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Playing bass with nails
- Thread starter Daniel125
- Start date
I can't speak from experience, but I can't imagine this working very well. Given the heft and tension of bass strings, I've gotta think it would be just a matter of time before your broke one, and even if you didn't it would be difficult to get a good bass tone. If you want to use your classical technique on a bass, you might want to use some finger picks to protect your nails and get a better tone.
More generally, though, I would encourage you not to think of the bass as just an oversized guitar, but as a different instrument altogether that requires its own specific techniques.
More generally, though, I would encourage you not to think of the bass as just an oversized guitar, but as a different instrument altogether that requires its own specific techniques.
It's a pretty common thing for people using traditional two finger right hand technique on bass to grow their nails out to get a brighter tone. Or cut their nails to get a less bright tone. Generally, however, they're starting with the pad of the finger and grazing with the nail, not using nail-only.
I've been working on using a 4 finger free stroke as a special effect type of technique. I find it does a good job of mimicking pick style tone. I don't keep my nails long though but it seems like no matter how short my nails are I still get the attack in the sound. At that I am still using a little bit of fingertip with it.
C/S,
Rev J
C/S,
Rev J
I do it. My nails are just long enough to play acoustic steel string guitar with. Not too long, though. Yes, it takes some eq adjusting on electric bass, though. Sometimes I need to roll back the highs and/or the high mids some. But I'm not just using my nails on bass, but as much of the pads as well as I can. I also play rest stroke on bass. There are times, though, that the nails give my tone a unique sound. When I play alone I feel like I need to roll back the highs and high mids more, but once in the mix I find that the clack isn't really noticeable. You just have to experiment.
If your nails are long enough that you can't play rest stroke and can't get any meat of your fingertips into the strings on bass, you might need to trim them to a compromising length that will allow you to play guitar AND bass, if you want to be able to play both. That's what I do.
If your nails are long enough that you can't play rest stroke and can't get any meat of your fingertips into the strings on bass, you might need to trim them to a compromising length that will allow you to play guitar AND bass, if you want to be able to play both. That's what I do.
I am primarily an acoustic guitarist, fingerstyle. So I have long nails on my right hand. Ironically I play electric bass guitar with a pick. My nails tend to be in the way. I get away playing with fingers on my acoustic bass guitars because, for tone reasons, I adjust my technique to plat with the fleshy side of my index finger, as one would on an upright.
I had a classical guitar teacher who also doubled on electric bass, and he noted that using flatwound strings helped even out the sound.
Personally, I always have a pair of nail clippers on my keychain and a spare set in my gig bag because I dig in heavily to get the thumpiest tone possible! Having fingernails would completely devastate my sound.
Best!
~Nick von Nick
Personally, I always have a pair of nail clippers on my keychain and a spare set in my gig bag because I dig in heavily to get the thumpiest tone possible! Having fingernails would completely devastate my sound.
Best!
~Nick von Nick
You might check out Abraham Laboriel. I believe he keeps his right hand fingernails on the longer side, and has adopted some classical guitar concepts into electric bass.
Bunny Brunel was playing the bass guitar and EUB with his nails in the early-mid 80’s. I tried it a couple of times but it’s a pain to keep them strong enough to deal with bass strings. I found it kinda one dimensional too but part of that was definitely lack of technique.
My nails stick out just enough that it sounds like I'm using a pick!!
On fretted that's OK.
But for fretless I don't want that!!It destroys that fine "Mwah"!
So I have to do this to my plucking finger nails.
I use a double cut file to file down the end and corners of my nails.
So it takes the hard edge off my plucking sound.
On fretted that's OK.
But for fretless I don't want that!!It destroys that fine "Mwah"!
So I have to do this to my plucking finger nails.
I use a double cut file to file down the end and corners of my nails.
So it takes the hard edge off my plucking sound.
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Classical guitar nails and playing bass don’t go well together. I know because I studied classical guitar. The bass strings will destroy your nails. I had to tape in my nails each time I played bass. Slapping and tapping is also much harder.
When I graduated from the conservatory classical guitar I cut my nails and relearned to play classical guitar without nails. It was not easy but now I have a good tone on classical guitar too without nails. I always keep my nails really short.
When I graduated from the conservatory classical guitar I cut my nails and relearned to play classical guitar without nails. It was not easy but now I have a good tone on classical guitar too without nails. I always keep my nails really short.
Having also studied classical guitar, I use my nails on bass, but I keep them pretty short. And as mentioned above, much if not most of the stroke is with flesh, the nail being just the icing on the cake, as it were. Yes, bass wears your nails down more than guitar does; there's no getting around that. It's just something you have to deal with, at least if you keep playing nylon-string guitar--unless, as Les did, you retrain yourself to play guitar without nails.
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I use mine, but as others have said, you may find they need to be shorter than you would normally have them for classical guitar.
Many people want absolutely no nails on the plucking fingers for bass. However, I use mine to get a "pick-like" attack sometimes. If you keep them at the right length, you can bring them into play when needed, but also get the rounder flesh tone.
Many people want absolutely no nails on the plucking fingers for bass. However, I use mine to get a "pick-like" attack sometimes. If you keep them at the right length, you can bring them into play when needed, but also get the rounder flesh tone.
I actually do this too. I alternate between fingerstyle and using a pick, and sometimes I'll do a hybrid picking thing. So I keep my fretting hand trimmed short, and my picking hand nails are longer.
The nails do break from time to time and it is a little brighter tone, but for me personally it just feels a little more precise. I do play a little guitar from time to time as well, so I just kind of got used to it.
The nails do break from time to time and it is a little brighter tone, but for me personally it just feels a little more precise. I do play a little guitar from time to time as well, so I just kind of got used to it.
I did a pole on this a while back. The majority could not stand having long nails. Problem for me is the tone can change as your nails lengthen and if one snaps they all have to go. Generally it’s less trouble living without. Good luck.
