Fingernails
The nails (las uņas) of the right hand are very important to the flamenco
player. They are vital for good arpegio, picado and rasgueo. In old times,
breaking a nail was a disaster for a concert flamenco guitarist, but modern
materials have made life easier and now it's possible to repair and strengthen
the nails in a variety of ways. The most effective is the application of self-adhesive
silk wrap and superglue 3. There are various nail kits on the market that
contain a strip of the silk. It can be applied as thick or thin as required
(three or four layers is usually enough) and shaped by filing once the glue
is dry. It can be used to repair a broken nail or to build a complete nail
if the real nail has broken completely off. The length of the nails is a matter
of preference, and each guitarist finds his own ideal length and shape of
nail. Generally, though, the tips should be flat rather than pointed, and
filed smooth underneath to give a clean playing surface. A little filing away
of the nail on the side of each finger nearest to the thumb can help to avoid
the nail snagging on the string. The best way to understand all this is to
have a professsional flamenco guitarist show you his nails and how he files
them.
Where
does flamenco guitar come from?
Where
are the major centres of flamenco?
What
is compás?
What
are palos?
What
are falsetas?
What's
the difference between a flamenco guitar and a classical guitar?
Frequently
asked questions about flamenco guitar classes
Comments
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