Technology

I've often been laughed at for my playing technique. Over the years I have developed these further and gone through different stages. The position of my hand has never changed because it feels natural and free to me. I think it's important to think outside the box and to take unconventional paths yourself. Nothing is set in stone. Not the position of the hand, the touch of the strings, or how long the fingernails of the playing hand are.

And this is exactly where I went through an immense change. In the beginning I wasn't able to train fingernails due to my professional situation - so I had to play with my bare fingers – classical and electric. I always lost the small plastic pleks anyway or they slipped out of my fingers. So I had to act. The result was, let's say, a way of playing that didn't quite conform to school standards, but which enabled me to do everything I wanted: switch from chords to runs or just play the guitar in all its facets.

Later I had gel nails on my playing hand. For this I was looked at not just once obliquely. But what don't you do for the music. The advantage of the gel nails with glass fiber reinforcement was obvious: very specific play with clear, defined tones and expression. I was excited. Until the day 4 years ago when the nail salon I trusted finally closed and I had to switch to another studio. My nails were practically destroyed there and it took almost two years until I was able to develop reasonably normal natural nails again. A horrible experience. But luckily I was able to get back to playing without fingernails and that helped me over time.

I really enjoyed playing with my natural nails again afterwards, except for the annoying problem that they sometimes break. Then you play one finger on the flesh and the rest with nails. To be honest, this is extremely exhausting and doesn't sound very nice, but based on my experience, artificial nails were no longer an option for me.

The solution was on the table: get rid of your fingernails and get back to basics. And that's how it is today. I play without fingernails because it's absolutely stress-free. Of course, some will now say: That doesn't sound right! Not correct. With the right technique, the tones are even felt better than with fingernails – but as with everything, that's a matter of taste.

The fact is, with fingernails, the tones are clearer, but also more aggressive and a bit snappier. Without fingernails you get a warmer tone, which can still be very specific. The volume is not a problem. Without fingernails, with a little practice, it's just as loud as with..

And the tremolo? Yes, you can do that without fingernails – but with a different hand position. The hand position, as you see it again and again with classically trained guitarists, is not really possible. You have to try a bit to find the optimal position. As I said: think outside the box.

Since everything is in flux – let's see where the journey leads.