Hello my dear readers!

Today I want to tell you about the methods and methods of sound production when playing the guitar, reviewing the most popular techniques, methods and objects with which you can achieve a varied sound of your instrument. I hope that after reading this article and watching all the videos, your guitar horizons will expand significantly.

Finger technique

Finger technique involves work right hand almost without interference from foreign objects (“almost” due to
false and glued claws). This technique has its origins in the classical guitar since its inception. But as guitar skills developed, finger playing techniques improved and now there are several ways to play the guitar with your fingers.

This is where all guitarists, without exception, who just got a guitar start. Implies this method mandatory “classical” position of the right hand so that the wrist does not touch the body of the guitar. With this setup, maximum playing speed is possible with minimal fatigue on the guitarist's fingers. In addition, when playing the guitar, it is important to keep your “r” finger (the thumb of your right hand) not in your fist, not opposite the index finger, but move it “around” the other fingers, while if you look down at your right hand, you need see a “triangle” between the string, index (i) and thumb(p). This triangle can be large, small, medium - your choice. The main thing is that it exists. For what? So that only the fingers work without the participation of the wrist or elbow bend, because if your thumb is opposite the index finger, then you will not be able to perform a clear pluck without “bouncing” the hand, which is unacceptable with the finger technique of playing the guitar. If you hide your thumb inside your fist, then the remaining fingers (I, m, a, e) will be located at an acute angle to the strings, which will result in sound production with roughness and creaking of your fingers (nails) on the strings. Do not strain your arm (especially your hand). It should just hang down, and you need to work with your fingers. Below I provide an illustration of the classic right hand position. Option A is correct, B is incorrect.

I would like to add to the finger topic a description of how to play the guitar with your fingers:

A nail-free way to play the guitar

It involves making sound using the fingertips by slightly pulling and releasing the string at a slight upward angle towards the wrist. The sound will be muffled but uniformly quiet. To achieve louder sounds, you need to pull the string harder, which can lead to quick finger fatigue if you have no playing experience. This method is suitable for beginners as the first step towards mastering it. After that you can go to

The nail method of playing the guitar

The sounds played by your nails are clearer, louder and brighter. But to play with the nail method, it’s not enough to just grow your nails. Most textbooks write that the nail plate should be longer than a finger(on average according to textbooks) by 1-3 and up to 5 mm and have a rounded or square shape. That's all. I would like to add on my own behalf that it is important here, first of all, to evaluate several points in order to choose the optimal nail length:

    1. The height of your wrist relative to the strings. The higher it is, the shorter the nails should be
    2. Technique of the game. If you often play apoyando (relying on the adjacent string after an attack), then these will be more suitable for you short nails(1-1.5 mm), if you like tirando (without support from the adjacent string), especially with a fast tremolo, then grow your nails longer than 1.5 mm.
    3. Nail health. In the case of thin and brittle nails, it will not be possible to grow longer, as they will break. There are three options for getting out of the situation: 2-3 layers of strengthening varnish, putting on special “claws” and gluing reusable synthetic (usually acrylic) false nails (special) onto the native nail plate with a special gel. My answer to the question about nails done in a salon: “NO!” They wear out very quickly and are extremely inconvenient to play the guitar with.
    4. Take care of your nails and keep them safe. If you are used to playing with your nails, you will no longer be able to do without them. So think before you grab something. Enemy #1 for nails – door handles. Be careful. And also be sure to monitor your nail hygiene. There shouldn't be any dirt underneath them.

Tapping

I will definitely dedicate a separate article to tapping in my future essays on my guitar blog. Now I will briefly describe this type of sound production. Tapping (a technique more typical for) involves working either one hand on the fretboard (single-voice, like Van Halen), or both (polyphonic, like Stanley Jordan or Enver Izmailov). I am not talking specifically about left or right hands, since the article can be read by left-handed people, so in this paragraph we will distinguish between them differently. When tapping, the fingers perform constant legato techniques: hammer on (ascending legato), pull off (descending legato), slide (glissando) and sometimes band (suspenders). When working with single-voice tapping, the second (free) hand can mute extra strings by standing below the position of the playing hand. When doing polyphonic tapping, you can wear a regular hair tie to muffle extra notes near the saddle. A generalist like me who plays all types of guitars has a hard time tapping with long nails, so my nails are usually no longer than 3mm or I use a pick to hit the fingerboard. It is important to perform the techniques clearly, accurately and with the same force so that there are no jumps in dynamics. The invention of tapping took guitar playing to a new level. A synonym for this method is “piano technique,” ​​which implies the use of up to 10 fingers (especially if you place the guitars on a special table or lap). The complexity of this method is justified by the effectiveness and mesmerizing melodies that can be played this way.

Game of chess (“fight”)

This method of playing is typical for pop performances of songs accompanied by vocals. As a “non-classical” method, it is little described in the textbooks of higher guitar schools, but it also has some nuances. Namely, if when playing with fingers it is important to keep the hand motionless, then here the wrist should work to its full amplitude, “twist” a little with the elbow bend, and the fingers, held in a slight tension, practically do not bend. Remember rule No. 1 of carding: your hand must be relaxed! No tension. Rest between strokes on the strings, like a swimmer resting between paddles of water in a pool, otherwise your arm will get tired very quickly.

We would like to dedicate this article to this important issue, How nail care right hand. After all, the quality of your sound largely depends on the condition of your nails. There is even a saying among classical guitarists that “a guitarist’s nails are like a violinist’s bow” – and this is true.
Unfortunately, not everyone has naturally healthy, strong nails, especially since constant exercise can quickly wear down weaker nails and lose the required length and shape. About what The length and shape of a guitarist's nails should be and what grinding tools should be used for this we covered in sufficient detail in the video tutorials section. And now I would like to talk in more detail about how to make your nails stronger and healthier. Of course, you can find a lot on the Internet in various ways, how to do this, and everyone chooses for themselves the more convenient and accessible ones, but I will tell you about the more effective and proven ones.
So, first of all, I would like to say, no matter how trivial it may sound, the strength of nails largely depends on nutrition. A lack of vitamins immediately affects the health of your nails. To begin with, you can take a course of vitamins with calcium like "Calcid", "CalciumD3" or something like that. Not bad vitamins "Supradin", which contain a complex of all minerals and vitamins and plus help with increased fatigue, but, of course, the selection of drugs is a rather individual process, here you need to make sure that there are no contraindications, you can even consult a doctor. Naturally, we all know that artificial vitamins cannot be consumed constantly; usually, you only need to drink a certain course, and then you will have to receive vitamins from products that we eat. Try to drink more natural ones dairy products, there is m seafood and also strengthens nails well eating nuts(walnuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, etc.).
We've sorted out nutrition, now we can talk about about ways to strengthen nails directly.
I advise you to take baths with sea salt at least 3 times a week. There, in the water you can add lemon juice, soda or various essential oils .
Every day before bed(you can do this several times a day) rub the following into your nails (there are many options, you can choose what you like): castor oil, vitamins E or A in oil, essential oils also help very well - lemon, avocado, ylang-ylang, marjoram, rosemary.
Among those who want to strengthen their nails, there is an opinion that it is good to smear them with iodine. Personally, this method did not work for me; the iodine initially seemed to strengthen my nails, but over time they became even more fragile. The iodine seemed to dry them out.
And also, I would like to draw the attention of females - the use of all kinds of decorative varnishes for nails significantly worsens the condition of nails.
It is worth noting that all of the above procedures must be comprehensive If you smear your nails with something once a month or soak them in a bath of salt, there will be no effect.
Here are the basic tips you can give for strengthening the nails of guitarists. You can choose any one for yourself or find another individual way, just don’t forget to always take care of your nails and most importantly keep them clean and tidy.

(this article was written students Markina N.I. specifically for the site http://site)

The nail method of producing sound on a guitar

As the main nail method of sound production, it is widely used by guitarists working in the flamenco style and performing classical concert repertoire. The advantage of this method of sound production is very obvious, since a guitar with nylon strings using the nail method sounds louder and has greater timbre beauty. The performance becomes more vibrant due to the increase in the guitar's sound range and timbre coloring. The nail gives the blow clarity, which is so lacking when playing without nails, this is especially noticeable when performing passages and arpeggios (picking). The use of the fingernail to pluck the string is done according to the method indicated by the Madrid guitarist (1784 - 1849) in his Spanish school of guitar playing ( Nuevo metodo para guitarra). “First, pluck the string with the flesh of the finger, that part of it that faces to the side thumb; the finger is somewhat more elongated and less bent than when playing without using a nail; then the fingernail slides onto the string.” Aguado recommended using the fingernail technique (he is considered the first guitarist to propose this idea), achieving a brighter and stronger sound. The nail, being hard, can produce more noticeable string shades. While losing in softness, the sound gains in brilliance, strength and contrasts. In the flamenco style there is no way to give all the character of this style without the participation of the nail, which imparts strength to the bass, lightness of the arpeggios and piercing sharpness of the rasgueado. So, the reason why the nail method of sound production is considered more practical is that when performing works using the nail method, it is easier to control your sound production due to the wider sound range of the guitar created by the nails. The photo below shows where the fingertips touch the strings before the string begins to slide onto the nail.


What nails should be like to play the guitar?

The nail method of sound production requires the performer to take certain care of the nails, which consists of constant control over their length, as well as the absence of unevenness and roughness of the edges. Nails that are too long give a nasal sound because it doesn't use the pad of the finger, just the nail. To care for your nails, you will need scissors and files, since the nails should not be too long and should not rise above the fingertip by 1 - 2 millimeters, depending on the individual structure of the nail and finger. In this case, the nail should correspond to the contour of the fingertip (have a rounded shape).

Some guitarists give the nail a beveled shape from the initial point of contact of the string to the vanishing point of the string, trying to increase the area of ​​the nail when the string comes off, but this shape of the nail is purely individual and depends on your desire to experiment with the sound. The following photo shows the thumbnail of the right hand. It should be noted that this is perhaps the maximum length of the nail used for playing the guitar with the thumb.

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford the nail method of sound production due to the fact that the nails can be too thin, brittle and flake. For some, to eliminate this reason, it is enough to change your daily menu by including a sufficient amount of foods rich in vitamin B, calcium and protein (kefir, milk, cheese, tuyere). A product such as cottage cheese contains phosphorus, calcium and vitamin D, which improves nail growth.
Many guitarists use their nails even when playing metal strings, finding this to be a more interesting brightness to the sound of their instrument.

Greetings, dear beginners and those who want to learn how to play:) The question on our agenda is: how to play the guitar with long nails? The fact is that many girls love long nails, and therefore they have some problems when playing the guitar (or they are afraid that these problems will arise). It’s true, my nails get in the way quite a lot when playing.

There may be several situations:

  • long nails on the right hand;
  • long nails on the left hand.

Long nails on the right hand

Long nails on your right hand will NOT interfere with your ability to play the guitar. This is even a plus. I’ll tell you even more - to improve the sound quality and ringing when playing, buy special claw mediators that imitate nails. These picks are put on all fingers of the right hand and played.

Long nails on the left hand

But long nails on the left hand are a problem. This is almost always a problem. To be honest, I have no idea how to play the guitar with long nails on my left hand. Why?

It's all about clamping the chord. Your nails will constantly interfere with the correct clamping of the strings - they will always rattle strangely. You will experience discomfort every time you try to press a chord.

What to do if you have long nails?

I advise you to make a choice: learn to play the guitar or grow your nails. You will never be able to combine these 2 things at the same time. Believe me, I've been playing guitar for 10 years - and long nails are always a problem. Even for guys: as soon as the nails on the left hand grow, there is an urgent need to cut them, otherwise every guitar playing will turn into torture. You won't be able to play the guitar with long nails, unfortunately.:(

It has long been no secret to professionals that not only the beauty of the timbre of the sound produced depends on the shape of the guitarist’s nails, but also the shape plays a great role in technique. If you make your nails too short, it becomes easier to play, since your finger glides along the strings more easily, but such “sharpening” has a negative effect on the sound. It becomes too open, even unpleasant, to an ear accustomed to a beautiful sound. If you make your nails too long, you can often achieve a beautiful timbre. However, it becomes difficult to play fast passages - the nails “slow down” the fingers and slow down the speed. By the way, I read somewhere that Paco de Lucia (the king of flamenco) has very short nails. There is nothing to add about Paco's technique. I heard it personally in a live concert in Kaluga and it was phenomenal!!! My emotions were overflowing.

We often try to imitate what seems “cool”, more perfect, more beautiful to us. Sometimes the same thing happened to me...

But imagine my surprise when, having stopped imitating anyone, breaking away from the usual methods of sharpening nails, I conducted my own experiment, which, by the way, I could have done many years ago. It turns out that you can achieve a compromise between short and long nails by changing the shape of the nail.

Why do I write that this method is humble and important. Modest - because mine, and I am a modest person (smiling here). And important because it works! And it works for me, in my case! Here I want to emphasize that if you repeat everything exactly as I did, then with a very high probability you will not get the same result. What a beauty))). After all, I can’t give advice - do this and you will be happy! But I can say for sure - look and you will find! And this is one of the search methods.

Why does this happen? Yes, because we are all different. And this difference applies not only to the psyche, character, musicality, etc., but also to physiology.

I would also like to add that there are researchers who are successfully looking for universal formulas for developing a guitarist’s technique, sharpening nails, and developing other aspects. Quite recently, after I use my new way While sharpening my nails, I came across John Taylor’s work “Phoning on the Classical Guitar”. I started reading this work with a lot of doubts, because I found something of my own and I was wondering what new things the book would advise me. And in the very last chapters, changing a bunch of different formulas and arguments from the field of physics and geometry placed at the beginning of the book, a surprise awaited me at the end. My formula is not new! Taylor distinguishes several basic types of hands, types of fingers and nail attachments. And based on this, several methods of sharpening nails are proposed.

The attached photos show my method of sharpening my nails.

You need to be careful when placing your fingers (nails) on the buffer when sharpening. I imitated placing my hands on the strings here, trying to recreate the same angle between the fingers and the strings.

It's no secret, the shape turned out to be unusual. Previously, I also tried to find a compromise between the aesthetics of the nail (meaning not painting the nails with varnish) and the practicality of its use in playing the guitar. This was unnecessary, although beauty is a pleasant thing!

Of course, after initial sharpening, further refinement of the parts is required. In this sense, I do the following: I correct the angles (you can see the sharp ones), which can be determined as a result of visual inspection and/or as a result of playing, when some parts of the nail noticeably cling to the strings, slowing down the movements; I polish my nails from different sides, especially the intended part of the nail that is in contact with the string.

P.S. Like John Taylor, Charles Duncan conducted similar research in his time with a number of similar discoveries and arguments, which he captured in his book “The Art of Playing the Classical Guitar.”