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Hi, my nails are a bit curved because of the angle of attack, I wanna ask if you share the same nail shapes. I’ve tried others but get stuck in in the string. I’ve uploaded a pic just to be sure I’m Not doing something wrong.
Nail shape and length are very individual imo, depending on your hand anatomy, technique details, whether you hit the strings more or less parallel to them or angled, etc. You just have to find out what works best for you and refine the details over time until you are happy. I have seen all sorts of shapes and lengths work for different pro players. I don't believe in copying other people's nails. Some let the sides (left and right) grow more and have a more straight nail which probably requires more precise movements. Some file them individually with different angles, etc. There is no right or wrong as long as you are not stuck all the time. My nails are much shorter than yours, almost similar shape but sides a tiny bit longer and thumb nail a bit longer than the rest
You have a ramp going up very high. As arash mentioned let the sides grow. But not too much. Both sides must be low and round. Flat and straight nail shape for all 3 fingers solved my problem. In 2D it looks like there's almost no ramp. But in 3D there's a ramp for all finger nails. I attack strings at a 70-80 degree angle. Even if it's 90, my nails don't get caught. So it seems to be working as well. After finding your optimal nail shape, try different nail lenghts. To me the shorter the better. Thumb nail is another matter and needs to be examined differently.
Hi, my nails are a bit curved because of the angle of attack, I wanna ask if you share the same nail shapes. I’ve tried others but get stuck in in the string. I’ve uploaded a pic just to be sure I’m Not doing something wrong.
No man, this is not going to work. File flat side to side ONLY, the center part will have less white than the sides after they grow out (you are filing the sides down in a curve or "contoured" as they say). Here is a video and discussion:
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 off 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.
Thank you all for the replies. I’m taking all your advice. I tried to salvage the ramp I have going on, Ricardo thank you I followed your video and also by seeing the pic, I flattened more side to side… now the sides just had to grow to have an even flatness. It already feels much better.
Thank you all for the replies. I’m taking all your advice. I tried to salvage the ramp I have going on, Ricardo thank you I followed your video and also by seeing the pic, I flattened more side to side… now the sides just had to grow to have an even flatness. It already feels much better.
Thanks for the pic. The red outlining lines (which actually do not match the contour of your nail) - what do they mean? Another possibility to shape? I think the nail shape must very much depend on the angle of the attack. Do I understand correctly that you essentially pluck totally perpendicular to the string? I know for example, that Grisha rotates his wrist slightly towards the rosette. I think in the latter case the shape you have would not work.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Ricardo
No man, this is not going to work. File flat side to side ONLY, the center part will have less white than the sides after they grow out (you are filing the sides down in a curve or "contoured" as they say). Here is a video and discussion:
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 off any left over edge pinky side. I do the opposite on the index due to changing angle for pulgar.
My middle fingernail has an annoying lengthwise curve and I defeat it by keeping my nails as short as possible while still being able to play. This has the added benefit of forcing me to keep my picado technique looking more like that used by Paco de Lucia and Tomatito, i.e., fingers approximately perpendicular to the strings.
Thanks for the pic. The red outlining lines (which actually do not match the contour of your nail) - what do they mean? Another possibility to shape? I think the nail shape must very much depend on the angle of the attack. Do I understand correctly that you essentially pluck totally perpendicular to the string? I know for example, that Grisha rotates his wrist slightly towards the rosette. I think in the latter case the shape you have would not work.
It is in the longer thread, so quite nuanced. Basically we are looking at 2D pics of a 3D phenomenon. They are the conceptual geometry I wanted the guy to try which was a bit different than what he was doing in the pic. He had filed flat, but his nails were not quite optimal for how you want to plant the nail on the string. When you make a fist, or when I do, the middle comes straight down, the index curls inward and the ring as well but opposite to the index. The idea I realized after some experiments long ago, is that there needs to be a straight edge that slices through he 3D nail shape. This prevents resistance and allows the nail to "glide" through the string. But the contact points are essential to understand. Basically when you plant the finger the string needs to touch the nail at two points and as you pluck, those two points slide across the nail until they meet somewhere and exit. You don't want them traveling along a round arc, but rather a straight line.
So the idea with the red lines is the string will seat on the line just above those corners in two spots. Some folks with very flat nails out of the nailbed can't get that to happen because the string sits far behind those corners. I suggested the glue to slightly curve the whole nail in the nail bed (this works for most of us), creating a better geometry in 3d and the length might be shortened a bit so the string won't get behind those edges. It is a tricky subject until you experiment with just filing side to side rather than in a curve around the nail, mimicking the half moon of the nail bed.
Ok thanks Ricardo. That thread is huge though, will try to go over it. I went ahead and glued some plastic nails to try this shape. What can I say, I get some clinging sound from those sides, also they catch on the string for me. I rounded the shapes a bit but still have a feeling the fingers catch once in a while. In all reality its been my biggest issue lately - no matter what shape I cant get through the string occasionally. Nail gets caught :( I mostly mean picados of course, other techniques seem to work fine for me.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Ricardo
quote:
Thanks for the pic. The red outlining lines (which actually do not match the contour of your nail) - what do they mean? Another possibility to shape? I think the nail shape must very much depend on the angle of the attack. Do I understand correctly that you essentially pluck totally perpendicular to the string? I know for example, that Grisha rotates his wrist slightly towards the rosette. I think in the latter case the shape you have would not work.
It is in the longer thread, so quite nuanced. Basically we are looking at 2D pics of a 3D phenomenon. They are the conceptual geometry I wanted the guy to try which was a bit different than what he was doing in the pic. He had filed flat, but his nails were not quite optimal for how you want to plant the nail on the string. When you make a fist, or when I do, the middle comes straight down, the index curls inward and the ring as well but opposite to the index. The idea I realized after some experiments long ago, is that there needs to be a straight edge that slices through he 3D nail shape. This prevents resistance and allows the nail to "glide" through the string. But the contact points are essential to understand. Basically when you plant the finger the string needs to touch the nail at two points and as you pluck, those two points slide across the nail until they meet somewhere and exit. You don't want them traveling along a round arc, but rather a straight line.
So the idea with the red lines is the string will seat on the line just above those corners in two spots. Some folks with very flat nails out of the nailbed can't get that to happen because the string sits far behind those corners. I suggested the glue to slightly curve the whole nail in the nail bed (this works for most of us), creating a better geometry in 3d and the length might be shortened a bit so the string won't get behind those edges. It is a tricky subject until you experiment with just filing side to side rather than in a curve around the nail, mimicking the half moon of the nail bed.
These are Paco de Lucia's nails btw One can clearly see he didn't do the straight thing. There is a clear curve and sides left and right slightly white and definately not whiter than the middle part. Index slightly angled away from Thumb. Middle finger is more or less not angled (this one is a bit dirty, maybe he was rolling a joint or something , but one can see). Ring finger maybe very slightly angled. And they are short as hell. I think thats how he did it and rolled with all the time, cause if not why is left hand completely and freshly cut to the flesh. Not 100% sure, but just logic based
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One can clearly see he didn't do the straight thing.
So this is now turning into the middle joint picado thing. I can clearly see he is doing it straight, and that your nails are NOT (they are so short I assume because you get hung up due to the shape making resistance so making em shorter and shorter is the only way...same old complaint). But the angles you are seeing from above pics of Paco's hand, are not the optimal ones. I guess you won't understand until you figure it out for yourself.
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, but one can see). Ring finger maybe very slightly angled. And they are short as hell. 
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