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How to Care for Guitar-Playing Fingernails

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Related Tags: nails | buffing | file | fingernails | kit
 

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

How to Care for Guitar-Playing Fingernails

  • Step 1:
    Decide on a length of nail that is appropriate for your own personal style.
  • Step 2:
    File your nails every day to maintain that shape. Don't fall into the habit of only dealing with your nails when they get too long as your technique will suffer from the variation.
  • Step 3:
    File each nail individually, making sure that no extraneous material hangs loose.
  • Step 4:
    Clean the edges to be sure there are no imperfections which could catch on the strings.
  • Step 5:
    Buff your nails using a buffing kit for the best results. The smoother your nails are, the cleaner each note will sound.

Tips & Warnings

  • If you break a nail, consider using false nails. There are many styles, so find a style that suits your playing habits.
  • Do not file your nails shorter than necessary. If your nails take too long to grow, you will lose valuable practice time.

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