Fingernail Lesson for Classical Guitar
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- Fingernail Lesson: How to file and shape your nails for classical guitar.
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By popular demand, a lesson about filing and shaping your nails for classical guitar. This is all about how I shape my nails and might be of interest and a starting point for students.
No guitarist is the same - This is not a post on how to file your nails, this is only the way I file mine. This is not a definitive answer and is not a static or unchanging description. This post is how I file my nails for my guitar, sound, style, and personal preference.
Why Use Ramps? Whether your fingernails are curved perfectly in an arch or you create a long ramp, the idea is to have the string travel up the ramp and get pushed into the guitar. Just like a piano hammer pushes the string (rather than plucks it like a harpsichord), your nail directs the string in toward the soundboard when it moves into the palm. See the video above for clarification.
How to find the correct shape for you: Play a comprehensive range of guitar technique when filing your nails. For example: scales, arpeggios, slurs, rest-stroke, free-stroke, sweeping etc. Make sure you can play all the different techniques with ease. Beginner student’s nails are often too long at first making rest-strokes or having a nice arched hand position too difficult. Listen to your tone and find out why/how different nail shapes affect your sound. Experiment with different shapes to discover what works best for you.
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Thanks for watching!
More Languages:
Leçon sur les ongles: comment limer et façonner vos ongles pour guitare classique.
Fingernagel-Lektion: So feilen und formen Sie Ihre Nägel für die klassische Gitarre.
Урок по ногтям: как подать и придать форму ногтям для классической гитары.
फिंगरेल लेसन: शास्त्रीय गिटार के लिए अपने नाखूनों को कैसे दर्ज करें और आकार दें।
爪のレッスン：クラシックギターの爪を削って形を整える方法。
#guitar #classicalguitar #guitarlesson #classicalguitarlesson 
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I stumbled upon this and might be able to help. Although I don’t play, I’m a licensed cosmetologist. For the dips in your nails, thinness/upward bends & grooves, etc. that is usually lack of certain vitamins/proteins. You can take collagen, multivitamin, etc. and it will do wonders. The large square file is a buffer actually (for the top/bed of your nails or long free edge.) Start by shaping the nail edges with the coarsest grit and then work your way to the finer grit/polisher, and maybe skip some middle grits, as that may save some time. You can work your way from the coarse grit to polish grit with about 2-3 different nail files and in much less time. And as you finish shaping the nail edge, swipe underneath with the finer grit/polisher and that takes care of the under nail. The crystal/glass files are meant to keep/not disposable like the emery boards, so you can just invest in a couple/few of those and you’ll be good to go!
Basically, shape the nail with the coarse one and then smooth it out/perfect it with the fine/polish one
And then there are some of us where no amount of supplements or eating right has changed how crappy our nails are. I have been genetically gifted with really bad nails no matter what I do.
Collagen makes a huge difference. I'm a guitarist and used to get my nails to the right length and shape for a short time before I broke at least one, then I started putting collagen in my coffee every day and now they are super strong.
@@alchemist1111 Did nothing for me
@@Cork_UO sounds like you didn’t do it every day
Wow. Just wow. I never thought of this. This made classical guitar like 10x better. At first my nails grew pretty long so there was so much resistance and my nails kept getting stuck on the strings. It sucked. I literally worked around it this way for like 3 months until I found this video today. All that resistance is gone and I understand how gliding really feels. Thank you
No more nail biting from now on? I see how challenging this is going to be XD. Thanks!
I started playing the guitar to get rid of that habit lol :D
Guys. Can I shape them without the nail file and stuff. I only have finger nail clippers.
Bite the left hand nails.
bite the left dude. its easier to control once youve grown your right
@@distortedswamper5796 basically impossible
I´ve been playing classical and other styles for 55 years. We all kind of know the basics of nail care but - as one upgrades to better instruments we need to also upgrade our unferstanding on this crucial subjet. You don´t play an Amati with a cheap bow. This lesson made all the difference for me and I am now enjoying great progress with my Paco Santiago Marin. Everything just fell into place. Thank you many times!
Glad you found it helpful.
Very thorough and helpful! I started in classical, switched and graduated in jazz, and I'm just taking back classical again (after *several* years). Your videos are the lessons I needed. Subscribed! Thank you very much for your dedication!
I now understand why I've struggled for years trying to get a feel for, and where my fingers are, when trying to get a consistent action to my finger movement. Thank you.
What an excellent series! I've been playing for decades but had stopped for several years due to illness and circumstances. Coming back to it, your videos have been great! I am self taught, so I was excited to discover that my technique is solid--clearly I can play, but there is SO much I didn't know, or have language for in spite of the fact that I'd been doing it. Still more that's been amazing to learn and apply. Appreciated! Thank you!
Truly fantastic with the various angled views. Thank you Bradford. Great instruction. Getting better everyday with your tutorials.
Thanks, yes, I wanted to do a long in depth video as I know it's something of interest and also a difficult subject to wrap one's head around...
Followed the advice and steps for this video and the results were amazing.
Wasn't sure about growing them out but now I play better than ever, thank you!
I am new to classical guitar, the sound is so beautiful trapped inside the guitar. Slowly you learn how to move your fingers to coax the notes out for your ears to enjoy. I am at this stage now where i am trying to develop muscle memory in my fingers. They like to do their own thing so i am patient. Your instruction videos have been amazing, i am now making the sounds that i love. This video was especially helpful because .... as you were showing the different finger angles and playing that very simple exercise for an extended time i was playing along with you. This really helped to pace me ....put a little pressure on ..... it is fantastic, i can't thank you enough for your efforts to teach this beautiful instrument. Thank you ...Glen, - South Australia.
Extremely useful to beginners and intermediate students who can't find a good nail shape, it gives them more perspective as to where to look. No nail is the same, so trial and error is a must process which can't be avoided if you want to develop a "good" sound. Some very good photography illustrating hand position and nail approach. Lots of work, so thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this. It is the most thorough discussion/demonstration I have seen anywhere.
Thank you ever so much! I have looked far and wide on this subject both online and in books. I have never gotten full understanding on the subject, and therefore never shaped my nails to achieve a good tone. Until I came across your detailed and clear explanation on the issues, with the close up videos finally made me understand what we are trying to do in shaping our finger nails! Thank you again!!!!
Glad it was helpful!
My guitar professor in college gave me a great tip for filing! Use saxophone reed filing paper. It’s very fine grained and makes you nail extremely smooth. Yamaha reed paper is the best.
Very thorough, love the detail and effort put into this.
Thanks! I try!
Thank you so much for this in depth video. I have been struggling with nail shape for a long time because I didn't understand in detail what needed to be done to them. This is a great explanation, so much better than, "you have to play around with different shapes till you find what works for you." I mean true advice, but details are much more helpful. Thanks again.
Well, "you have to play around with different shapes till you find what works for you" is actually pretty true though. However, having a starting point is extremely important. I have my students follow this and then they make adjustments during their ongoing technique development.
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much!
This was uploaded just in time for me. I grew my nails out and am now about to shape them. Thanks for the informative video!
Good luck, just remember to experiment and try it out using a variety of different techniques to find the shape that works with everything.
Very helpful, thank you for making such a detailed video!! Really helps to see how the nail and finger are striking the string, especially for us visual people 😊
I've been unhappy with my sound for years and I just couldn't figure it out. This helped me immensely. Thank you so much.
Glad it helped!
Thank you so much. I am new to the guitar and was having trouble with nails and placement of the fingers on the strings. This is perfect advice. Love your channel.
Glad it helped!
3:10 Thank you for the ligatures (fi and fl on this page). Great work, mate!
I used to play mostly blues but transisioned to classical as i became a father and did not have time for a band, rehearsals, tours etc. When playing blues i mostly played with a pick before going more for finger playing, but in blues i never had nails. As i started with classical i found the tone crispier and i got better precision with nails. But just as different picks generate different tones i found just outgrown arc formed nails gave tone i did not like, i watched some videos and decided to try your shape and MAN, it does a TONNE of difference, it gave exactly the tone i sought after! Thank you so much!!
Excellent information. I had just started going to method of use of fingernails after decades of just using the fingertips with ground down nails. It sounds better to shape the nails as you've shown here. Very appreciated. I learned a lot. My recordings and live performances will be better. You covered all the points I was concerned about. Thanks!!!
Glad it was helpful!
This was fairly detailed and useful
Fabulous lesson Bradford. Thanks
Good video on shaping the nails. I like the fact that I can see all the views and contact points. I also like the fact that your nails do not need to be too long. Long nails get in the way and chip and break easier. Also, in my profession as a Surgical Technologist we are not supposed to have long nails. Love your site --Miss not having a guitar instructor now.
Thank you very much,after watching the video I was able to avoid some noise nails I was carrying all along. Besides my nails are now half long they were before so It'll be more difficult to break and faster to grow. Really appreciate your help :)
Glad it helped!
A great video. I've seen many but not with the many angles you use. I used to play with somewhat longer nails but have recently realized that shorter nails give a much smoother attack and eliminate the nail click sound when playing free stroke. The advice about keeping the nail very short at the contact point ensures flesh contact. It took a long time for me to realize this, and that only happened when I broke a nail in that location! I am still trying to figure out the best shape for my thumb nail. My thumb does not bend back at all at the first joint. The nail has more arch across the width, which causes it to hook the string when it gets to a certain length. After seeing how your thumb moves through the strings, I think I need to experiment more with my hand position. Your thumb seems to be at more of an angle relative to the string than mine does, which is more parallel. That has caused me to grow a much longer nail than I probably need. Thanks again for the great video and your excellent website
You are very welcome! Let me know how it works out.
Thank you for the very good introduction. Often you need to have have artificial nails first. Especially if your nails are not perfect in shape or if you play steel strings also a lot. I play since 40 years and this was always my main trouble. Now I found an extremely good solution to make perfect nails first, before grinding them. The one solution I prefer today is, with very high tech UV glue and standard available good nail coating. Cost for glue, small UV LED lamp and nail coating around 200 to 300 Euro. It is a little bit expensive but will keep forever. I am very exited with this solution and use it today.
Wow what an amazing subject, I've never seen nail files like those, you explained all brilliantly, thankyou for sharing everything, all the best to you and all
Glad it was helpful!
Very comprehensive demonstrations! Merry Christmas!
Thank you! All the camera angles were incredibly helpful!
Excellent, looking forward to optimizing my tone. Thank you so much for this very informative video.
Best sounding nail filing video in the world!
Excellent and timely. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice and informative video! I enjoyed the variety of views and clearly explained even for a beginner! I've also read the full article on your blog and watched the videos there as well. Thank you for making this video, extremely helpful!
Glad you enjoyed it, it took forever to make!
Thank u I found this super instructive!
Thanks for this, very helpful.
Thank you very much, I have been using my nails to play for 5 years but I had never achieved the sound I wanted, I will try to achieve it with your advice
I have a tradesmans attitude to the sanding... in that I use a 350, get the shape, grab my orbital sander discs (1200) and tidy up, then I let the burr fall off while playing haha. It sounds tinny at first but it sorts itself out. Your shape is good for my nails though. I appreciate the info. Thanks!
excellent video,thanks !
Thanks for the tutorial sir. 👍
Beautiful channel! a hug Lele (classic guitarist from Milan)
3 years later and my man is still helping me with this vid, Thanks!
Glad it was helpful.
Excellent lesson. I was always not clear anout this entire topic. I understand better now .Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Great lesson! So many important and useful information. Thank You!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Very helpful explanation! Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Finally a tutorial. Thank you sooo much.👍👍👍
What an excellent video. Very helpful. Thank you very much.
Glad it was helpful!
Always enjoy your tutorials
Thanks, this one was a lot of work but fun too.
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OUTSTANDING
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Those photos were so helpful
In my experience I can say your nails are the ideal shape. The curvature is important. Not too much, just a smooth arch. Flat nails aren't good either as excessively curved nails. You have to make the most of what nature gives you. Thanks for posting, I found this very inpirational and useful. I think you are a great teacher.
Thanks very much, everyone will be a little bit different but I like sending this to my students as a preparation before a nail lesson.
Thank you, Brad!
All very important... thanks.
Congratulations on the video. It is the best I have seen. It was good to see the contact point close up. I was surprised how much flesh of the finger tip was in contact with the string. Also my thumb nail looks like its slopes the opposite way to yours. So will test that out also.
Yes, the flesh/nail combo is a tricky thing to get down since it is a very specific spot. That's why beginners shouldn't use nails until they have more precision. The thumb nail is really dependant on your hand position and thumb joint, it's a bit different for everyone.
Thank you Sir 😊
Very helpful!
Great to hear!
Great help chap. Thanks.
Nice, glad it helped!
This is very helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Great explanation. Thank you sir.
Glad it was helpful!
Nice! Great camera angles. 👍🎬
Thanks!
I wish I could have nails for guitar. Between my industrial job and rock climbing, I’d snap them off all the time.
A friend gave me the tip to use a certain brand of clear nail varnish to help protect brittle or cracked nails.
Amazing helpfull video. Thank you buddy 🙌👍💙
Happy to help!
Best video on nails. What are your thoughts on reinforcing or repairing nails with nail glue and nail powder? Thanks for all your wonderful lessons, reviews and beautiful performances!!
You are welcome. I tend to stay away from glues and such as I find it causes issues down the road with weakening the health of the nails. Using a protein cream and moisturizer is the the best way to keep them healthy and avoid breakage in the first place.
Hi Bradford,
Thanks for your wonderful offerings. I got your Vol 2 book and now receive the newsletter.
I am an experienced steel string guitarist wanting to play classical. My huge problem has been fingernails. Your excellent video on nails helped me understand two essential things:
-the dynamic of the string riding along the ramped nail, pushing the string down, and then releasing.
-that the fingers should travel toward the palm.
Up until now I have just plucked at something like 90° to the string and my fingers were moving toward the side of my palm. This information of yours has made me turn my wrist and hand and I can see the difference immediately.
My fingernails are a constant issue because I work with my hands (I am older and they break, even with nail hardener, good diet, etc.). With a decent nail I can start to relax and not push so hard to produce a tone. Playing with just flesh isn’t an option.
With all this said, do you have an opinion about gel or other types of artificial nails?
All the best,
Tico Vogt
Hi Tico, if possible when you are working wear good quality well-fitted gloves, that helps. Plus, keep the nails moisturized, if they dry out they break and crack but when hydrated they bend instead of break. Lots of pros use fake nails, I don't really have experience with them but they do work. You can play with just flesh though, it can sound good if you work on it.
Hello, thank you very much for these explanations. It realy made a diference on the sound of my play on Cancion del Emperador from Luys de Narvaez. I can hear more clearly every voice I'm playing.
Glad it helped!
Thanks, very helpful. Subscribed.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks a lot for this really helpfull NailLesson!!! Greetings from Saxony Germany ... :)
I can't thank you enough!!
I have the same guitar as you only it’s the newer model that hasn’t really changed other than you can’t get a pickup built in. However you can get a bridge pickup.
veRRy good tutorial!!! much obliged!
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you!
My pleasure, hope you found it helpful!
@@Thisisclassicalguitar Very much so!
I also enjoy your Cordoba reviews and many of your other videos. Your channel is a godsend to me!
Would you consider making a comparison video playing the same piece on your different Cordoba's and your main guitar? Ideally with quick cuts throughout the piece from one guitar to another.
I think it would get a lot of views, there is a serious need for a good video demoing and comparing the different Cordoba models. I looked exhaustively and a quality one simply does not exist. The few that I found all have bad sound quality or don't even play in the classical style.
Cordoba should really be the ones to make such a video. I don't know why they do not make a good demo video for each model and a comparison of the different models.
I would be really interested to hear your opinions on the c3m and c7 as well. Cordoba should really send you and a few other big classical guitar channels one of each of their models to demo and compare. It would be a win win win for Cordoba, for you and for the RUclips viewers.
Just an idea.
Keep on keeping on, I love your channel and you play beautifully and you are a good teacher, as well.
I've never considered the reverse ramp for my thumb. I'll have to try it out. I've always used ramps because that seems to make the most sense since strings are plucked at an angle. I've been told to try a more rounded shape, but I have slight dips in my M and A nails and the ramp allows the string to slide across the dip without getting caught by it.
Experimentation is key to it. I'm still experimenting 25 year later (although the experiments become much more specific and small over time).
Ty from brazil!
You are very welcome!
mil gracias por tomarse el tiempo!
thank you, it is just that i need
Glad to hear it helped!
I went to see the Montreal guitar trio a few years ago. I spoke with them after the show. I asked them about their nails. They had all fake nails with a ton of glue to hold them in place ;-)
Ya, they shred a lot so I assumed that they would need fakes. Lots of players do these days.
Cogent analysis and description of nail edge forming.
I found the thumbed bass too loud decades ago so don't use pulgar nail and like skin . The i,m+a nails l would agree require exact maintenance personalised to suit
I use 600 grit sandpaper to buff after shaping.
Excellent video, as usual. The camera angles are incredibly helpful, in fact the best I’ve seen. A personal request would be to see the same camera angles to show exactly what is going on during tremolo. Would that be possible please?
Good idea, although I'd say there is nothing going on during tremolo. I really don't view a difference between tremolo and playing scales and arpeggios.
@@Thisisclassicalguitar
Thanks for the reply. I’m a learning Flamenco player, so all of my scales are rest strokes. I can certainly see where you’re coming from with arpeggios though in relation to tremolo. However, it’s still something that would benefit me, I.e forensically looking at string clearance and hand position. Hitting adjacent strings is taking a lot of avoiding! I do realise that practice will bring consistency, but I’m not sure if I’m making a fundamental error and establishing that as a ‘norm’ instead of practicing a good technique from the start. If the video is something you can do, I would be incredibly grateful, but not, thank you so much for your reply.
Ya, maybe in the future I will do a video. For now, check out my tremolo exercises: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lesson-tremolo-exercises-for-classical-guitar/
@@Thisisclassicalguitar
Thanks for your reply. You’re a great player and a brilliant teacher.
16:37 that G# harmonic when you hit the E string
@Siddharth its a comment.
I have my angle reversed. Will have to slowly change it. I will probably notice a smoother feel and less grab. I noticed you nails are not that long. Do you find that your nails were short on this video or would that be the best length. Thanks for your videos, very helpful.
These are the ideal nail shape and length for me. If you play rest stroke and your hand position and knuckles are up high enough this length should be enough. That said, everyone is different!
Impecable ,pero sería bueno que se tradujera al ESPAÑOL gracias.
Super fantastic - I never found any instruction or video on you should plugs the strings -- this answers me 100%
Jesus, I can't thank you enough - I always used to have the ramp on the other side of the nail and I could never really figure out why I would have such a trouble consistently plucking the strings smoothly. Now, for the first time I played etude no. 1 by villa-lobos without any mistakes and I'm beyond happy :)
Glad to hear!
seems like a weird place to write a prayer...
It’s difficult because with tremolo, I tend to prefer my nails longer. I almost feel that I can play faster with longer nails, but my contact point is interrupted with a nasty hiss when my nails are too long. I wish I could fast forward with tremolo to the day I’m fast with no gallops and hisses! Haha By the way, this is the best nail shape video on RUclips. ✌️
Thanks Dani. Yes, I like long nails too until I try a diverse amount of technique. If I go through my whole technique routine with rest and free stroke I usually need to keep them on the shorter side.
Very helpful video. Thanks for posting. After watching (around the 17 minute point), I am now wondering if my nails might be too long. Do you have any trouble shooting suggestions I can use to determine if they're too long?
In general I think many students have their nails too long. Rest stroke should be possible with the same hand position as free stroke (having the nails too long will make you want to pull back the hand and over extend the fingers). Try my approximate length and experiment from there for your own personal preference.
19:37 was actually the most helpful angle in the video, for me at least. Great video, I learned a lot. Thank you!
Also, do you ever trim your nails? Or does filing on a regular basis keep them at the proper length? Mine grow very fast, I couldn't imagine filing so frequently that they never need trimming. But I've never filed my nails before so who knows.
I file them lightly every day to keep them exactly the same. Sometimes that is just a very light file and polish. I haven't clipped or trimmed my right hand nails in decades!
@@Thisisclassicalguitar Wow okay, good to know. Thank you!
Could you please share your experience with playing with such short nails? What does it feel like playing with such short nails compared to longer first time the day? Do you feel comfortable playing, how long does it take till you feel 'warmed up' to play?
It depends on what you mean by 'short'. It comes down to the angle that your nail approaches the string and also and overall guitar and right hand position. Long nails can be difficult with rest strokes if the hand is in the proper position.
One time I accidentally shaped my nails correctly and I've been trying to get that feeling again for about a year now! LOL, maybe this will help
Great video. What do you recommend to players with very poor nails? Mine have various bumps which create a very rough surface and an unpleasant tone when they contact the string. No nail playing seems to require a different technique; volume seems to be an issue and false nails are not an option for me.
Well, having healthy nails does require some effort and regular filing. You can even file out those bumps. That said, lots of pros use fake nails these days. Or you can play without nails: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/classical-guitar-without-fingernails/
Probably a dumb question here but do you have to grow nails? Mine do not work out too long, so I was looking at finger picks but I never see any classical players using them
Dear Bradford, first of all happy new year and many thanks for your excellent videos. Maybe you can give me some advice on an issue I have been struggling with for some time. My A finger tends to sound too bright in particular on the E string. I strike the I and M finger on the left side of the finger starting with the flesh and then the nail. I have ramp like nails on the I and M finger, and the sound is pretty good. My nail length is not long. I can produce volume and still make it sound soft. But this is much more difficult to achieve with the A finger, which often results in a tone which is not consistent with the previously played notes. The problem is more acute with rest stroke than free stroke. I try to work around the problem by using nylon instead of carbon for the E string, attacking the chord from the right side of the finger (rather than the left), varying the angle of attack and experimenting with the length and shape of the nail. With a lot of concentration I can mitigate the problem, but I have not yet found a solution that I am really happy with. What would you recommend in this case? Many thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Hi, there are many variables so not sure how much my response will help but I'll give it a go. First off, contact the string with BOTH flesh and nail at the same time. There is place where the nail is short enough that both will contact. Also, make sure you are playing fairly parallel to the strings (rather than perpendicular). Have you seen my right hand tone production video? www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lesson-right-hand-tone-production-guitar/
Many thanks for your advice, Bradford. I had not seen this video yet; thanks for pointing it out to me. There are two pieces of your advice that stuck out for me and which I will try: playing more perpendicular and more towards tasto with the A finger. The last point seems consistent with what Ana Vidovic is explaining towards the end of this video: ruclips.net/video/EVNe2E1eLwY/видео.html.
Some more feedback: I recently switched to Augustine Classic treble chords (nylon) and it’s making a big positive difference in terms of the tone of the E string. I used to play without nails using Savarez Alliance (carbon) strings and that sounded well. But as soon as I started playing with nails, I had this harshness problem with the E string. I find it much easier to control the sound now with the Augustine nylons.
great video. i do my thumb very similar to yours, i found that the other way (recommended way) just doesnt cut it. whats the benefit of doing the traditional way? is there something im not catching on to? also when you talked about the multi side file for smoothing and polishing the nail, you said they dont really work to get under the nail, what should i use to get under the nail before moving on to jewelers sand paper? one more question, ill be taking up flamenco pretty soon, should i be filing my nails differently for that?
Lots of questions! I think the thumb nail issue all depends on one's unique hand and angle of approach to the strings. Getting under the nail is just a matter of getting the file at the right angle, I demonstrate in the video. Flamenco players might do for a slightly longer and rounder nail shape but I'm not a flamenco expert so not completely sure.
Try wet and dry paper at 1500 grit, wrap your file in the wet and dry and polish them glass smooth, also my dad taught me this but playing on the wet and dry helps, so id have the wet and try on a book or something flat and study and then id take my hand to the wet and dry and play some strokes against the paper this way you smooth and polish the nail functionally to the action of your playing technique.
This is a good video. I am one of those people who can't grow his nails out, because of professional reasons. I am aware that it is possible to play guitar without nails, but it sacrifices tone. I found something called "Alaska Pik" which are finger picks that fit like a nail. Do you think the plastic version would be suited for classical guitar playing?
Fake nails are pretty good these days but depending on your level and performance goals you might just play without nails.
i have little nails compared to the size of my fingertips, so even with the white part that is 2mm long its pretty hard to play and i dont want my nails to be too long, is there a way to make the pink part of the nail longer ?
Everyone is different but you'll have to experiment quite a bit to see how short or long you can get away with (providing your posture, guitar, and right hand position are correct).
This is my second comment on one of your video today.. i bite my nail since i was a kid, i am a really anxious person but i finally arrived to stop biting it on 3 fingers, its still to short for play with it but long enough for glue fake nails, would you advice gel or plastic nail ? thank you
You can certainly try fake nails, lots of pros use them these days. I don't know much about it. Another idea is to use a protein cream for nails to make your nails harder and moisturized, plus many of them have quite a bitter taste so that might help stopping you from biting them. Just an idea.
I realize that this comment is five months old, but look into a supplement called NAC (N-acetyl l-cysteine). It's helpful for treating addiction and OCD type tendencies and I've heard from several people that it completely killed their compulsion to want to bite their nails.