Shorter is better, but be sure not to trim the nails too short. Overzealous trimming can cause you to expose the sensitive nail bed underneath the nail, and this can be painful. As a rule of thumb, leave a small sliver of white when you trim your fretting-hand nails.
Also to know is, do guitarists have long nails?
Most guitar players regard any nail that extends over the edge of your finger pad as a long nail; the vast majority of guitarists keep their nails well short of that edge. Generally, any nail hovering around the length of your finger pad won’t be a major problem in your playing.
Considering this, should I keep my nails long for guitar? Believe it or not, many guitarists prefer longer nails on their strumming hand. This makes it easier to play fingerstyle, especially on a classical guitar. … But to boost your volume and brighten your tone, it’s better to grow out your natural nails or extend them with acrylics.
Regarding this, why do guitarists tape their fingers?
It protects your strumming hand from getting cut and damaged by the strings. Tape reduces the friction between your fingers and the strings, allowing you to pick the strings faster. Nails can be taped when players use them to pluck strings, rather than using a plectrum (pick).