Playing classical guitar without nails - quick demo

[@StefanNiggl]

Beautiful sound, Tate! The tone is so round and warm! Please encore!

[@tateharmann3057]

Thanks! Yes, I plan to do some more recording - this was kind of a camera setup test 👍

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

Sounds lovely! I do the same thing whenever I pick up a guitar. I find improvisation more useful than technical warmups tbh. Nice to see your RH technique. The way you rolls chords, using your wrist, seems to be a common technique among us flesh players

[@tateharmann3057]

Haha good to hear that others do the same :). As far as RH goes, yes those rolled chords are common among us, I think. You'll also notice a do some contrasting rest strokes sul tasto versus my normal hand position. I've been experimenting with this because I see a lot of other flesh players doing rest strokes (and free strokes) in that area.

[@FS.2772.guitar]

hehe i do that too, it helps me to get into the mood

[@tateharmann3057]

@@FS.2772.guitar Haha good to know! 👍

[@StevenWatsonMusic]

@@FS.2772.guitar Great minds think alike and all that...

[@Josh.Vanjani]

Sounding good! Nice tone on that guitar too 👏! I have a set of Pyramid gut I'm aiming to put on sometime this summer, but I want to run through the lifespan of the nylons I'm using first.

[@tateharmann3057]

Nice! The pyramids are very nice also 👍 I think you will enjoy them

[@ericphillips7057]

Great sound! I have considered cutting my nails, not only because I like the sound, but also because my family recently bought me an inexpensive lute as a gift. How difficult was the transition to playing without nails for you?

[@tateharmann3057]

Hey Eric! I recently stumbled upon your channel and love your repertoire selection and playing 👍 I will be honest: the transition from nails to none is not easy haha. I'd tried and failed in the past. This most recent time (I cut them in 2015) I decided to stick with it and it eventually got better. You have to learn a new technique...at least I did. My hand angle and attack is different. Anyways, it's worth the effort, especially if you want to try the lute! I've always wanted to try lute...I love listening to it.

[@ericphillips7057]

@@tateharmann3057 Thanks for the response, Tate, and for your kind words. I'm so hesitant to actually take the "no nails" leap. I actually know a guitarist who says he has nightmares about his nails getting cut off! I'm not quite that bad, but whenever I get close to doing it, I always chicken out.

[@tateharmann3057]

@@ericphillips7057 Haha wow that poor guitarist...that's funny and sad at the same time. I was never really afraid of it, I had cut my nails off multiple times for experimentation. My nails grow back fast and I'm not a professional with recitals so it wasn't an issue. And, like most of us, I played without nails as a beginner. This most recent time I've cut them off (2015) I was determined to develop the technique and get the sound I wanted. I never liked having nails even when playing with them for over a decade. Now that I'm 7 years into fingertip playing, I don't think I'll ever go back to nails. I've even tried to grow them again and now find it difficult to play WITH them haha. But to each his own, I think we should embrace this duality in guitar technique and enjoy both sounds (much like it was before Segovia left his influence).

[@battlestarclassica]

What is that under your Tascam recorder? Hats off to you, I wish I could play without nails but I can't make a go of it.

[@tateharmann3057]

Hey Sean, that's a biography on Eduardo Sainz de la Maza written by Thomas Schmitt! I gave a go on the no-nails playing years (10+) ago and couldn't make it work either. I think I didn't try long enough then. This time around I stuck with it - it's really a whole different technique, I don't think it's enough to cut your nails off and keep trying to play as if you still had them (that's probably another mistake I made the first time). But either way, I love hearing great nail and no-nail players, whatever sounds and feels right to you is the best.

[@battlestarclassica]

@@tateharmann3057 I'll have to hunt that book up. I own the book Paloma wrote on Regino Sainz de la Maza. Boy, you sure get a sweet tone. I really appreciate the old records you put up here, too!

[@tateharmann3057]

@@battlestarclassica Thank you, sir! The book is pretty easy to get as it's fairly new and still in print. I grabbed it from the first online book store in Spain that I came across. Glad you appreciate the records! I have a whole cabinet full of guitar records...I have a lot left to digitize and place here!

[@rudel1939]

Hi Tate one help from the professor to a young Delcamper converting to the ...nonailstechnic. Aquila basses I bought them and I am enthusiast. Remaining on Aquila, which are the trebles you would suggest? Thanks

[@tateharmann3057]

Hey Ruggero! My favorite Aquila trebles are the Alabastros...but I guess the best thing to do is try a few different sets and see what you prefer. I really haven't tried any Aquila trebles that I haven't liked yet!

[@quarlmephystodot2201]

what guitar is that?????

[@tateharmann3057]

This is a Ricardo Sanchis built sometime in the 1940's 👍

[@quarlmephystodot2201]

@@tateharmann3057 ty very much. it is very qualitative guitar. i can see the wood is very well aged