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I'm having trouble getting down the pulgar method. I read that it's supposed to be played with the thumb rolling UP over the string with the nail striking the string. To me that just seems so odd. I'm used to playing DOWN with the skin of my thumb. Not only am I having the trouble with precision and speed with this, but it seems very cumbersome.
I also saw a tango that was played and he didn't use this upward pulgar stroke, but the downward with the skin of his thumb. Is this correct technique?
I read that it's supposed to be played with the thumb rolling UP over the string with the nail striking the string.
I've never heard of that one before. For an ordinary pulgar rest stroke, you play with the side/corner of the thumb for skin/nail contact and play downwards and inwards to the guitar and come to rest on the next string.
The thums/string angle changes according to the sound wanted or technique used. For instance PdL uses a very steep angle (almost right angles) when doing hard alzapua.
Sorry to hi-jack your thread, but this is related if I may...
I have a question about Pulgar used in alternation with i, usually in a kind of arppeggiated chord:
EX: Holding a Gminor with the left hand,
Thumb plays the bass note - followed by i on the first string.
Thumb plays the 5th string - followed by i on the first string.
Thumb plays the 4th string - followed by i on the first string.
This can be done with any chord, and various combinations of strings. The above example is just to illustrate the basic idea.
My question is, why is this hard?
I'm having a lot of trouble doing this smoothly. Either my thumnail gets caught and throws out my timing or I just can't get it steady.
There is a buleria falsetta in the Juan Grecos book that uses this technique. It looks simple enough and it should be simple....right?
Why can't I do it?
PS. I am getting better at it since I've shortened my thumbnail, but it's still not as smooth as it should be and the nail still gets caught from time to time.
I have a question about Pulgar used in alternation with i, usually in a kind of arppeggiated chord
......
I'm having a lot of trouble doing this smoothly. Either my thumnail gets caught and throws out my timing or I just can't get it steady.
......
PS. I am getting better at it since I've shortened my thumbnail, but it's still not as smooth as it should be and the nail still gets caught from time to time.
IMO there's more than one way of using the thumb, and if the nail is catching it's probably too long, but possibly the wrong shape.
When using pulgar in arpegios, the thumb is almost parallel to the strings (20-30 degrees? probably not more than 45 degrees), and the flesh on the side of the thumb contacts the string. The nail should be filed down on this side (that's the left side of the thumb as you look at the nail/back of the thumb, assuming you are right handed) so it cannot catch on the strings.
When playing pulgar (eg. single bass notes) only, and in alzapua, the wrist is more turned in towards the guitar, so the point of contact is further round towards the tip of the thumb (it's not the actual tip, but heading that way) and the nail comes more in to play. The nail should be shaped accordingly, so that it contacts the string in this position.
Passages which use P I are somewhere in between, but if it's PIPIPI, like the one you describe, then it's probably gonna have to be more like the first one, and if it's PPI then more like the latter. That's why the nail is curved and not a straight edge and a sharp corner.... so that you can use it at a variety of angles ok, and you get good nail contact for the pulgar/alzapua, and negligible or almost none for the arpegios.
Having said all that, it is quite an individual thing, as some players turn the thumb in more for alzapua and some less. Some have a longer and some a shorter nail. But the thing about filing the nail down on the left side of the thumb is pretty general I think.
Watch how lots of players use the thumb, there's loads on YouTube, probably even a pulgar/alzapua lesson. And the advice about the Gerardo Nunez DVD.... you couldn't watch a better example of a technically perfect guitarist.... and if you can't play all of it straight off (LOL!), there is a pulgar/indice study is pretty useful on there.
I read that it's supposed to be played with the thumb rolling UP over the string with the nail striking the string.
That sounds like an UP stroke with the thumb is being described.... which is fine if that's what you want..... mostly thumb is used with down strokes..... except in alzapua, when it alternates down/up usually across a chord on 2 or 3 strings, with single notes, ie. down/up/single note/down/up/single note. If you check the Gerardo Nunez DVD Jeff recommends you will see that there is also some down/up on single notes. It's an almost archaic technique, which Gerardo uses to great effect very skillfully.
Thanks for the responses to my question. I have recently recieved a copy of Gerardo nunez' book and DVD. I will see what I can get to work for my own sort of playing.
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