Fingernails getting in the way

[Geordie]

Hey, folks! I've been trying to adjust my fretting hand so I'm holding the mando in the "approved" position (wrist in line with the arm, curling the fingers around to play with the fingertips, neck in the V of thumb and palm).
My problem is that my fingernails get in the way; they're too long, even when I cut them right back. They stick out past the ends of my fingers and cut in to the fretboard, so I'm playing with the pads of my fingers and so have to curl up my wrist.
Any suggestions?

[Toycona]

Play more. The strings will take them down to the right size (seriously). Then use an emory board, rather than clippers. I've given this a lot of thought, believe it or not.

[mnosretep]

I trim my nails with a clipper, then put the finishing touches on them using an emery board. I trim mine so that when my finger is straight and perpendicular to the table top, the tip of my finger and nail touch the table top at the same time.

[Jimdalf]

I'm not sure how constructive this is; I also have long nails, I've always thought it was weird seeing people who's nails stop before the ends of their fingers, especially because it was quite painful to cut the nails too far back!

Since taking up the mandolin.. now I have short nails on the left hand, I cut them back as far as I could, it was painful and I drummed them on tables, on the strings, constantly trying to desensitise them as well as toughen them up. Not sure if any of this will sound familiar, if not then I am sure someone else will have had the same problem. My left hand is fine now, with the short nails, their weirdly feel uncomfortable when they grow too long! and of course they also inhibit my playing.

Wafflewaffle, aren't there quite a few long nailed players out there?

[Mando Tristan]

I keep my fingernails cut as short as I can without causing pain. Even with this my nails are too long also, so I tilt my fingers back a little so my nails dont hit the fretboard.

[Sid Simpson]

I got into the habit of keeping mine very short from playing guitar. At least, that's what I do on my left (fretting) hand. Clippers and emery board. I have been a bit surprised watching Mike Marshall on some of his DVDs. His fingernails look quite long, but he seems to have adapted. I should adapt half as well.

I pretty much just cut them as far back as I can without causing loss of blood.

[Randi Gormley]

I've been a typist forever so never grew long fingernails. I just cut them back so there's a small slice of white over the nail itself and it feels weird if they get long enough to reach the top of my fingers. I've noticed that the pads/calouses extend the tip of the finger anyway, but my calouses are in a different spot from my-husband-the-guitar-player since he plays on the tops (his grooves graze the nail) and I play further back. That just might be the way I taught myself to fret, though. A lot of it is just what you become used to, I'm thinking. My daughter used to have longish nails until she took up the harp. Now her nails are as short as mine.
I find it interesting to look at the hands of classical guitar players; their fretting hand nails are short, their picking hands have these pointed claws and my cousin tells me there's pages of debate on the classical guitar forums on the shape of the picking hand nails (sort of when we start debating capos ...)

[JeffD]

neck in the V of thumb and palm). ...

In addition to finger nail trimming, the position of your hand on the neck is important. You want to leave a gap between the neck and your palm. A so called "mouse hole". Your fretting hand should, ideally, not support any of the weight of the instrument. That way you are not inhibited in moving your hand by the feeling of dropping the mandolin.

This classic video shows it at 1:40:

[catmandu2]

I find it interesting to look at the hands of classical guitar players; their fretting hand nails are short, their picking hands have these pointed claws and my cousin tells me there's pages of debate on the classical guitar forums on the shape of the picking hand nails

As a classical/flamenco guitarist for 35 years, I can tell you there's little else that provides more angst for players than their nails--shape and length--and which break, rendering complete disaster for the guitarist. Methods of repair exist--involving superglue and various fiber materials--but these never last more than a few days for me...then waiting two weeks before adequate nail regrows. It's horrible breaking a nail before a gig: if enough nail remains, all the nails can be reshaped to accomodate the short nail--but also requiring adjustment of technique; if the nail is broken off completely, some type of prosthetic must be fashioned...which is roughly equivalent to playing a mandolin with a stick, or something. Fastidious obssessing over one's playing nails is requesite for the player--which is understandable given the tremendous variables at hand (differences in hardness, playing technique, and the infinite shape variation which can be acheived).

I've solved this ennui finally once and for all by giving up nylon-string guitar (and taken up nylon-string harp, which requires NO nails...but renders the opposite problem!...still, much easier than constantly fussing over length and shape)

[Toycona]

I saw Andy McKee (the amazing fingerstyle guitarist) a couple of years ago, and he told the amusing story about breaking his right thumb-nail during a gig, and then having it replaced with a salon-type press on nail...painted green to match the inlay of his guitar.

[Dobe]

Dolly can play with long ones ! Nail talk starts around 1:40 with some famous banjo player dude


I've heard some classical guys will cut up ping pong balls & glue em' on.

[Bertram Henze]

1 - clip them short enough so the tiniest strip of white remains (not shorter!) and clip or trim them round, so no sharp edges remain.
2 - after a while, your fingers will learn to deal with the shorter nails, and the white strip will slowly recede, so you can clip them shorter, having more of your fingertips stand out.
3 - growing callus on the fingertips will provide additional padding - in my case, that was the biggest factor.

[catmandu2]

Good grief, if you think you can muster a lot of preoccupation over a mandolin pick, imagine what it's like for (guitarist's) fingernails--with the magnitude of variables. A very good way to induce OCD

[greg_tsam]

Originally I thought the OP must be having a joke on us but in case they're serious I'll suggest some things. Cut yours nails. Use an emery board and file your nails. Play more and develop gnarly callouses. When they crack break out your emery board and file those. If you really want to keep nails then trim them back and get a nail hardener. I have some called "Tough as Nail" and it's basically a clear coat. I used it to keep my nails smooth and free from burrs when I was a massage therapist. And I used a nail file. And clippers.

[Gelsenbury]

Mildly OT: The main reason why I always kept my nails short even before I started to learn mandolin is that I hate the feeling when your nail gets caught on something. So I'm glad I didn't develop an interest in playing classical guitar!

[Handy Hummingbird]

It's quite a relief to hear others have issues with this. I'm constantly plagued by the skin between the nail and forefinger of my left hand splitting during solos; clippers are a bad move for me, and even an emory leaves it fragile. The pain is pretty unpleasant when it does split, and usually means a day off the mandolin, if not more. The timing is often unfortunate, and I've had to resort to duct tape or similar in the past which leads to playability issues.

So I use spray on plaster at the moment, but tend to find liquid plaster to be the best remedy. That said, it happened in a recording studio recently whilst I was doing some session work and superglue did the trick quite well then , but was a bit too dry to get a comfortable feel on the neck. Nail toughener sounds like a good move...

[Toycona]

The pain is pretty unpleasant when it does split, and usually means a day off the mandolin, if not more. The timing is often unfortunate, and I've had to resort to duct tape or similar in the past which leads to playability issues.

Newskin (OTC product) is really good for filling cracks in the skin like that. I was a competitive bowler for a long time, and that helped when I was building a callous (or treating a late stage blister) on my thumb. Also, zinc oxide, when used on unbroken skin that you'd want to callous up helps a lot there too.

[greg_tsam]

If you want to build a callous try dipping the tips in rubbing alcohol. Lots of alternatives.

[Barry Wilson]

fingernails bugged me when I was young and had my first cheap classical guitar... dam nail popped a fret marker off. ya glued on type, but choked me and I've been anal about keeping them short since.

I tried growing my picking fingers. while going to college I worked as a pizza driver for a bit and washing pots in back, wet hands, I ripped on of my long nails up a good portion into the quick. wow blood and pain. so I decided I didn't like nails after that. now I carry clippers and emery board with me, a set in car, a set beside my instrument desk...

[Toycona]

and washing pots in back, wet hands,

...right, keep the hands dry, for sure. I swim a lot, but if I give myself a couple of hours between swimming and jamming, the fingers respond just fine.

[Mandobart]

Two things will happen as you play:
1. The callouses will build up on the fingertips, making them "longer."
2. The tenderness in the tips will subside, allowing you to trim the nails shorter and shorter.

The nails on my left hand fingers are much shorter than those on my right, and the tips are longer.

[greg_tsam]

I haven't bothered with having nails since I was a kid and I had one rip off. Painful stuff but I was a country boy and life was tough out there and the nails had to go. Kept them as short as possible ever since and find it odd when I see a man with long nails. No offense it just strikes me funny. Guess they're ok is you have a purpose for them but I don't need them for playing.

[catmandu2]

I haven't bothered with having nails since I was a kid and I had one rip off. Painful stuff but I was a country boy and life was tough out there and the nails had to go. Kept them as short as possible ever since and find it odd when I see a man with long nails. No offense it just strikes me funny. Guess they're ok is you have a purpose for them but I don't need them for playing.

Well they definitely do interfere with activities--among favorites of mine: throwing pots and other ceramics, playing doublebass, and nylon-string harp...and anything requiring the fingertips...tying fishing line is particularly cumbersome--you have to adapt and learn to use your "pads" rather than your fingertips...catching frisbees is very effective means of losing a thumbnail, as is working on machinery...but they are an asset when pruning plants or ripping open cardboard boxes. Classical guitarist friends of mine would tape their fingernails over, wear glove, etc. Maintaining nails for playing is a commitment and requires dedication. I struggeld for decades--especially when I started playing a lot of doublebass. I wanted to play harp for decades, but had to resist as it's either guitar or harp (unless its wire-strung).

[Fran]

It may sound too simplistic or idiotic, but have you ever thought that perhaps you apply too much pressure on the strings? Try playing closer to the frets, and learn to control the pressure so you use just as much as required to get a clean sound. I always keep my nails short, leaving about 1mm or less of "white" and everything works fine; I use a Zwilling Henckels ceramic nail file (Google it) to keep the nails short and smooth.

[Geordie]

Great suggestions, thanx. Let me clarify; I have pointy fingers, and my nails lead the way, no matter how short I cut them (no joke, Greg!).
I'll just keep cutting 'em back and hope that my nails will eventually give up and recede.