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How long do you keep your fingernails?
- Thread starter Peter McFerrin
- Start date
Long nails on the left hand make fingering difficult for me. On the right hand, I leave a little nail on the ring finger for that pick attack when I need it.
I used to be a chronic biter. Quitting was the hardest thing that I ever did.
I used to be a chronic biter. Quitting was the hardest thing that I ever did.
I voted for medium, but when I look at it, I think they´re short...Not as short as when I chewed them, but now I just chew everything else, including my TV remote..
..It´s now dead..
..It´s now dead..
Just joining and supporting the chewers' club...
So I'm not the only one - phew!! But I have to say, as always, I'm 'moderate' in this case: no blood.
IMO that's the only advantage of this addiction: always having perfectly short nails...
Jeff: How did you do that? I mean I managed to stop smoking (not without gaining 25lbs though...) but not chewing anymore? Sorry, I think that's off topic now.
Matthias
So I'm not the only one - phew!! But I have to say, as always, I'm 'moderate' in this case: no blood.
IMO that's the only advantage of this addiction: always having perfectly short nails...
Jeff: How did you do that? I mean I managed to stop smoking (not without gaining 25lbs though...) but not chewing anymore? Sorry, I think that's off topic now.
Matthias
I just told myself that it was a bad habit, and that I wasn't going to do it anymore.
Went to the drugstore, bought a good pair of fingernail clippers and put them on my keychain.
Everytime I got the urge to bite my fingernails, I would first clip them so short that I couldn't bite anything off, and then find something to keep me occupied other than thinking about biting my nails.
I did backslide a few times, but I haven't bitten them in almost 20 years.
Now I am neurotic about it to the point that if I break a nail and it needs to be cut off, I will not bite it. I am always afraid that I will start biting again. If I don't have clippers with me, I will look for scissors, or go and buy a pair of clippers.
I still miss nicotine and some of the other things that I used to use, but quitting nail biting was the hardest thing that I have ever done.
Now if I could just stop eating so much!
Went to the drugstore, bought a good pair of fingernail clippers and put them on my keychain.
Everytime I got the urge to bite my fingernails, I would first clip them so short that I couldn't bite anything off, and then find something to keep me occupied other than thinking about biting my nails.
I did backslide a few times, but I haven't bitten them in almost 20 years.
Now I am neurotic about it to the point that if I break a nail and it needs to be cut off, I will not bite it. I am always afraid that I will start biting again. If I don't have clippers with me, I will look for scissors, or go and buy a pair of clippers.
I still miss nicotine and some of the other things that I used to use, but quitting nail biting was the hardest thing that I have ever done.
Now if I could just stop eating so much!
Thanks, Jeff!
Something I like to add: I also know the need to have 'even' nails and thus biting, biting, biting.
So I tried to use a nail file (hope this is the right word), unfortunately it did not work for me, as soon as I got nervous for some reason (stress at work, exciting movie) I would start again.
But maybe it helps one of you...
Matthias
Something I like to add: I also know the need to have 'even' nails and thus biting, biting, biting.
So I tried to use a nail file (hope this is the right word), unfortunately it did not work for me, as soon as I got nervous for some reason (stress at work, exciting movie) I would start again.
But maybe it helps one of you...
Matthias
Had to trim mine just this morning, 'coz I can always hear the slightest nail buzz on my strings otherwise...always wondered how other bassists dealt with nails. Course, now I know more than I guess I wanted too...
I keep my nails short but with enough length to dig in now and then to get a twanging sound. I have put scratches in my fretboard while bending strings before cos my fretting hand nails were too long!
I've never had this problem, I suppose I pick more towards the nuckle (or is it knuckle?). But anyway, I have really rough fingers from it (Which is stating the obvious), but it also lets me get a good sound, the sound I like... I suppose your fingers themselves can contribute a lot to how you sound... And makes everyone sound unique.
Another fingenail chewer, here. I'm not as bad as I used to be - only last year, I used to not only chew them, but scrape them off right in the middle of the nail. (if that makes any sense) Now THAT used to hurt...
And to add to the people who have used this thread to commemorate a landmark in posts, I'd like to formally announce that this is my 800th.
And to add to the people who have used this thread to commemorate a landmark in posts, I'd like to formally announce that this is my 800th.
I keep mine short to medium. I also use my index fingernail as a pick when I want a little attack. I'm surprised no-one has mentioned that special pain that comes when you tear a nail while playing. I usually have at least 2 sets of clippers close by me - and one is ALWAYS in my pocket. I have had occasion to need them mid-song to smooth out some damage before I tear the nail off, and start some real pain and bleeding.
good thing someone brought this up (I don't mean fingernail chewing!), I found out that fingernail length can effect your sound drastically.
well, cutting the nails to the bone with a clipper helps me get the tone I like the most, it's a very deep, fat, punchy tone while with medium to long nails it seems like the upper mid range is getting boosted.
anyway thats my own opinion.
well, cutting the nails to the bone with a clipper helps me get the tone I like the most, it's a very deep, fat, punchy tone while with medium to long nails it seems like the upper mid range is getting boosted.
anyway thats my own opinion.
You're right, leech.
Although, with what part of your fingers
you pick, that also gets a different tone. I noticed
that you get a punchier tone with more bottom end with the way I pick... (around the middle of the top my fingers... like about 1/2 way up the finger nail on the other side of the finger)
And if you pick with the very top of your finger, you get a more bassy tone. Also another way to change your sound is to pick harder, it gives you a lot more attack. I get tons of attack, which I'm not sure if I really am crazy about, but I can't stop doing it for some reason, when I pick lighter I don't feel as if I'm getting the same volume.
Although, with what part of your fingers
you pick, that also gets a different tone. I noticed
that you get a punchier tone with more bottom end with the way I pick... (around the middle of the top my fingers... like about 1/2 way up the finger nail on the other side of the finger)
And if you pick with the very top of your finger, you get a more bassy tone. Also another way to change your sound is to pick harder, it gives you a lot more attack. I get tons of attack, which I'm not sure if I really am crazy about, but I can't stop doing it for some reason, when I pick lighter I don't feel as if I'm getting the same volume.
i bite my fingernails like a nervous weirdo so they're either bleeding or very very short.. i'm getting better though- biting nails is a science.
I throw mine away as soon as I'm finished cutting them - how long do you keep yours around? You realise that they can be used in voodoo / black-magic to hex you etc etc
- Wil
- Wil
When I was a kid, I used to bite my nails. Now I just trim them down to nothing with a razor blade.
