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ForumsMusic Discussion and Showcase → Picks vs. fingernails
Picks vs. fingernails
2006-03-05, 8:42 AM #1
What's your preference?

I've been playing for the past year solely with my fingernails, mainly my index. I just grip my figners if I was holding a pick but just use my index nail to do the actual picking. I've never had any problems with this, I feel like I'm in more control, I can easily switch to fingerpicking songs ( in a more Nick Drake style ), and all I need to do for pinch harmonics is to apply some pressure onto my index finger with my thumb.

I just picked it up after a while of geting tired of searching through my room for picks, or finding a thinner one thus causing me to break the tips of them.
2006-03-05, 8:44 AM #2
finger nails most definately.
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2006-03-05, 8:45 AM #3
Pick for electric.

Five finger shuffle on acoustic.
2006-03-05, 10:04 AM #4
picks with a fingerpicking hybrid (middle ring pinky) when needed on electric and rasgueo/flamenco style strumming for classical guitar.
"NAILFACE" - spe
2006-03-05, 10:05 AM #5
Pick, sometimes Hybrid.

I don't like growing long nails since they tend to get smashed by Frisbees.
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2006-03-05, 10:28 AM #6
Hybrid on acoustic, cause I don't like the sound of my lower notes without the clear attack of a pick (or a fingernail). I don't have fingernails, since I chew them... :(

Pick on electric, most of the time.

Every once in a while, I'll use a thumb-pick. Frees up an extra finger.
2006-03-05, 12:05 PM #7
Pick.

On a side note, I don't think i'm doing my bends properly (on an upper bend) as the string keeps going right behind the nail. My fingers keep slipping when i push up anywhere else on my finger. Any tips anyone?
/fluffle
2006-03-05, 12:23 PM #8
Originally posted by Sats:
Pick.

On a side note, I don't think i'm doing my bends properly (on an upper bend) as the string keeps going right behind the nail. My fingers keep slipping when i push up anywhere else on my finger. Any tips anyone?


How does it go behind your fingernail? Meaning it slips from the top of your finger over your finger? How many fingers do you use to bend? I used to have some problems with controlling the bend, my fingers were in an ackward place to apply the amount of force I needed, either too much or too little. Before I used just two fingers, one finger doing the bend, the other was two frets behind "holding" the string in place, or to go to the next note after the bend. I changed to Dave Gilmour's style of bending, using three fingers, which gave me great control to do huge bends, and freed up my pinky to hit any notes I might need to hit during the bend. Here's an example of his style:
Attachment: 10839/bend.jpg (16,720 bytes)
2006-03-05, 10:36 PM #9
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