Vance, Nails? When I learned guitar (1949) I kept the nails short. But just long enough to back the finger pad to make it solid. These days there are arguments in the harp community as to the "nail playing" of wire strung harps and the finger pad of the nylon/gut harps. I think it is invalid. I play both the wire strung psaltery and the nylon strung harp. (and guitar, and a few others). A well calloused finger tip can achieve the sharp sound of the nails on a wire strung instrument, providing you use it properly. And in the absence of the long nails you lose the possibility of a "catch". If you can do it you can leave a bit of nail "at the corner" and adjust your fingering angle to use either, but I prefer the sound on any string of the finger pad.
Best, Jon
