UK Piano Page Piano Forum

Hello:

Do we have people who play both piano and classical guitar?

I have been playing piano for approx 3 year and loving it. Now also started learning classical guitar. Which is all good and well ... except for finger nails.

In summary:
Piano: keep your nails short (as I have been nail biting for most of my life, that is easy enough)
Guitar: Grow nails long on right hand (left hand in my case, as I play left handed).

How do people deal with this? Playing piano with long nails is driving me nuts.

Interested in hearing your views.

Bart

I got to Grade V classical guitar, but kept my nails short as possible with the right hand nails just long enough to make a harder sound. But I don't find the nail-less sound unpleasing. My teacher told me about a surgeon (long nails forbidden) who'd scoot off to a nail bar to get acrylics applied on his right hand if he was in a concert/exam.

I used to teach Gareth Gates the piano - back in 2002 (yes, the runner up on Pop Idol) - all history now! He was also learning classical guitar, and he asked me to listen to his pieces before his Grade 8 guitar - aswell as help him with the aural tests. Now then, to be honest, I never detected any issues with his finger nails, and he could swap to piano seamlessly - so perhaps there is a balance between long and short nails? I don't play guitar however, but understand the technique required.