Fingerstyle Tremolo

[ResonantEvil]

Has anyone heard of someone doing speedy fingerstyle tremolo without having fingernails?
I have been trying to do it just with the tips of my fingers and it seems like it would take me years to be able to do it this way naturally.
I have fingerpicks and can do it pretty well with those, but they break pretty easily and also cause me to lose circulation in my fingertips, so I think i'll stay away from them for now.
Just wondering if anyone can do this without long fingernails, thanks.
Also, I am doing it on steel strings, so if anyone knows some good tips for doing it on steel, that would be fantastic as well.

[JonR]

You break fingerpicks "easily"??? :eek: What kind of strings (and finger muscles) do you have??
You're a better player than me if you can do "speedy" tremelo with fingerpicks. (Like you, I find they get uncomfortably tight - or are too loose to be useful - and I don't like the loss of tactile contact with the strings. So I don't use them much.)
I can do it reasonably well with fingernails (nylon or steel strings) - but the nails need to be short - not long. IOW, only just projecting beyond the end of the fingertip (2 or 3 mm max). The classical principle is that the fingertip touches the string momentarily before the nail picks it.
Why do you want to do it with fingertips alone?

[The Rocker]

JR i to struggle with fingerpicking too! i dont know if our friend above has the same problems but if my nails are at 3mm when using a normal pick with my fingers curled under the finger nails catch on the strings so i have to keep them no longer than 1mm. Is very annoying because is much easier to finger pick with nails, i have never tried the artifical nails either, i can tremolo with nails longer tho but not that fast like with a pick.

All the best, Paul. :D :D

[ResonantEvil]

You break fingerpicks "easily"??? :eek: What kind of strings (and finger muscles) do you have??
You're a better player than me if you can do "speedy" tremelo with fingerpicks. (Like you, I find they get uncomfortably tight - or are too loose to be useful - and I don't like the loss of tactile contact with the strings. So I don't use them much.)
I can do it reasonably well with fingernails (nylon or steel strings) - but the nails need to be short - not long. IOW, only just projecting beyond the end of the fingertip (2 or 3 mm max). The classical principle is that the fingertip touches the string momentarily before the nail picks it.
Why do you want to do it with fingertips alone?

Thanks for the response JonR.
The fingerpicks break on me while I am doing other types of rapid strumming, not while tremolo picking; but I do play VERY hard at times. The reality is, that they probably slide up a bit and become too long, which makes them easier to break. This, of course, being yet another problem with the fingerpicks.
I am doing it on an electric with size 9 strings, but I'll soon be switching to either a classical style guitar, or a very wide necked electric if I can find one, because my strings are just too close together :D.

It is quite difficult, but I had a realization that you could use your index fingernail for all the regular "flat pick" stuff, even sweeps and pinch harmonics, and still leave your entire hand free for all of the beautiful and crazy fingerstyle techniques (such as finger tremolo, 5 note "instant" chords, and 8 finger tapping).
So far, this has been infinitely more efficient than hybrid picking; plus, I like the idea that I don't have to hang on to something.
Since that realization, I've been tirelessly trying to master this new way of playing.
I understand that short fingernails is the best way to go, but I think it is worth getting good with the tips for when one of the nails breaks in the middle of a song. Yes, I know I am a bit over the top, but that's just me. :)

I just can't seem to do it very well with the skin alone and was wondering if there are any masters without fingernails out there ;)