Guitar playing with nails.

[Elucinatus]

Everybody knows that a real guitar player does not use a pick, but the exchange you must give is brutal damage to your nails.
Is there away to finger pick and such with your nails without destroying them? Perhaps fake nails?

[Judi]

Try keeping your nails just above the finger tips and use a good nail strengthener.

[EricaCD]

Funny you should mention. I play guitar and bass and have to deal with this all the time. First, Judi's correct about nail length. I keep the nails on my picking hand just a tiny bit longer than those on my fretting hand. You'd only notice if you were really staring at both hands. The idea is that on my picking hand the nails are barely long enough to play, and on the fretting hand they are barely short enough to play.

Don't try fake nails. Unless you're really good at putting them on, you will start to lose them. And doesn't THAT get awkward!

I don't bother with strengthener. Thanks to my peculiar hormonal condition my nails are plenty strong. It's really important, though, that you be super-conscientious about filing and smoothing ragged edges as soon as they appear. Strings like nothing more than to get caught in the cracks, and soon... no more nail.

Good luck!

[pnmis]

My interest is in caring for nails to use when playing the classical guitar. This involves filing, getting rid of ridges and general nail care.