Does anyone else like to use there fingernails?

[stefandisgust]

for fast picking stuff like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HtANWK5I9c

[Anonymatt]

Nope.

Doesn't seem like he's really using his fingernail, seems like he's turned his finger sideways to mitigate tip joint movement so he can pick away.

[Russell L]

I have always used my nails, slow or fast. I'm a guitar player as well, and particularly like to fingerpick on acoustic, so I keep my nails tuned up for that and use them on bass as well. It's a nice sound. I can always eq them out when I want to.

[djaydjay]

Kind of like russell, I use my fingernails for "regular" finger playing (I just keep the shorter than for guitar playing, that way I can choose wether I make them touch the string or not just by tightening the last finger joint. Classical guitar requires way longer nails).
I also use them in a similar way to the video. But instead of holding my fingers like a pick a moving the wrist, I do a move closer to a regular fingerstyle move, hitting the string up a down (I do this with the pointer and middle finger). The movement is in my case coming from the finger joint, not the wrist.

I'm actually going to try what he does in that video this evening. I'm quite interested in the sound that it will give me (and it would be a nice way to give a rest to my finger muscles during a set ^^)

[stefandisgust]

Very cool input, fellas. I must say, though....

It has always felt like my fingernail is being used when I go to that motion but I will take a closer look next time I do it. To me it DOES sound brighter and more stiff. It also records that way.

I tend to do it live when we get to very fast or synchopated stuff. I could always finger the string at practice or whatever but by the time the energy is flowing, I seem to just do it this way.

It took time to get around to doing it without my finger hurting or peeling behind my fingernail but I dig the technique!

Please, let me know any more input!