How often do you cut your finger nails?

[lexxmexx]

I have just cut my finger nails last week and I am getting that nail plucking edgy sound again. My nails are only slight less than 1mm long!

So how often do you cut your nails? How long is it considered too long?

[ysand]

Pretty often cos i don't like the sound they make I use a pick if i want that sound :P
I cut em when i hear that sound, never noticed how long that period is.

[RED5]

I cut the left hand constantly, maybe once a week. The right hand I grow to about 1/8" long and use Kevlar impregnated nail-hardner on. I play fingerstyle and use a pick when I fell it's warranted, I just like the sound and feel of fingernails on the strings

[nsmar4211]

I usually end up biting mine . I can't stand the feel of my nails poking me if I'm writing or drawing and if I'm in the middle of doing either, I don't feel like finding nail clippers. So, the longest they may get is 1 or 2 mm and they're off!
Except the thumbs, those usually dont get in my way until they go past the end of my finger.

I also found if I had long nails I had an annoying habit of always tapping them against whatever I was sitting near. I do that with my fingers too but at least its not "click click". When you drive yourself crazy doing something, thats bad

[BuffaloBass]

Weather affects nail growth. Man, I still like " a little nail" on my strings, but all my instructors have told me to keep 'em trim.

[MarkTAW]

I cut mine whenever they feel too long - it has nothing to do with my bass playing, I just don't like nails longer than a certain length, they just *feel* uncomfortable. I've jammed enough fingernails and nearly torn them off - without them being that long, just a very active lifestyle, or very unlucky, to have a serious dislike of long nails.

So.... probably about once a month, 6 weeks on the outside.

[elwood]

Once a week for me, generally. I carry clippers in my pants pocket most days, in case they're needed.

[namraj]

If myn get 2 long they get mashed by my playing but i rarely cut them, i just bite off the damaged 1s

[roberthelpus]

When I was trying to freaking grow them for playing guitard I couldn't get them to grow for anything. Clear nail polish and all that good stuff. Now that I don't want them they grow like weeds. It seems like I have to cut them more than once a week.

[Thunder Pulse]

Everyone's hands are different. On some people the tips of their fingers naturally extend quite a bit beyond where their nails grow, so even if their nails were a few mm long they wouldn't contact the strings when playing fingerstyle. I'm the opposite. Even if I clip my nails as close as I can they still come in contact with the strings so I have to file them as far back as I can to prevent nail/string noise. If I'm playing a lot I file them every other day.

[bobba66]

All the time. I'm constantly surrounded by nail files for a quick tune up.

[jsingles]

way too often.. at least once or twice a week (which i suppose is BECAUSE I cut them so often...) It is very irritating.

[JeffC]

Constantly, I hate the feeling of nails on my strings or tapping against my desk.

[jsingles]

the worst is when my nails start cutting into my rosewood fingerboard (yea.. they grow that fast... its kind of scary)

[LloydLikesFloyd]

Weekly. I find that cutting them more helps devlop your caluses (forgive the massive failure of spelling) faster.

[jsingles]

Originally Posted by LloydLikesFloyd

Weekly. I find that cutting them more helps devlop your caluses (forgive the massive failure of spelling) faster.

+1

I find that too, but on the other hand I don't have much of a choice.. because if I do not cut my nails I practically can't play.

[doctorjazz]

I keep both hands cut as short as I can get with the clippers, then filed a little beyond that. I hate the feeling of my nails getting in the way.

[bassist 4 life]

long fingernails plus bass= YOUCCCHHH

[wazzel]

About once a week give or take. I do not like the feeling of my nails on anything.

[derelicte]

twice a week usually.. i like to keep them at a certain length