Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Brendan)
quote:
Yes, superglue. Get the thin stuff.
Thanks Brendan. I suppose I need to apply a very thin layer of glue and spread it evenly over the nail without the glue getting in contact with the skin, is that correct?
quote:
I think i will try this , 5 euros and something
After I started growing my nails I used something for strength but for very short time and irregularly. Let me know please if it works and what are the results.
Posts: 2540
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Ricardo)
Good to see the angle of the file/finger.
Depending on ones arc, filing like that will produce diff results at the corners/end of the nail right? Like a bigger arc will get it's corners rouned/cut off.
Which is what I'm thinking about at the moment.
What sort of angle is the file at to your straight finger? I mean it's not 90°. Is it like 70°? ....or maybe 80° ish
Cool, thanks. I've just order a couple from Amazon.
I read the linked post, I never thought much about my nails but I guess that in a way I am really lucky that my nails are pretty hard and never break. The other thing is that I never noticed any damage on them no matter how much and how hard I play rasgueados for example. But it could as well be that since I don't accompany dancers I never gave my nails really hard time :)
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
quote:
which glue do you use and how to?
I used to use ibd brush on nail glue, which was really good... until it wasn't I had a couple of bottles that came already thick and gloopy as if they had been opened a month.
When it is fresh it is runny and dries quickly - you can put a couple of layers on as necessary. When the bottle has been opened a while it goes thick and gunky and takes ages to dry. Shame really, as I always have to throw away half a bottle when it gets like that.
Just use the brush and brush it on the nail. Don't cover the white half-moon at the base of the nail. You only really need to cover half or a bit over half the length of the nail.
Now I use this stuff, comes in a little box of two bottles:
Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
I've got the glue yesterday and applied it to my nails. I don't know if I am doing it correctly or not, I've just put a very thin layer of glue on top in a couple of movements in direction from little above beginning to the tip of the nail.
I actually don't notice that it has changed the shape and created and arc, see the images below. Maybe just a tiny little bit at the sides, but my middle finger still looks the same. Before taking the images below I've filed my nails, this time with little less straight angle than what I usually do.
Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px
Posts: 14845
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Filip)
Honestly I can see the improvement. The m is a bit short, but honestly, now that you have the sides bending like that, you can grow them a bit longer. I did not address it earlier but if you only put glue from the middle to the tip, then when doing rasgueado attacking the basses, you can create a divot at that point, and if the layer is thicker, even get stuck. You are not doing your nail any favor by exposing the bare part up to the cuticle. That will wear down unprotected from rasgueado and eventually grow out thinner since the string is basically filing down the nail material there. The way glue wears is from near the cuticle all the way to the tip, down the Center. I could understand somebody applying only a center strip of thick glue (the idea is you are wearing down the glue and not your natural nail underneath, like a second skin). Since we want those sides bending anyway, the ideal is to cover the entire nail with glue via the brush. And don’t be scared about any that gets on the skin.
Posts: 2540
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Ricardo)
Hey Ricardo,
I've not had a great deal of playing time to explore the new nail shape. (and a my index got broken shortly after this thread started) But I also think... I'm a convert!! Not that I was ever staunchly in the opposite camp btw. Just got settled on something I thought worked and had never been told or heard any different.
But seriously the flat nails as described has been a welcome change.
Apart from adjusting to the strange feeling of a lack of resistance/slippery feeling (that I'm getting used to) its been a revelation.
Thanks.
The main issue I had, which prompted me starting this thread, was to do with picado nails vs arpeggio nails. and that has helped a lot with that and my picado glides more! I just need to have a decent practice session to see how far/well I can push it. However, I've noticed this shaped has also fixed a sort of unknown issue with my rasguaedo. Smoothness suffered sometimes before which I can now put down to nail shape. I often felt like I was getting snagged on the odd string and just thought it was uneven/sloppy fingers beyond a certian speed, but that seems to have been fixed by my new nails!
I must also add. I knocked off the corners like Filip said/showed, as the sharp conrners were catching. Especially on index and thumb passages. So thanks Filip!
Posts: 14845
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Stu)
quote:
I'm a convert!! Not that I was ever staunchly in the opposite camp btw. Just got settled on something I thought worked and had never been told or heard any different.
But seriously the flat nails as described has been a welcome change.
Apart from adjusting to the strange feeling of a lack of resistance/slippery feeling (that I'm getting used to) its been a revelation.
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Stu)
well i know that some gipsies put glue , fake nails from different kinds (plastic, fiber etc) , but didnt know how and the final result
right now im applying something to strengh the nails , but i think you just dont put the stuff and thats it , your goal is to re shape the nail , and im lost in that.
Thats why i was asking about my nail shape , curved like an arch , side do side..
so its better to have the nail tips straight ? how to do that, how to re shape?
Posts: 2540
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
I think Ricardo and filip are talking about changing the arc with applying glue. = what you refer to as reshaping the nail maybe?
I am just talking about filing my nails.
quote:
how to do that, how to re shape?
well err...just with a nail file. and a method.
dependoing on the angle of the file in relation to your finger. you will obviously get a different angle on the nail. I mean this is so darn obvious I feel like your either winding me up...or language is causing us some problems.
Posts: 14845
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
quote:
so its better to have the nail tips straight ? how to do that, how to re shape?
Basically the entire discussion is explaining this, I guess you are not understanding? File side to side ONLY, as you see here, all the nail touches the file, no rounding of the sides, a straight line results ie “flat” geometry:
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Stu)
yes changing the arc , thats what i wasnt understanding , and still not...
wavy nails like the Ben Woods video i got that also.... beside the arch side to side , the surface of my nails are wavy , some more than others but that i understood allready what to do , polish the wavy surface and aplly stuff .
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
Honestly I can see the improvement. The m is a bit short, but honestly, now that you have the sides bending like that, you can grow them a bit longer.
You are right, and after a couple of days it is even more noticeable and I can clearly see it on all fingers. Especially if looking from the side, the arcs can be seen well.
quote:
apply once per day
Oh, no idea it's supposed to be that often, I only applied for the second time today.
quote:
But seriously the flat nails as described has been a welcome change.
It was the same for me when I started filing straight some years ago. I also noticed that since filing straight I find my nails to be good for playing much more consistently than before (I mean, when I was rounding the nails often times I had to file and refile again and end up with nails that were not so good for playing).
Today I filed a bit without rounding the edges and I can report that playing was fine, though possibly there is still some effect from previous filing of the edges. Nails are of course stronger now and what I need to do is perhaps work on planting the nails better and maybe slightly change the wrist angle/position.
One bad thing I always had the problem with is the sound of my A finger, especially in arpeggio, you can hear it at the video below (Ramzi commented on it back then). On rare occasions I managed to lose that crappy sound, especially after starting filing the A finger flat (which was much later than doing the same for the m and i fingers), but I have not found a consistent way to improve the sound. I payed special attention to this today but without success. I think that the problem might be, rather than the nail shape, the attack on the string which in some cases is with the side that is on the pinkly side.
Posts: 14845
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Nail shape for different guitar ... (in reply to Filip)
quote:
you can hear it at the video below
Right, you are hooking on the pinky side corner. This is where the “ramp” idea comes in. You need to keep the long thumb side edge, but due to the attack angle of the ring finger, ramp downward toward the pinky and then take of any left over edge pinky side. I do the opposite on the index due to changing angle for pulgar.
Just to add about applying glue. If the glue is not old and kept sealed in a ziplock bag or equivalent, then you should not be wearing it off faster than a week or so. You should need only apply once a WEEK. If it wears in a day, it is expired and the bottle should be discarded.
Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px
Printable Version
I had a couple of bottles that came already thick and gloopy as if they had been opened a month. 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread