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do soft nails equal soft rasguedos?   You are logged in as Guest
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paul.troutfisher

Posts: 161
Joined: Feb. 16 2011
From: Danville, CA

do soft nails equal soft rasguedos? 
Ok, so I'm far... from being a strong player, that being said would having harder nails help make my rasguedos snapper/sharper?

I've shied away from putting stuff on my nail (i.e. crazy glue) as they seem to hold up ok, but wondering if I would get a better sound with a more firm nail. I feel my rasguedos are kind of mushy (for lack of a better work) and just don't have that crisp sound I'd like. Still, I wonder if most of my problem is just technique (excessive contact with strings) related and the nail isn't the panacea I'm hoping for.

One could take this nail hardness beyond just rasguedos to playing in general. Does a harder nail make a more Flamenco sound?

thanks

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troutie
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Sep. 4 2013 17:49:23
 
NormanKliman

Posts: 1143
Joined: Sep. 1 2007
 

RE: do soft nails equal soft rasguedos? (in reply to paul.troutfisher) 
Others may feel differently about applying hardener to nails, but my understanding is that it weakens them, ultimately making you dependant on the stuff. I think it's a blessing not to have to use hardener, but then again I have no experience with it so I don't really know. Having said that, I'll add that it takes a lot of work to keep rasgueados sounding flamenco, maybe as much as tremolo and picado.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Sep. 4 2013 19:08:33
 
changue

 

Posts: 187
Joined: Aug. 31 2010
From: London

RE: do soft nails equal soft rasguedos? (in reply to paul.troutfisher) 
I've tried super glue / crazy glue, glue-on false nails, self-adhesive silk, clear nail varnish and various combinations thereof. They all seemed like the solution, aft first, but I always end up going back to my own nails.

You can get more volume from stiffer nails and a kind of more aggressive attack but... on the whole I think it has more to do with timing and getting the various fingers to fire when you want them to.

One thing I have noticed is that a longer pinkie nail and ring finger nail helps my rasgueado.

I think you might have to experiment a bit for yourself. You could try a coat of clear varnish (to protect your own nail) with some silk crazy glued on top. No doubt there are a gazillion posts on here about all this.

Good luck!

Changue
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Sep. 4 2013 19:14:42
 
Ruphus

Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
 

RE: do soft nails equal soft rasguedos? (in reply to paul.troutfisher) 
To the original question: I think, no.
If you like full, lush tone hardener will be of no help.

I was surprised when Grisha, who after all has a bold touch, concluded that the recipe would be planting on the finger tip right behind the nail. Or should I even say under the protruding nail edge.

Because in my little world it appears as if a full ( not flimsy / only naily) attack needs a considerable runway over flesh before it finalizes with the edge of the nail.
And for well executed technique in such ways your nail does not need to be hardened at all.

Hardened / brittle should only mean enhanced abrasion of your nail.
Analogous to that:

There is a new fretwire out, considerably softer than steel, yet more durable than that in the same time ( and more pleasent to play on, besides).

Ruphus
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Sep. 4 2013 20:42:15
 
Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: do soft nails equal soft rasguedos? (in reply to paul.troutfisher) 
I've done glue, acrylic, and naked. Sounds to me like naked is the brightest but not necessarily the loudest. Acrylic nails are beefy sounding

Try this, drag a super thick pick, like 1.14MM across the strings and drag a .5MM pick across the strings. It's just different sound, to me naked nails sound the most flamenco..........

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Sep. 4 2013 22:23:06
 
flamencositar

 

Posts: 76
Joined: Aug. 8 2012
 

RE: do soft nails equal soft rasguedos? (in reply to paul.troutfisher) 
Take Biotin for 6 months or so. Should help strengthen the nail. 2,500 mcg a day. No need glue and horse poop or whatever other home remedies.

I find taking a good multi-vitamin helps out with my nails.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Sep. 5 2013 14:11:12
 
bernd

 

Posts: 680
Joined: Feb. 15 2004
 

RE: do soft nails equal soft rasguedos? (in reply to paul.troutfisher) 
Biotin is the most expensive way. On several reportings I read that it takes 6 month at minimum to get the nails just a very little bit harder. One day I was adviced to try 'elastic gel' from a nail designer studio. I did and I´m still using it. It makes a good sound and lasts for 2 up to 3 month and doesn´t cost much, just 15 € for the right hand.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Sep. 8 2013 23:28:36
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