Nov
04
Picking Strings With Artificial Nails
This is Don Ross and other than wanting to share his music with you I wanted to get you to look at his nail and tell me if you think they are his own home grown nails or are they artificial.
This has never really crossed my mind as a possibility, but if you are playing acoustic - what do you use - a pick? Your finger tips? Your finger nails?
What do you do when they break?
I was reading Pickstroke, who has posted an article about guitar players using artificial nails. I don’t know why I am so surprised by this - it completely makes sense….
Just guessing, I’d say he has artificial nails, from pausing the video at a close up of his picking hand, and comparing them to the nails on his other hand. The picking nails appear whiter than the more natural/clear nails on his other hand. I could be wrong, but that’s my observation, anyway. I’ve always used picks and finger tips, just for better speedpicking techniques and control for pinch harmonics. Nail picking technique might be something different to try, though…hmm…
Cool player! Those are definitely, beyond a doubt fake nails. The color is waaaay light, and they look thick too. Ani DiFranco goes a step further after adding the fake nails, she wraps each finger in black electrical tape. Then she proceeds to wail on her jumbo Alvarez guitars. I keep my nails short so that they don’t chip or split. Instead, I’m building up callus at the finger tip edges near the end of the nails which actually becomes the contact point to the strings. Inspired by Jeff Beck, and also by my dentist who can do the intricate stuff with his fingertips.
Ani Difranco is cool all over! never noticed the black tape thing. I would imagine glued on nails could unglue in the middle of playing. Maybe that is why she uses the tape. Mental note to self: Do Post on Ani Difranco…