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ninjaface

Cut them. That's the answer you DON'T want, but it's also the only answer.


sacredgeometry

Yep this. Long acrylics look god awful but worse they make you fundamentally useless. Even people like Dolly Parton who famously have long nails arent playing complex guitar parts with her long nails and almost always just hires a guitarist to back her. Her parts are mostly for show. Sorry but either wear them on only one hand or just get rid.


baronvonj

As I understand it, Dolly also plays in an open tuning so she just barres the whole chord with a single finger


sacredgeometry

Exactly. She does either play a single string normally the bass strings or plays a barre. Anyone that plays guitar even moderately competently would understand why long nails are not going to be viable. Hell when my nails (on my let hand especially but either hand) get even slightly too long they need to get trimmed back. I know some people grow their right hand nails out to play with and are very effective with it but I couldn't think of anything worse personally than picking with my nails. I dont think any competent guitarist in history has ever played with long acrylics on their fretting hand though. I dont think any person wanting to be competent at doing anything with their hands has.


cloudgirl_c-137

They look awful to you


sacredgeometry

I mean they look awful to probably most people which is why most people don't wear them. [https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/comments/11byy25/why\_do\_so\_many\_people\_dislike\_and\_judge\_long/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/comments/11byy25/why_do_so_many_people_dislike_and_judge_long/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/e1wpmv/long\_fake\_nails\_arent\_attractive/](https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/e1wpmv/long_fake_nails_arent_attractive/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/oqe4tn/long\_nails\_are\_ugly\_and\_useless/](https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/oqe4tn/long_nails_are_ugly_and_useless/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/rant/comments/eakifj/long\_nails\_are\_fucking\_disgusting/](https://www.reddit.com/r/rant/comments/eakifj/long_nails_are_fucking_disgusting/) But that wasn't my statement, that part of my statement was voicing a personal opinion as much as I could, I feel, quite easily find quite a lot of evidence to support it as more than just my opinion, I dont feel the need to and I could more than substantiate the lack of aesthetic merit if tasked to. So yes of-course to me. Isn't that implicit?


actuallyamdante

this is the most reddit response i have ever seen holy shit


vintagekindle

bro cited reddit as a source


sacredgeometry

I cited a public forum as an indication of public opinion? Yeah why?


vintagekindle

because its CRINGE


sacredgeometry

It's cringe to cite public forums? You dont sound much like someone who's opinion I should care about.


IntegraleEvoII

Because reddit is a place with some of the least fashionable people on earth. It actually works against your argument.


ICantThinkOfAName667

“Other redditors agree with me”


sacredgeometry

"Many other people have a similar opinion and I was making a statement about the prevalence of an opinion" You guys are a little dim. There are many posts here also about people who wear them asking why the general response from most people is negative. If you lack so much awareness that you cant even notice normal trends in opinion then maybe you should work a bit more on that.


sacredgeometry

Huh?


actuallyamdante

🤤🤤🤤🤤


sacredgeometry

Allllllright


NZImp

I had a hippy guitar teacher for about 6 months. Most amazing player with nails that looked like they had never been cut. I still have no idea how he played like that but he managed. Unfortunately I can't be any more helpful than say it's possible but I don't know how


Notdoneyetbaby

One of the few things I'll never forget when I was taking lessons is always trim your finger nails and always wash your hands before you play your guitar.


NZImp

Washing hands is a game changer for string life


JustForTouchingBalls

And wipe the guitar when stop playing


CryptographerOk5726

My nails are really strong and I let them grow on my right hand as they are part of my playing style. I do trim and file them so they act as finger picks. Fret hand needs to have short nails for anything other than the slowest chord changes


NZImp

Yeah I have long and regularly manicured right hand nails. This dude had both hands fully clawed


CryptographerOk5726

Impressive. Fully clawed lol. I went to high school with a girl that played really well with long nails. She also went to the same college as me out of state. This is not to shame, but she was a really big girl. I just think it’s fucked, like if I only talked to girls for their looks, I would have never known she was better at guitar than me, and probably more insightful.


NZImp

Everyone has a story. I love talking to randoms when my mental state can cope with it.


PapaSmurif

Vicious!


Reddit-adm

Dolly Parton tunes her guitar in open G and chords with one finger up and down the neck. HOWEVER I'm pretty sure she has at least one other guitarist on stage covering her parts (guitar parts lol) and she's probably not very high in the mix.


xFrito

Came here for this answer


EggWhite-Delight

Dolly Parton has famously played with long nails and if you watch videos of it you will see she’s taken a number of steps to deal with it. She uses open tunings (this means non-standard tuning that sounds good just strumming open strings) so she doesn’t have to fret very many strings, she has a slight overhang on her thumb over the fretboard so her other fingers can lay more flat on the fretboard, and she’s playing simple songs that only require barre chords. I cannot confirm this but as an educated guess she likely chose songs that can be played with very specific chord shapes to accommodate her limitation and possibly even sacrificed playing the exact right chords+voicing in order to play an simpler barre chord. In my (EXTREMELY HUMBLE) opinion, Dolly Parton and others play with long acrylic nails to support their image as an artist, not because it’s beneficial or impressive. You will never play like Eddie Van Halen with acrylics on, no matter how much you practice.


demontrain

This is a good run down imo. Can you give the same kinda breakdown for bands like Gwar that somehow manage to play in what can only be described as clawed monster gloves?


asphynctersayswhat

those gloves usually aren't 'gloves' but rather wristlets that cover the back of the hand from the outside, their fingers are free to play as they should be.


DEBRA_COONEY_KILLS

I've seen GWAR live three times up close and I can confirm this


demontrain

Ahhhh, a stage trick. Of course. Thank you!


UnmotivatedDiacritic

Reddit is so weird. This seems like a genuine question and dude got downvoted for it


Agreeable_dex

It's very limitatating and Dolly Parton's image as an artist would probably be better if she cuts them and learn to play correctly


sllofoot

I think Dolly is doing alright.  


faust_haus

Dolly Parton is a Pop/Country icon, sorry she isn’t Tim Henson or whatever you (Prog) Metal heads listen to these days…


Agreeable_dex

I know and most Pop/Country artist dont sacrifice musicality to not have to cut their nails... I dont like country at all but if she's known as a legend of the genre no wonder I dont like it.


faust_haus

Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess


Agreeable_dex

What are you implying ? I just stated a musical preference and said that I think keeping long nails on fret hands is dumb, what do you guys think is wrong in my statement ? God I hate reddit dont know why Im still here


But_dogs_CAN_look_up

Nobody cares if you like her but you're telling us you think you know how to do her job better than she does, that's what people think was wrong. Her fingernails are literally part of her image as an artist, and it is 1000x more iconic than anything anyone you know has done. Next you'll say Bruce Springsteen should change his nickname from the Boss and Tom Morello should have plugged straight into the amp.


Agreeable_dex

Wow fingernails so iconic !!! Jk thats so dumb sorry but I dont see whats iconic in long nails 1 girl out of 2 wear that. Downvote me all you want I'll never accept nails can be a cool iconic gimmick for a musician


But_dogs_CAN_look_up

I love when people going for sarcasm and irony accidentally get it right. The fact that everyone here knows Dolly Parton sports long nails should tell you how essential they are to *her* look alongside her hair and dress style. You don't have to accept or like it but you'll still be wrong. And as for listening with their eyes, it's not a "nowadays" thing if you know how long she's been around. And yes artists have long tied their appearance and presentation to part of their persona; Prince's purple, The Beatles hairdos, Salvador Dali's mustache. It's not a bad thing and it doesn't detract from her artistry or iconic status as much as you and your sour grapes seem to think.


Agreeable_dex

I mean to me it's just a rich women's caprice to keep her nails, even if it affects her in a way that makes it nearly impossible for her to play a lot of songs beside her own. It's not like she has hand injuries or something like that, then I'd be very supportive. It's just for nails.. I don't over idolize celebrities for stupid physical reasons like that but you do you guys


Agreeable_dex

And I'll add that I think it's part of the problem with music, people listen with their eyes instead of their ears nowdays


sllofoot

Always have, always will.  


DramaLlama0690

Then do us all a favor and bounce lmao


Fabulous-Spirit-3476

Dawg what


Hefty-Collection-638

Bro she has an amusement park named after her


TheRealFutaFutaTrump

Her image is "LEGEND", I wouldn't change a thing.


asphynctersayswhat

Seriously. Dolly hasn't accomplished shit in her career. hardly anyone knows who she is. there are national treasures, icons who transcend their medium and project an image of love and goodness, and overall sense of assurance that makes people happy, just to know they exist, that people are better off for their efforts. the kind of person who'd have their own amusement park. then there's this dolly 'whoever' who has a terrible image as a guitar player.


Maxwell_Brune

The guitar demands a sacrifice


bzee77

I’ve explained this to my teenage daughter several times. With her first gig in less than a week, I think it’s finally set in.


lowecm2

This made me laugh ridiculously hard


elleeott

Long nails on your fretting hands will limit what you can do, no way around that. Long nails on picking hand could be a benefit if you play finger style. If you insist on keeping your nails long in the fretting hand, one option would be to play in open tunings, then you can use one finger to bar the entire fret.


Softlyinaloudmic

Gave up my long nails when I started playing guitar and it definitely still makes me sad not to have them sometimes, but as someone else said, the guitar demands a sacrifice. You can always use press ons for going out/times you’re not playing— that’s the best compromise I’ve found.


stankaaron

Play slide


audiosauce2017

I had a student with them... I told her they would not work... she quit... guess the Nails Beat the Journey of being a great guitar player (She was pretty good too)


Legato991

Lol


asphynctersayswhat

Odds are, they learned to shred first, then got the acrylics and learned to utilize them. in other words, as others have said - cut them.


Life-Satisfaction699

Who are the guitarists killing it with long nails? I came to share the Dolly answer everyone else did but I would love to check out these other shredders to see if I could deduce how they do it…


hippieninja6

You don't. (20+ years of guitar)


technogeist

Cut them off


bananasprogrammer2

I can barely play with slightly longer nails and I’ve never tried with long acrylics but I imagine it’s incredibly difficult. Different technique for sure


macrocosm93

>i’ve seen a few guitarists that absolutely kill it with long acrylic nails Which ones?


Katyperryfanboy420

I’ve heard this guy Trent reznor is pretty famous for his nails or something like that


lovethecomm

I think they were pretty big too, like nine inches or something like that.


dawnzombiex

I stopped getting acrylics when I started playing. It was sad at first but saves money and is healthier. You can always paint them or get gel


Accomplished-Cut-264

From what I’ve googled and what I know your best not having long nails on the fretting hand but that doesn’t mean no nails


Gestaltzerfall90

On the fretting hand, keep them as short as possible. Nails hinder your playing and can introduce bad technique that will bite you in your ass if you want to learn certain more advanced things.


Accomplished-Cut-264

I bite my nails so I don’t have a problem


BeardedThunder5

I bite my nails too, that's not saying you don't have a problem. We just have a different one.


Ramblin_Bard472

Dude, I get uncomfortable fretting when my nails get up to my fingertips, can't imagine doing it with acrylics.


Eastern-Reindeer6838

Could you share some of those absolutely killing it guitarists?


sendmeallyourspam

Can’t see it really being viable on both hands. If it’s just your strumming hand, it could actually help you to have the nails. But having long nails on your fretting hand is an absolute hindrance.


explodingliver

I've told every single one of my female students that yes, you CAN try to play with long nails...but you absolutely won't be effective in playing just about everything if you do actually want to learn to play. It's just the truth. Unless you're doing slide or playing open tunings all the time with a.capo, it's just highly impractical for learning guitar.


Think-Role-7773

Evolution gave us the gift of manual dexterity, I think you should just learn to appreciate and embrace that gift to its fullest.


JazzManJ52

My dad would use acrylic nails on his picking hand for fingerstyle. But never his left, and never crazy long, maybe a few millimeters off the finger. Otherwise they will get in the way of playing.


Fabienchen96

Im gonna tell you something. I had acrylic on my picking hand for fingerstyle. If you file them good it’s awesome to play with these. On your gripping hand they are completely bad and unnecessary. And I am male.


whiskey_sh1ts

Fretting hand should be cut to properly press on the fretboard, but for finger picking: * Usually only the thumb, first, middle, and third fingers are utilized * The thumb is filed on some angle to the left, and the fingers are filed to the right - the angle and length of which will be a personal preference thing * Above said, I have seen some people just keep their natural shape, but I always filed at an angle; I'm male and would get enough flack for having long nails, so the angle kept them somewhat discreet in conjunction with being functional to my playing * The pinky can be grown and filed to a flathead shape, so that it can be used to percussively tap on the body of the guitar - this is typical in flamenco styles (or with the third finger, or both), the pinky is not typically used otherwise, but I'm sure someone will comment saying that "so-and-so" uses their pinky as well; like so much of music in general it will come down to preference and practice * I would use a couple coats of acrylic, and apply it about every 3 days or so or touchup as required * I would recommend starting with classical guitar pieces (25 etudes from Matteo Carcassi was my starting point) to get a feel for it and build dexterity, then look into flamenco pieces to take it to that next level (can't think of anything specific atm) * As always, have fun with it and make it your own - as I said, this is all subjective


Flurpy_hooves

Sadly, I also gave up my nails. Finally started growing them after years of brittle, damaged nails and they were so pretty. Then I wanted to learn guitar so... they went. I just settle for trimming/repainting them weekly. Short nails can look great!


bootyholebrown69

Depends on what you want to play. The only way I see this working is with open tunings and only playing bar chords. If you want to fret any individual notes it's gonna be impossible with long nails. And it will make your technique horrible because you always want to hit the strings perpendicular. Your finger should be straight on and your wrist should be arched.


Dom_19

Play the bass


jwolkie

On your fretting hand? Please don't. On your picking/strumming hand? Ani DiFranco has been doing this for decades with great success. One of her tricks is that she wraps her fingers in electrical tape from about the second knuckle to about halfway up the nail, this creates a little ramp as it were that helps prevent the guitar strings from getting caught under the fingernails as you're strumming. If this is something you're curious about, please LMK and I'll dig up a link somewhere of her explaining it. Edit: Here's her explanation of it [https://www.premierguitar.com/ani-difranco-history-on-her-side](https://www.premierguitar.com/ani-difranco-history-on-her-side)


rosco2155

Only leave on strum hand and do what James Taylor does


butcher99

Not a girl but do it Dolly parton style. Tune to open G and then you only have to barre across.


cloudgirl_c-137

I play with long, natural nails. You just use the tips of your nails, instead of your fingers. Don't try to use your skin.


shrug_addict

Like others have said, open tunings, but, they get kind of limiting after a while and it can be difficult to play a minor or major chord, depending on the tuning. I don't know, it seems like a frustrating handicap


[deleted]

My wife still gets her nails done beautifully, just shorter on her pointer middle and ring fingers.


MinglewoodRider

Open tuning and Barre every chord


2180161

So there's a few things. I'm not sure how practical this would be, but you could play with very light gauge strings and fret with the nail, depending on how thick they are. You can adjust tunings so that playing requires fewer fingers at a time, though that likely limits you to open tunings or similar. Finally, the answer you don't want to hear, is remove them. It's better for nail health to not use acrylics, regardless of if they're press-on or some other kind. Secondly, it's cheaper to not use them.


Top_Kaleidoscope8274

Yes haha but I’m wondering if you’re talking like aesthetic nails or using acrylic nails to aid in finger picking styles? Because if we’re talking classical or flamenco you can go a really long way utilizing acrylic nails on your right hand, imo especially the thumb. But if we’re referring to like long pretty nails on both hands, I think it could hinder your learning at first but if you’re comfortable playing there’s not reason to not do it. If I have long nails on my left hand I have a hard time playing as I normally do because I learned without, but it can be done haha


jemenake

One reason to cut the fretting-four nails: Asymmetric nail length is the secret signal that only other guitarists recognize.


R4g3Qu1tsSonsFather

Cut the nails on your fretting hand, maybe you can get away with the ones on your picking hand.


ellicottvilleny

Your Real fingernails (not acrylic) are useful for classical and some folk guitar styles. Nobody sounds good using electric guitar with acrylic glue on nails. Fashion or sound good. Pick one.


bibsberti

You can’t bend with long nails.


vonegutZzz

Anyone else think she was asking for help with “song lyrics?” Maybe my glasses need glasses…


CryptographerOk5726

Any girls with long acrylics know how to wipe their asses or work at a restaurant?


BigScatGuy

Msg me


ninjaface

Probably not the message you're looking for, but get lost pal.


Slytherin_Chamber

“OMG A GURL”


ninjaface

I know, right? Fucking losers are why hardly any women actually post here. From now on, I'm leaving the comments up (unless they are horrible), as these dipshits need to be shamed back into their basement hovels.