silverburst
Well-known member
Super short. And I have the ladies at the nail parlor maintain them for me too.
What a Mary, huh?
What a Mary, huh?
- Thread starter BrandonS
- Start date
Dr Stankface
Well-known member
I keep mine shorter than Adouglas keeps his. There's a good 2 cm between the end of fingernail and the end of my finger.
silverburst
Well-known member
2 cm? Isn't that almost an inch for us non-metric types?
the unrepentant
Well-known member
Why do gorillas have such big nostrils
Hey Brandon,
I'm with you, since day 1 I've clipped and filed my nails real short to avoid that percussive sound and to help me keep a more even feel of my finger tips on the strings, but I know of sum guys who go the opposite way for their own reasons ...
and the answer to the title Q. is "because they have big fingers
good luck as you go, but do me one favour and "Always play in good health Eh?
All The Bass,
/PL
Hey Brandon,
I'm with you, since day 1 I've clipped and filed my nails real short to avoid that percussive sound and to help me keep a more even feel of my finger tips on the strings, but I know of sum guys who go the opposite way for their own reasons ...
and the answer to the title Q. is "because they have big fingers
good luck as you go, but do me one favour and "Always play in good health Eh?
All The Bass,
/PL
Last edited:
Dr Stankface
Well-known member
About 1cm off
But in all honesty, I measured and I have 3/16th of an inch of skin after my fingernail.
the unrepentant
Well-known member
haha damn right!or chopped off drumsticks, "funk fingers"
adouglas
Well-known member
Good words, BP, thanks!
After revisiting I think the issue is when I get tired (like playing Peggy Sue at the end of a set) and for relief I change my hand/wrist angle during the song. Still working on building up endurance!
Slightly OT here... your comment about endurance raises a question. Do you find your hands and arms get tired while playing? Do you get muscle cramps?
It sounds like you might be putting too much muscle into it, in an attempt to get precise control and play cleanly. This is a really common newbie mistake, and I was very guilty of it when I started playing. It was so bad my entire left forearm would cramp and lock up after a while, preventing me from even moving my fingers effectively. My right hand would get tired too because I was trying to force things. (Of course, the crappy bass I was using didn't help....)
Now the only things that get tired are my back and feet, from standing up for hours on end -- because I've learned to relax. Staying loose is the way to go IMHO.
But that's a whole different thread....
oddjob
Well-known member
Second all of that plus let your bass and amp do the work. There is nothing like that "digging in" sound but let the machinery do the work for you!
Years ago, an old girlfriend (who was a beautician) , heard me whining about the nails dilemna, and so she tossed me one of those 6" emery boards that they use for doing nails, and they are great. ( and my nails look stunnning!...heh )
And I agree with the previous post regarding your mention of stamina.
If you practice, then you need to practice in the same position your doing the gig......standing up.
Sometimes compensating for the slight changes in position can really be fatiguing.
And if your not doing enough on your instrument in between gigs, then that can really make it tough ( dont worry, I speak from past experience, here)
But the clicking of fingernails should be the last thing on your mind at these times, so keep 'em short.
And I agree with the previous post regarding your mention of stamina.
If you practice, then you need to practice in the same position your doing the gig......standing up.
Sometimes compensating for the slight changes in position can really be fatiguing.
And if your not doing enough on your instrument in between gigs, then that can really make it tough ( dont worry, I speak from past experience, here)
But the clicking of fingernails should be the last thing on your mind at these times, so keep 'em short.
13thorderbass
Member
as short as possible so only the finger hits the strings
