Paco's Nails

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Paco's Nails

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Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

Paco's Nails

Hi guys, how are you doing? :)

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.

Does anyone ever seen it, or know it?

Salu2!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 13 2016 23:33:52

Kuruhead

Posts: 11
Joined: Jun. 10 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

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.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 0:10:39

Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Kuruhead)

Sorry, i didn't get it, he files following the shape of the fingertip but flat (like Pumping Nylon's shape)?

Pardon my silliness hahaha :/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 0:39:28

Cervantes

Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

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

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 4:30:06

Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Cervantes)

Well, i'm just curious ((: Like i said its a weird thing i like to research. It helps me to understand their technique and other things.

I really don't like glass files :/ hahaha, thanks for the advise though

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 5:50:05

gerundino63

Posts: 1743
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

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.

Good luck,

Peter

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 9:04:51

Piwin

Posts: 3562
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to gerundino63)

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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"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 12:52:11

Kuruhead

Posts: 11
Joined: Jun. 10 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

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.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (3)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 13:35:01

Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Kuruhead)

So it's basically the classic "follow-the-fingertip" shape, like Segovia, Cool.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 17:37:58

Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Piwin)

Agree, im really skeptical about his videos too

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 17:45:06

gerundino63

Posts: 1743
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Piwin)

Yes, saw it on the video from the man we ought not to mention his name....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 22:01:36

Piwin

Posts: 3562
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to gerundino63)

quote:

the man we ought not to mention his name

Voldemort?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 22:08:32

Ricardo

Posts: 14822
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Moloko

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.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 14 2016 23:32:40

Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

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)

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2016 2:12:52

Cloth Ears

Posts: 152
Joined: Apr. 26 2005

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

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.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2016 8:06:20

12850bd

Posts: 148
Joined: Nov. 9 2006
From: australia

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

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 ? )

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2016 23:35:16

Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Cloth Ears)

quote:

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

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2016 3:46:54

Moloko

Posts: 63
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to 12850bd)

quote:

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

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2016 3:56:45

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: Paco's Nails (in reply to Moloko)

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.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2016 5:56:34