Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Long nails on piano students

I'm an annoying student. I grow mine out, them chop them off, then grow them out, then chop them off, ect. My first teacher used to demonstrate with really long clicky nails, and it drove me nuts! Then I later used that as justification to grow mine out! I let it go with my students normally because one, as their pieces get more advanced they will discover the problem on their own. You simply cannot do fast runs as easily with nails as without them. And I don't have any serious students yet. They are playing for fun, and their practicing isn't as intense as if they were going for a career in music either. I might suggest how much easier it would be without long nails, but I leave it up to them. Maybe I should change my policy? For myself, however, I know when they are an issue and when they aren't. Right now, I'm still learning the notes and working on memorizing all my new repertoire, so they really wouldn't be in the way. When things start to get up to speed, however, then they usually get chopped off. Like, I said, I'm probably an annoying student, but neither of my piano teachers has ever commented on it thus far.

Just pointing out the annoying clicking sound the nails make may do the trick in itself. Before my teacher mentioned it when I was young, I didn't even notice that my nails were making that sound. Once my teacher pointed it out then I started noticing the clicking sound at home when practicing or at lessons then I couldn't stand it either.

It differs so much with each student.

Sarabande, you are so right. It is amazing how many students don't even notice the clicking until you point it out to them. Or who's fingers slowly flatten out as their nails get longer and when you put their hand back into a proper position are shocked at the sound.

The two pre-teens I have who finally cut their nails for the recital kind of had me speachless though. They hated the clicking sound, so started playing with flat fingers to avoid it. Then they couldn't pay properly or up to speed because of their had position. Thank goodness the fear of doing poorly in the recital got them to cut their nails down because prior to that they were willing to risk their playing. They both love playing piano as well.

I think some of it comes down to genetics and how your nails grow as well. I can have a little bit of growth on my nails (I don't to avoid setting a bad example) and still play with a good hand position and no clicking. These two students though start clicking as soon as their nails grow out at all. Some of it must depend on the shape of your nails and how they grow. I never let my nails get long enough to affect my playing and they seem the same length as these students when they are clicking away.

I think it depends on the student, how advanced they are, and what they hope to accomplish. I am currently teaching a lady old enough to be my mother who has long nails that not only click on the keys, but affect her hand position. She is still a beginner (Schaum Red Book), and I'm not going to tell her she has to cut her nails, but I have told her that as her playing advances, she may find that the nails get in the way. Along with that, I encourage proper hand position. I assume that if her playing becomes more important than her nails, she will cut them.

Obviously, an advanced child or teenager is a different story. I remember a masterclass about ten years ago, where the teacher doing the masterclass gave a girl a direct, but polite lecture on the pitfalls of long nails.

I think the "badge of honor" speech is a fantastic idea.