Have you ever seen a professional pianist with long, lovely nails? Most likely, the answer is no.
I like to dabble in a little piano playing myself, but I also like to grow my nails out long and even use fake nails from time to time. My dabbling does not make me a professional, so I get by with piano for my songwriting, but I can't perform it.
One of the main reasons I didn't consider piano lessons was that I love having long nails so much. Shallow, I know.
The bigger reason was that I didn't have the patience for it; my ear training helped me to have something near perfect pitch, but my hands were so far behind.
All professional pianists will tell you that long nails and piano playing do not mix, and they aren't lying. It can be done, but it makes it harder on yourself and removes your hands' natural movement and freedom, which can make your playing stiff.
Nail length varies a lot because the size of our hands can vary. The easiest way to judge how long your nails should be when playing is to pull out the clippers as soon as you start to hear that clacking noise when placing your fingers against the keys.
If you hear that sound but your nails are already short, that just means you are bending your fingers a bit too much. If you want to be very safe, cut down until there is barely any upper white in your nail.
Playing the piano with long and stiff fingers in comparison to gently bent and fluid fingers can really take away from the emotion of your playing style.
Even more seriously, it can cause your fingers to tense, cramp up, and even cause injury if you do this repeatedly.
It can cause stress on your nails if you choose to tap them against the keys instead of playing with your fingers straightened. And lastly, it can really slow your speed when it comes to playing songs.
For beginner pianists, playing with nails can make your entry into piano playing less natural and more robotic, hindering your entire musical future!
It's dramatic, I know, but this is exactly what I went through in school when I developed an interest in piano playing but never got the hang of the natural body movements with the instrument because I didn't want my nails clacking away at the keys.
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The most obvious choice is to rock short nails, but what if you really don't want to? You could consider using press-on nails that you often take off, depending on how much you play.
It is worth noting that this habit can damage your nail beds, though. If you want to really express yourself through your nail designs without affecting your piano playing, go for color!
If playing the piano with long nails proves too challenging, consider exploring other instruments that may be more accommodating to your nail length, such as the guitar, flute, or violin.
Are you feeling rebellious and ready to play with your long nails anywho? I have a couple of tips for those who are still willing to take the risk.
The main thing you will need to focus on is how much pressure you want to put on the keys with your nails and your fingers.
If you have medium-length nails, you can train yourself to gently press into the keys with your nail tips first, then rest your fingertips slightly on them to create a movement where you are gradually straightening your fingers some as you play.
You will also want to straighten your hands more for faster sections of songs because that clacking noise will only intensify when you mix speed with nails against the keys.
Again, this will likely cause tension in your fingers, so do it sparingly.
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In conclusion, while having long, beautiful nails may be a personal preference for many, it is not the best option for pianists. Playing with long nails can cause tension in the fingers, make playing more difficult, and even cause injury.
With this in mind, it is recommended that pianists keep their nails short or consider using press-on nails that can be easily removed.
The most important thing is to maintain the natural movement and freedom of the hands while playing the piano, which is crucial for expressing emotions through music.
For those who are determined to play with long nails, it is possible, but it requires adjusting the pressure on the keys and straightening the fingers during faster sections of songs.
However, it is important to remember that playing with long nails is not the natural way to play the piano and can hinder progress and musical development, especially for beginners.
Ultimately, the goal is to enjoy playing the piano and create beautiful music, and sometimes, that means sacrificing personal preferences for the sake of art.
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