Ricardo -> RE: nail strengthener question (Apr. 27 2007 16:55:19)
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quote:
have you come across any students with quirky difficulties like mine? Many. I will admit that for me it was a big difference to file the nails flat or in one line, not curved. The straight line cuts through the curves in the nail, at one and only one visible angle. Hard to describe, easier to show students in person and if they are patient enough to let the nails grow out on the edges, everyone can do it the same, it does not really matter how the nails naturally grow. Sort of like a tree...as long as you have enough of a log, no matter how it grew, a luthier will saw that thing into a soundboard or whatever. The other thing is if you see pumping nylon, you see several different types of nail shapes that grow naturally. The so called "A shape" is ideal, where it curves on the sides. I noticed that putting glue all over the nail bends my right hand nails more into that shape. Normally my nails are much flatter as can be seen on my pinky and left hand nails where I don't use glue. But I experimented a bit and for like two weeks my playing really suffered because I was getting used to having to be more precise with my angle of attack, and just the general feeling of the new nail shapes I tried. Anyway, most of my students try it and it works great. Others are too impatient, meaning they file flat but don't let the edges time to grow out, or they can't get used to the feeling, and go back to round hooking nails with a thin sound. Some refuse to use glue. Some insist on using acrylics. I have one guy who has no nails at all, but still loves to play. I guess he sounds like Tarrega! [:D] My classical guitar teacher in college had hooked nails so he used to heat a spoon with a lighter and press it under his nails, forcing the shape of his nails to change! He had to do that every few days I think. When he first did that I thought he was about to shoot some heroine! [:D] About Nuñez, honestly I never bugged him about it since I had things working for myself already. I advised my friend on this stuff, about filling flat, but he was not convinced. He asked Gerardo and he said I was correct, but ultimately you want to sound good and feel natural playing. His point that there was not one and only one correct way to file, or hold your hand, etc. Others have told me Nuñez used sand and krazy glue, end result being pretty ugly. I have seen him playing with nothing at all on his nails too. He seems not so concerned about it. I noticed acrylic on his thumb last summer. Probably he broke it. He always sounds good and does not seem to complain much about nails, at least in public. Anyway, hope this helps some, this is a difficult topic to describe verbally. Ricardo
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