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I have this weird curiosity about the great maestro's nails, like Segovia, John Williams, Gerardo Nuñez... But 'till now i just couldn't realize how PDL used to file his nails.
Same as Nunez and everyone else with extreme technique (like cano roto guys). Follows the shape of the finger tip with a flat plane looking from the bottom. A lot of the time he has glue or even a fake thumbnail.
Everybody has different nails so Paco's may not work you, nobody knows what he did anyway. My nails curve downward which makes them catch on the strings so I have to file them from below to make them flatter. I don't like them too long or too short, maybe 1 mm above the finger tip. Get the glass file and micro mesh kit from Strings by Mail.
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Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
It seems Paco takes a sand paper, folds it around the first string ( hold the piece sand paper with the other hand) and play like picado. On the sand paper. This way your nail is exact filed the way suits your nails comparing the way you play.
After that, polish it.
For the thumb, fold the sandpaper around string 6.
Can I ask where you got this information from? Not that it's not a valid way of filing, but if it's just from the R. Diaz video, I'm rather skeptical about whether PdL actually used this technique.
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It doesn't matter what the shape of your nails is. If you follow the shape of your finger it will naturally have a slight ramp accordingly. If you make it flat it doesn't matter if its hooked of flared. All these players mentioned play straight down, not at a classical angle.
On my the first picture the nail is a bit too long- I'm just showing the shape.
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So it's basically the classic "follow-the-fingertip" shape, like Segovia, Cool.
I would say no, based on photos I have seen. The difference being the separating line between the white part that protrudes off of the nail bed which is pink. If you follow the curve of their finger tip, you end up with equal amounts of white material around the curve in a perfect arch like manner. If you file flat, like Paco and others in the photos we see here, you can see you end up with MORE white material on the sides than the middle or front part of the curve. If you ramp in any direction you then have more white material on one side than the other. The way I do it, and others I am sure, is more white on the pinky side for index,, more white on the thumb side for the Ring, and the middle finger is about even on both sides....still less in the center than the sides. Hope that makes sense.
I would say no, based on photos I have seen. The difference being the separating line between the white part that protrudes off of the nail bed which is pink. If you follow the curve of their finger tip, you end up with equal amounts of white material around the curve in a perfect arch like manner. If you file flat, like Paco and others in the photos we see here, you can see you end up with MORE white material on the sides than the middle or front part of the curve. If you ramp in any direction you then have more white material on one side than the other. The way I do it, and others I am sure, is more white on the pinky side for index,, more white on the thumb side for the Ring, and the middle finger is about even on both sides....still less in the center than the sides. Hope that makes sense.
Agreed. It also seems that his nails aren't completely flat (maybe just enough to have a nice ramp?), looks like he used to round the edges or something. Also his ring finger has the Ramp to the pinky side, in opposite to you Ricardo (as you can see in the pic)
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Also, don't forget to file back your left hands nails hard and daily to ensure the best fretting possible and the least neck wear. If I don't do this, I can miss notes and also end up with contusions where the corner of the nail has grown out.
Assuming that photo is paco......all his nails are ramped the same way ( less white on the thumb side. Meaning he must play off his left sides and not really square ( although videos of him seem to suggest this ? )
Also, don't forget to file back your left hands nails hard and daily to ensure the best fretting possible and the least neck wear. If I don't do this, I can miss notes and also end up with contusions where the corner of the nail has grown out.
No doubt about this! Incredible as it may seem there's some guitarrists that like a little bit of nail in their left hand fingers
Assuming that photo is paco......all his nails are ramped the same way ( less white on the thumb side. Meaning he must play off his left sides and not really square ( although videos of him seem to suggest this ? )
I saw this pic in the forum, i'm pretty confident that it is indeed PDL. Anyway, PDL's hands positions doesn't seems so square (like Gerardo Nuñez) to me, you can see principally in this vídeo
His hand looks very relaxed, even a little oblique... I can be wrong anyway hahaha
hahaha - beast mode engaged from 1:14.. but pretty easy piece even at the higher speed. The audio is a bit behind the video.. yes fingers are not square with the strings, and movement is initiated from the MCP (large; knuckle) joint.
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