# How can I strengthen my nails for guitar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132 "2012-06-14T14:05:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132/21 "2012-06-19T15:44:12Z")
No, it is NOT Flamenco. You do NOT have to care about that at all šŸ˜‰ if what you are doing works for you. I would also assume that using fingerpicks on a nylon-stringed guitar would not really be all that great - nylon strings are valued because of the incredible dynamics available as you use your nails, fingertip flesh, and combos of both to sound notes. Having fingerpicks eliminates that - they are big and loud for steel string use, which is great - but that is a very different thing. But that is a non-issue for you with regards to fingers. As for a thumb pick, again, not Flamenco and you would lose some dynamics, but do what works. So that is a way of saying: do whatever keeps you playing. If you decide you are committed to learning a formal style and/or sticking with nylon strings, then you may need to move past use of a thumbpick but that is your callā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132/22 "2012-06-19T15:51:00Z")
It seems to me that you are not interested in adding anything artificial to your nails, but you might find what James Taylor does interesting. He has a few guitar lesson videos on [his site](http://www.jamestaylor.com/guitarlessons/). Click on the one called ā€œNails 101ā€. He does his own! ---
**Author:** ![Crab007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@Crab007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab007)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132/23 "2012-06-19T18:45:23Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > No, it is NOT Flamenco. > > You do NOT have to care about that at all šŸ˜‰ if what you are doing works for you. I would also assume that using fingerpicks on a nylon-stringed guitar would not really be all that great - nylon strings are valued because of the incredible dynamics available as you use your nails, fingertip flesh, and combos of both to sound notes. Having fingerpicks eliminates that - they are big and loud for steel string use, which is great - but that is a very different thing. > > But that is a non-issue for you with regards to fingers. As for a thumb pick, again, not Flamenco and you would lose some dynamics, but do what works. > > So that is a way of saying: do whatever keeps you playing. If you decide you are committed to learning a formal style and/or sticking with nylon strings, then you may need to move past use of a thumbpick but that is your callā€¦ Thanks Wordman, as Iā€™m reading your post, Iā€™m reminded of this : [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DR3OUoGELg&list=UUjcSH2SmNvhYxlvj48BdYsQ&index=5&feature=plcp](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DR3OUoGELg&list=UUjcSH2SmNvhYxlvj48BdYsQ&index=5&feature=plcp). Thatā€™s basically what Iā€™m doing now, a sort of hybrid fingertip,flat-pick sort of thing, and as youā€™ve said itā€™s not technically Flamenco, but itā€™s where I am now. I suppose Iā€™m just following what sounds right. ---
**Author:** ![Crab007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@Crab007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab007)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132/24 "2012-06-19T18:49:59Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > It seems to me that you are not interested in adding anything artificial to your nails, but you might find what James Taylor does interesting. He has a few guitar lesson videos on [his site](http://www.jamestaylor.com/guitarlessons/). Click on the one called ā€œNails 101ā€. He does his own! Youā€™re absolutely right about that. Thanks for the link Iā€™m looking through it now. I might as well add a link to my all-time fav guitarrista, Greg Johnson: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHFV-BgeQh4&feature=plcp](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHFV-BgeQh4&feature=plcp) ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132/25 "2012-06-20T16:50:13Z")
> [@Crab007](#): > > I am teaching myself Flamenco and my nails are taking a beating, how can I strengthen them to stand up to Flamenco playing? I really donā€™t like the idea of nail polish, I just donā€™t think itā€™s a good idea to seal up a nail like that, there must be other ways to get seriously strong nails. Suggestions? Zinc. Gelatin. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132/26 "2012-06-20T17:26:01Z")
I donā€™t know if this would work for you, but I always notice that my nails get much stronger when Iā€™m doing a lot of typing. The nails have to have grown out long enough to hit the keys. Maybe something about the continued stress ā€œsignalsā€ the growing nail to get stronger? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132/28 "2021-09-27T12:56:03Z")
I take 15,000 mcg of Biotin a day, and it really helps with splitting and breaking. But understand that the nails will strengthen as they begin to grow, so the Biotin will have no effect on the nails that have already grown out. This may take months. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-strengthen-my-nails-for-guitar/625132.md?page=1)