No-Nail Guitar

No-Nail Guitar

Nineteenth-century painting of an affluent young man playing a guitar in his room. The open windows looks out on a verdent landscape.

What on earth is ‘no-nail guitar’, you may be asking! Well, throughout the guitar’s several-hundred year history it has been played both with and without the use of fingernails. There was often lively debate between adherents of the two methods, and both ‘sides’ can count among them some of the greatest guitarists of all time.

In the last several decades, however, nail playing has become almost totally dominant. This is starting to change, with various players rediscovering no-nail playing. I hope this website will be useful to all those curious about this neglected aspect of guitar history, whether or not they play without nails.

If you want to know why anyone would want to play guitar without nails, check out this page. If you are already familiar with the subject and looking for more detailed information, then I hope you enjoy exploring the various pages so far. I’ll be adding more to the website — there is an News page that I’ll use to announce any major additions or changes, as well as other noteworthy news.

I partly made this website to accompany my PhD research on this subject. For more information about my work, read the About page. Please do leave a comment or contact me if you have any information, suggestions, questions etc.

For now, here’s a playlist of recordings by no-nail guitarists:

10 responses to “No-Nail Guitar”

  1. John Avatar
    John

    Interesting. I’ll certainly follow this site. I’ve always had really thin nails and have never been able to make a strong sound. Recently, after retiring, I’ve been trying out artificial nails and for the first time I can produce a good tone. However, I have previously tried cutting my nails short and I can foresee a time when I might have to try again. I found the technique challenging, after playing the same way for more than 60 years. John

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    1. Steven Watson Avatar
      Steven Watson

      Thanks John — I hope you enjoy exploring the site! It can be difficult switching to no-nails after many years playing with nails (probably harder than the other way round). But it’s certainly possible.

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  2. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    I have never liked long nails as they keep on becoming damaged. My nails grow exceptionally slowly. I will enjoy reading the contents of this site.

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  3. Jim Navagh Avatar
    Jim Navagh

    I look forward to exploring your site. I was taught to play without nails. My teacher learned this technique from his teacher, Hector Garcia. As you know Garcia was a student of Emilio Pujol. I played briefly with nails. My teacher encouraged me to grow the nails just slightly long enough to do the job. That worked fine but having played both ways I preferred the soft tones of playing nailess.

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    1. Steven Watson Avatar
      Steven Watson

      Thanks Jim. Who was your teacher, can I ask? Hope you enjoy the site!

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      1. teenagec3d61e591d Avatar
        teenagec3d61e591d

        Paul Charbonneau. He taught at Hamilton College in Clinton NY back in the 80s. He may still be teaching there.

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  4. Dan Avatar
    Dan

    Nails are a nuisance for guitarists who wish to play certain other instruments. They interfere with a proper cello bow hold; they click on piano keys; they make the sound of a lute “inauthentic” (sorry, Julian B, but you are still great). I don’t know how long it has been since I started playing on the edge of my thumb, not at all using the nail. I now find that I don’t care any more for the sound of fingernails on strings, so I am going nail-less for a while. Your post has given me more encouragement.

    Curious to know: did the demands of other, early-music instruments motivate your decision?

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    1. Steven Watson Avatar
      Steven Watson

      Thanks for the comment, Dan — glad the site gives some encouragement! Yes, when sharing students guitar teachers can battle with piano teachers over the issue of nails…
      Early music was not a motivation for me at all. Many others definitely come at it from lute background etc., but for me 20th century no-nail playing was the chief historical interest. I’ve picked up lutes sometimes, since playing without nails, but though I love these early instruments as a listener, they just don’t quite grab me as a player.

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      1. blissfulb3c05e7fc5 Avatar
        blissfulb3c05e7fc5

        Students pick up attitudes from their teachers and pass them down through generations. Segovia’s opinions about nails continue to be influential. A very fine concert guitarist once complained to me that while pianists, violinists and others are upstairs talking about music, classical guitarists are in the basement talking about their nails.

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        1. Steven Watson Avatar
          Steven Watson

          Amusing, and rings true!

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