Bass players are always in a fit about their nail growth. Bassists prefer to play with their fingers or their thumbs. The steel strings of a bass guitar are heavier and bulky than guitar strings. In this case, do you need short nails to play bass?
The issue is of preference rather than a hard-fast rule. You should play bass with your right-hand thumb so proper nail trimming is necessary. Some bass players still want to play fingerstyle like they play guitar. Thus, they prefer longer nails.
This article provides necessary information about your nail size for bass playing. The article contains the necessary information for your bass playing and nail sizes.
Contents
Bass Strings
Bass strings are thicker and harder than guitar strings. Any Unnecessary nail growth will cause your nails to break mid-performance. This will result in bleeding and sore thumbs. , you will not be able to play bass for some time. Your practice sessions will get hampered due to unnecessary breaks.
You also need a significant amount of left-hand pressure to hold strings. Longer fingernails make it difficult to point your fingers and hold them. Your notes will become buzzy which is not an option for a bass player.
Playing Bass with Pick
Currently, bass players also play with picks. The technique is newer. It also has its limitations and is not as effective as thumb or fingerpicking. If you are playing bass with a pick, you can grow the fingernails of your right hand. The fingernails of your left hand remain an issue.
Traditional bassists also do not like the idea of playing bass with a pick. The sound texture which the skin provides does not match that of a pick. So, you can adopt this technique if you are starting on bass. Still, it is better to learn the actual playing techniques.
Two Fingers Plucking Technique
This technique involves the use of the first two fingers for playing. Nails should never be a part of this style of playing. Having longer fingernails will hinder the speed. It will also end up causing you serious injuries. Even if you have flat wound strings which are very smooth to play. It is best to trim your nails fine.
It also depends on the feel you want to get on your bass. If you want a heavy rock and roll, feel you will need more muscle. If you want to create a delicate and soft sound, then longer fingernails will work.
Thumb Plucking
Thumb plucking involves the most use of fingernails to get the best bass sound. Thumb plucking involves many different playing styles. In the usual thumb play technique, you get away with shorter fingernails. The double thumb picking needs a bassist to have longer fingernails. The alternate picking patterns involve the use of thumbnails during upstrokes.
The slapping technique will also shine if you play with long fingernails. Nails make it easy to get that loud bass line you want in such performances. Also, Reggae, Country, and Folk genres need loud bass lines. Long fingernails are a better option for this technique.
Left-Hand Nails
You should always trim your left-hand nails for playing bass. Fret techniques differ on bass compared to a guitar. Guitar strings are less tensile, and more elastic compared to bass strings. Thus, a considerable amount of pressure is a must with your fingers to play notes. Bass guitar players can also play with their finger skins instead of tips. This will result in lesser distinct notes. Fingers must point to getting good results. Longer fingernails prevent this from happening. Moreover, you must be very precise with your nails.
The better alternative is to trim the nails. The same suggestion also applies to guitar players. According to the difficulty scale, bass ranks higher than guitar. So, you may get away with long fingernails on the guitar. Still, when playing bass, it becomes a necessity. Additionally, bass players mute upper strings with the left-hand thumb. The longer fingernails will also hamper this muting.
Is It Possible to Play Bass with Long Nails?
The solution is to find a balance. The focus should be on keeping your nails to an optimal length. The nails should be long enough so that you may play fingerstyle songs. The nails should also not be very long. Nails may get stuck and will result in injuries. Bass strings have differences from guitar strings.
The matter is of convenience. If there is a scenario where you find yourself more at home playing with your fingers, you should trim your nails. Yet, some bass players like the sound coming with longer nails and keep them. Still, others do not use their nails that much but keep them anyway. These bass players do so by playing. They keep their nails from hitting the strings.
Can You Play Bass with Long Nails?
You can play bass with long fingernails, but you must readjust your playing style. Most bassists recommend playing by fingerpicking. Do not use your nails for strumming. Strumming works for guitars. Bass involves the use of plucking and pull-offs. If you want to play with a pick, you should hold it like a pencil. In this way, your nails will be at a considerable distance from the strings. It will keep you from hitting unnecessary notes.
You cannot play bass with longer right-hand fingernails. You can hold strings on the fretboard with your finger base instead of tips. Yet, the best sound is possible when you use tips to hold strings. Longer nails make it difficult by creating gaps.
Can You Play Bass With Acrylic Nails?
If you want to get the tone of longer fingernails but do not want to injure your nails, acrylics are your tool. Acrylics are a popular option for many musicians. Natural nails may get damaged by heavy steel strings of bass guitar. You can wear acrylics on your strumming hand and solve this problem.
Acrylics are easy to attach than fingerpicks. They are also less clunky. You will be able to get the same crisp as with a natural nail. This alternative will garnish your playing as your notes will be brighter and louder. This will save you the trouble of injuries.
Conclusion
It has been an ongoing debate for decades whether bass players should have longer nails. The decision depends on the player. There is no definitive approach to it. You should do what suits you best and works for you.
Some bassists like slapping more than finger plucking. They prefer longer nails. Still, many other guitarists prefer playing fingerstyle. Longer nails provide better texture to their notes in finger play.
There have also been many artificial alternatives. You can play fingerstyle through fingerpicks and acrylic nails. Finger picks are hard to attach. Alternatives do not create the same tones as natural nails. Acrylic nails produce sound like natural nails. These are user-friendly as well. These alternatives give you the advantages of natural nails.
They also prevent nail-related injuries possible with natural nails. You can remove them and shift to other playing styles which do not must longer nail. Both shorter and longer nails have their own pros and cons while playing.
