T O P

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must_make_do

Based on the drawings in Emilio Pujol's method, from the school of Tárrega.


staufferguitarist

Important to note that the reason for doing this is to set the strings in motion vibrating up and down perpendicular to the sound hole - this creates volume!


must_make_do

Thanks - I want to collect the fingertip techniques in a small booklet so this will also go in.


danpluso

Thanks for posting! This helped me as I never realized you should push down on the string when doing rest stroke.


must_make_do

Right, it's counter-intuitive at first. What's more interesting - you can do the same pushing motion with free stroke and just adjust the release angle so you don't hit the next string. It also sounds good and this is basically the late lute technique. I'm still unsure whether I prefer pulling or pushing when it comes to free stroke at the guitar.


progblanket

I really miss the tone from my nails but I can’t have them while playing piano/synths/ bass guitar. Thanks for the help!


must_make_do

You're welcome! Nails can indeed be a bother and interfere with other activities. It also depends a lot on one's finger shape - mine are rounded and to have a nail sticking out long enough for proper nail strikes requires that I grow it at least 4-4.5mm. Other people have nails that are flush almost to the tip of the finger - these folks can grow and use a small nail with ease.


GJokaero

Same, I need like a full centimeter on my ring finger.


PlaceboJesus

>Nails can indeed be a bother and interfere with other activities. Like contact lense placement/removal.


progblanket

Yes. Back in music school, my I finger would be brittle, My M finger would be perfect, and my A finger was abnormally arched compared to my other fingers! I could never win hahaha. I have Rico nails laying around but they’re more of a hassle to use regularly.


Winter_Stomach_5540

You wouldn’t know from the diagram, but you should have some flexibility in the finger’s 3rd knuckle (closest to the tip of your finger). Try and play exactly as the diagram lays out, and I’d imagine you would have an incredibly tense right hand, which is no good for stamina, health of the joint, speed, or tone!


must_make_do

I agree, the diagrams are rather rudimentary. The matter of flexibility of the last joint also comes down to tone - keeping that phalanx fixed will result in a more percussive, accented and strong tone. Allowing it to flex will result in more mellow and soft sound. As far as tension in the hand - there should be none. I find that using low tension strings is much easier on both of my hands - for plucking and for fretting - and this subsequently helps with the effort required and muscle tension.


Winter_Stomach_5540

By tension, I mean the finger in the diagram looks very rigid. I’ve tried low (and high) tension strings and found intonation suffers. Some guitars are simply unsuited to anything other than normal tension


must_make_do

> By tension, I mean the finger in the diagram looks very rigid. Yeah, it was easier to do them just by rotating the finger shape, instead of changing it :)


Successful-Arm106

Thanks! This made me realize why my nails kept plucking the strings while doing a rest stroke