guitar nails
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Sean
So, I'm a 15 year old guy, and on my right hand my nails are a little bit long, and there shaped a certain way, and my thumb nail is pretty long to help me finger pick on guitar. My nails arent dirty or anything, but one of my female friends told me that I should cut them because it doesn't look good. I feel pretty self conscious about them now, but should I cut them and are they a turnoff?
Answer
I've played guitar since my college days, and early on, I waffled between using my 'natural finger picks' and artificial ones (I only have a use for them on the big 3 -- thumb, forefinger, middle finger -- guitar-numbering: T, 1, 2; piano numbering: 1, 2, 3). I found the artificial ones just don't work as well. And because I am awkward with a flat pick, I always use a thumb pick, so I really only need my nails on 1 and 2, not T.
And now that I've brought the piano back into my life (it was my first instrument, from childhood), and split my music time between the two, I've found the need to compromise, and keep them only a little long.
All the girls I've befriended have been unfazed by and completely understanding of the fingernail thing -- I've never found it to be a problem. But your actual mileage will differ, and you really just have to decide among:
•1 doing what you need to do to get & stay good on the guitar, and rely on girls to adapt/accept
•2 doing what you need to do to get & keep a girl, and find a way to deal with the guitar using finger picks
•3 finding a compromise between 1 & 2; maybe try your power of persuasion that it shouldn't be a big deal
If there's a girl you really dig and she won't accept the long nails, you'll probably want to go with #2, but ultimately, only you can decide. All I can advise for sure is, don't base your decision on a survey of girls in general -- focus on someone you might hope to hit it off with.
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