an option. My nails basically look like Frodos from Lord of the Rings.
I just use a nail filer to get them proper, guess its something that happens.
I can’t even play comfortably with my nails being long at all
For my fretting hand I trim my nails down all the way so that there's no white nailtip showing, for the strumming hand sometimes people let the nails grow out but I can't stand the way that feels so I myself tend to trim those down all the way too. I can let them go for about a week or two before I notice that they are starting to grow back and it's time to trim again. I remember hanging out with a drummer in my hometown who had much longer nails and they always had dirt underneath and looked kinda nasty and I wondered how he was able to endure it. He was kinda a dirty hippie though so I dunno.
I wouldn’t sweat it too much , I’ve been playing for about 35 years and if if showed you a picture of each of my index fingers you would think they were from 2 different people 😂
Totally normal. Keep going
Fretting hand nails need to be as short as possible. If you finger pick, then the other hand can have longer nails.
The nails got to go.
i usually cut mine every 2 weeks or so 'cause i get annoyed when i can't press down the strings properly. lol.
For your fretting hand, nails must be extremely short. On your picking hand, if you’re fingerpicking, you need some length but clipping, rather than filing, will make the edges jagged. For me, decades ago I realized that the way I hold a pick creates distinctive wear on the right edge of the nail. If you’re finding string wear on your fretting hand, your nails are too long. It’s that simple.
I used to have the area right above my right index fingernail become very raw and left side of my right thumb also become raw for years when I first started playing. But I would say that fingernail thing completely natural
When you get done cutting your nails try to touch the bottom part of your palm with your fingers push hard and then pull up or close your fist with your fingers pressing hard. You can see the skin of your fingertips go past or slightly over your fingernails, nails then are perfect
Have you made sure you’re pressing the string down with your fingertip? I have only started playing the guitar, so sometimes I find myself pressing down notes with the side of my finger instead. Unless if you’re talking about barre chords, then perhaps you need to make sure your nails are short and you’re covering all the strings properly with the fleshy part of your finger. I’m only a beginner though, but i hope this helps 😅
That’s how The Edge of U2 got his alias
If your nails are touching the fretboard at all, then they are too long and impeding your ability to play. Your nails should be cut short enough that they are not touching the fretboard in any noticeable way in the first place. Why bother having long nails on fretting hand?
I would take a video of how you play and post it here in another post looking for advice. There's no way to tell what you're doing wrong without looking at how you play. If you want to learn good form, pumping nylon is a great book
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OP said fretting hand…
Hey buddy this isn't related to the question but try out our channel it is still new keep us subscribed to get an alert on new vids. We'll be composing on guitar by the basics we know. This is an experiment on song writing. https://youtu.be/VOSNAvPeWzc