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How to Play Piano With Long Nails – Easy Guide to Adjusting to Long Fingernails

April 14.2020
How to play piano with long nails. This is a problem that thousands of people come across at some point....

How to play piano with long nails. This is a problem that thousands of people come across at some point. If you want to have long nails, can you still learn to play the piano? Unfortunately, there is really no simple answer. We can’t just say “yes” or “no” and this post explores how to play piano with long nails in a little more detail and whether you need to make any sort of adjustments.

Long nails can be elegant and look fantastic, but for playing piano, they may not be your best friend!

Piano With Long Nails – The Downsides

There is one big downside to learning how to play piano with long nails that a lot of people don’t think about. As the finger is being taken off the key, the nails will tend to make a tapping noise. This can be subtle, but it can also be annoying, and if you are playing faster melodies then this tapping noise can start to drive you crazy after a while.

You might think that a tapping noise is not a big deal, and this is basically correct. It’s not the end of the world and you can still build your piano ability. But if you are the sort of person who can get irritated by this type of noise then it might be worth cutting the nails even if you love them.

As an instinct, when people start to play the piano, they approach the keys with the fingertips. This is often described as the five-finger position and approach with bendy fingers, but this isn’t ideal. Eventually, fingers straighten and this is a much more proper technique. It may be tough to start with, but actually, having the limit of long fingernails might just cause you to take a more “proper” approach to your finger position.

There’s some level of compromise here, as explained in David Hendra’s blog, it’s “never going to be completely satisfactory because of the loss of contact between the fingers and the keys and the resulting lack of sensory feedback. This will inevitably affect articulation and expression.” Keeping your long nails means making a bit of a sacrifice, but it won’t be fatal to your musical ambitions.

How to Play Piano With Long Nails – Top Tips

The main tip is not to make too many alterations based on having long nails. You will naturally adjust your technique to fit with playing piano. Whatever advantages, disadvantages or physical conditions you have, you can follow our academy or your preferred learning method and find ways to adjust.

As this incredible video shows, no matter what you have to deal with, you can learn in your own way and still become an established musician. Long nails are no obstacle, really.

Another tip for learning how to play piano with long nails is to keep a consistent length of your nails rather than keep applying fake nails or keep changing the lengths, otherwise, you might get used to playing with your nails at one length and then they will change, you will need to constantly adjust to keep up and this will just get very annoying and tiresome. Instead, keep them consistent so your finger technique can always be the same.

Adjusting and learning how to play piano with long nails won’t be too much of a challenge if you are a total beginner. You will automatically adjust. However, if you’re used to playing with short nails and you then grow your nails then there might be a small adjustment period, but generally, it won’t be the end of your piano ambitions!

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