Consumed nails due to chords, how to minimize that?

[Vevy]

Hi guys! In most of the songs I learn there are a lots of chords, and I usually play with fingers. The problem is that with all this chords my nails gets eat out, till the point that I have no more enough nail to do the chords, and at this point I usually use a pick, but is not too comfortable for me because I prefer much more to play finger style. What could I do to minimaze that nails smoothing? any advice?

 

[Jaco Taco]

I've always had thick nails and have never had a problem with this, but with those with thinner nails, a clear coating of nail polish can help strengthen you nails and make them harder. Classical guitarists with thin nails do this.

 

[Volpe25]

You could always try fake nails and if they're too long cut them back a bit to the length you want, I remember seeing a street performer in barcelona playing a 6 string bass in a trio and was getting a pretty amazing sound and I ended up talking to him and he said that's what he was doing

 

[Ewo]

When I was first practicing double thumbing, my thumbnail tended to split. Found some kind of "tough nails" hardener at Wal-Mart. Looked like clear nail polish, but didn't have as much gloss.

That worked pretty well to prevent the splitting, until my technique got refined enough I was no longer busting up the nail from thrashing around with the double thumbing.

 

[callofcthulhu]

Why do you need nails to do chords?

I keep my nails dead short exactly because I can't stand cut up nails, and I just play chords with my fingertips.

 

[FrednBass]

One of these will let you play finger-style and also do chords without damaging you finger nails:

 

[oniman7]

My girlfriend is a nail tech. She has this gel stuff that she puts on my finger nails sometimes. It's clear. You put it on and it goes under a blue LED light. Pretty thick. After a week or so it started to chip but if I had problems keeping my nails long, I would do that.

 

[Vevy]

You could always try fake nails and if they're too long cut them back a bit to the length you want, I remember seeing a street performer in barcelona playing a 6 string bass in a trio and was getting a pretty amazing sound and I ended up talking to him and he said that's what he was doing

it seems like a very good idea! never thought about fake nails! Thank you!! I think I will try fake nails and nail polish as well.

Instead, about the ring pick, I already thought about that, but maybe it wouldn't be too comfortable for me since I use mostly the nail of the middle finger to do chords