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Hi girls, throughout the years I've owned a violin, mandolin, several guitars and a ukulele.  I haven't played for awhile and I impulsively bought a new set of strings for my SL Mossman and Takamine guitars and my Leolani Uke. 
What I didn't think about is my longer nails.  I will have to adapt my fingering or cut my nails.
Oh, the humanity!

I'm just a ukulele mama

I play contrabass and must have the nails of my left hand as short as possible. I was fine with that since I could still have long nails on my right hand, but last year I picked up piano and have to cut all of my fingernails now.

Quote from: Jessica on January 25, 2018, 04:07:08 PM
Hi girls, throughout the years I've owned a violin, mandolin, several guitars and a ukulele.  I haven't played for awhile and I impulsively bought a new set of strings for my SL Mossman and Takamine guitars and my Leolani Uke. 
What I didn't think about is my longer nails.  I will have to adapt my fingering or cut my nails.
Oh, the humanity!

I'm just a ukulele mama

I like long nails myself but it's a bastard (gendered) typing, lol.

"Oh, the humanity" - wasn't that from the Hindenberg tragedy?

My understanding is that guitarists tend to have short nails on the left hand and long on the right.

Quote from: Cassi on January 25, 2018, 04:13:32 PM
I like long nails myself but it's a bastard (gendered) typing, lol.

"Oh, the humanity" - wasn't that from the Hindenberg tragedy?

Well, this IS a tragedy!  I'm loving my nails!

Quote from: Jessica on January 25, 2018, 04:19:37 PM
Well, this IS a tragedy!  I'm loving my nails!

I'm a house elf so I don't do public with anything other than my fem pants.  I have always liked and wanted nice nails and when I know I'm not going anywhere I'll paint mine or put those Kiss ones on.

The last time I went out with them on, I had gloves on and was walking my dogs.  A pit bull attacked my dogs and I ended up falling and breaking two of them.  Fortunately, I didn't have to take my gloves off and the nails were in the fingers :)

I played guitar many years ago, my brother brought me one the last time he visited and I tried to play it. Sad but not a difficult decision. Right now my transition and thus my nails are more important to me than relearning the guitar. He took the guitar back home with him.

My nails have wrecked the guitar for me.  I do gels at home every couple of weeks.  I generally can only fret comfortably for a few days after a manicure.  I find myself playing piano much more often lately.  I am not particularly good on either instrument though, so I don't know what my experience proves.

Quote from: rmaddy on January 25, 2018, 09:49:26 PM
My nails have wrecked the guitar for me.  I do gels at home every couple of weeks.  I generally can only fret comfortably for a few days after a manicure.  I find myself playing piano much more often lately.  I am not particularly good on either instrument though, so I don't know what my experience proves.

Please explain gels to this rookette :)

As in what they are?  (a type of durable nail polish)

Or how to do them?  (I had them done in a salon a few times, watched the steps and was off to the races.  I'm too cheap to pay $35 every two weeks)

Quote from: rmaddy on January 25, 2018, 11:04:51 PM
As in what they are?  (a type of durable nail polish)

Or how to do them?  (I had them done in a salon a few times, watched the steps and was off to the races.  I'm too cheap to pay $35 every two weeks)

I prefer the word "Frugal"  people think it's french :)

I think I'd have my nails done in a salon once I am passable at least facially just so I can have the experience.  I've done my own over the years, mostly for Halloween but here at home since Cassi took over. 

I had bought some that said it was Gel or close to it a week or so ago but then heard that a UV light is needed.  Turned out the polish wasn't gel.  Do you use a UV light?

When I get a manicure they use a powder dip acrylic on mine that keep them tougher.  But one of my guitars is a collector item and I will not scratch up the fret board on it.  I for now will use my classical using my pads instead of my tips.  That muscle memory is not there.  Arched fingers with tips pressing with purpose, that's what they know.

Quote from: Jessica on January 26, 2018, 12:04:48 AM
When I get a manicure they use a powder dip acrylic on mine that keep them tougher.  But one of my guitars is a collector item and I will not scratch up the fret board on it.  I for now will use my classical using my pads instead of my tips.  That muscle memory is not there.  Arched fingers with tips pressing with purpose, that's what they know.

Perhaps Kendra can pipe in.  I can tell you that my rough awful playing is rougher and more awful with nails:)

Bari Jo

QuoteI think I'd have my nails done in a salon once I am passable at least facially just so I can have the experience.

I go for a manicure every week and pedicure 3 weeks and have done so for years.  There are plenty of men who go for them, so just go and enjoy!

Quote from: AnneK on January 26, 2018, 08:20:49 AM
I go for a manicure every week and pedicure 3 weeks and have done so for years.  There are plenty of men who go for them, so just go and enjoy!

My wife and I regularly get pedicures, I just started getting manicures.  Love them!

When I get my mandolin back from my brother, I'll let you know. Due to shoulder and elbow issues, I haven't picked up my fiddle in years. I really want to get back to it.

I play electric bass guitar. My current nail length is not an issue for me.

Quote from: Faith on January 26, 2018, 09:09:27 AM
When I get my mandolin back from my brother, I'll let you know. Due to shoulder and elbow issues, I haven't picked up my fiddle in years. I really want to get back to it.

I play electric bass guitar. My current nail length is not an issue for me.

With the bass, you finger more with your pads rather than your tips.

Quote from: Jessica on January 26, 2018, 09:23:26 AM
With the bass, you finger more with your pads rather than your tips.

most do, yes. I don't flat finger fret though, I use more of my tips. I also utilize my nails for tonal effect. I use the nail like a pick when called for :)

here's a pic of me playing. It's not the best representation of my finger style, it's the only picture that I have available. Note (HAH!) the third finger is using tip. 1st, 2nd, 4th will also use tips depending on position.

(https://i.imgur.com/B9XdYJt.jpg)

I am just getting back to my mandolin and uke. I have had to keep my nails short anyway due got my nails flaking and tearing. I have found that even a little length in my nails makes playing my mando difficult. Could me that I am still learning and fretting is sometimes difficult anyways!

Quote from: islandgirl on January 26, 2018, 10:02:46 AM
I am just getting back to my mandolin and uke. I have had to keep my nails short anyway due got my nails flaking and tearing. I have found that even a little length in my nails makes playing my mando difficult. Could me that I am still learning and fretting is sometimes difficult anyways!

I don't think so.  I can't press the strings properly with nails when they hit the fretboard.  I've always needed short nails on my fingering hand.

Jessica Marie

Quote from: Cassi on January 25, 2018, 11:07:59 PM
I prefer the word "Frugal"  people think it's french :)

I think I'd have my nails done in a salon once I am passable at least facially just so I can have the experience.  I've done my own over the years, mostly for Halloween but here at home since Cassi took over. 

I had bought some that said it was Gel or close to it a week or so ago but then heard that a UV light is needed.  Turned out the polish wasn't gel.  Do you use a UV light?

Yes, I do.  The UV sets the gel, making it instantly hard enough to bang on a table, wash dishes, sleep with one's hands under the covers, etc.  Gel polish needs to be applied carefully, and the sequence is important.  On the positive side, it spreads across the (well prepared) nail more smoothly than standard polish.  I can talk you through the specifics if you're getting serious about trying this.

Gels are different from acrylics, which it what Jessica was talking about.  Gel doesn't go on thick like acrylic.  They are great for playing guitar if you keep them short.  I go for a medium length most of the time.  Awesome for picking, horrible for fretting. No problem on piano or typing.

Thank you.  I am interested in learning more.  I'm not full time, meaning that when I leave the house it's as "Him".  Once my features soften which I expect them to do (seeing how I never looked that "manly" before, I will start going full-time.

QuoteOnce my features soften which I expect them to do (seeing how I never looked that "manly" before, I will start going full-time.

I have polish on almost all the time, even though I still go out as male.  I've never had acrylic or gel though, just standard polish/

All this chatter inspired me to go bang on my Telecaster for awhile tonight.

This place...

I play guitar and bass a lot, it's been a huge part of my life since I was 13 years old, and I'm not going to sacrifice that for my nails. I'm totally fine with short nails, but I would like to paint them more often once I'm living full time, we'll see how things go lol

Update: got another manicure yesterday and talked to them about shaping the nails I finger with to about an 1/8".  Picked up the uke today and they felt fine.  I will file them down to where they feel best when they get longer.  Even better is the dip nail strengthener has made my nails on my strumming hand usable picks.

Quote from: Jessica on January 26, 2018, 12:04:48 AMBut one of my guitars is a collector item and I will not scratch up the fret board on it.

Is this a steel string guitar and a hardwood fretboard? The strings will do 10x more damage than any fingernail ever could.  In fact I don't think fretboards are ever made of anything softer than hard maple.

On my banjo my nails start to get in the way when they extend past the tips more than maybe a eighth of an inch.  They get clicky on keyboards too, although Art Tatum said his long nails were part of how he got his power, and he was the greatest piano player in history.