MABB v6.6.6

any classical players here? i believe shredlord knows the ways, but i can't remember who else might. got some questions:



1. opinions on cutaway classicals? i tried a couple out today, and i like the playability as the ones i tried were a bit more accomodating to my tiny hands compared to a standard setup, but the sound was pretty unimpressive. are there any normal-scale, full-bodied models that have that same style of narrower/'smaller' neck?



2. what in the hell re: fingernails. i'm only just starting out with proper classical lessons, so a lot of what i'm focusing on is developing technique. i''ve had to force myself to abandon compulsively clipping my nails, and it's kind of driving me insane. just how long do i need to let them grow, and how much care to i have to put into shaping them? are broken nails a problem or what?

I hear it's not uncommon for people that use their fingernails to play use some kind of clear-coat hardening nail polish.



Also, while we're on the subject... Could we(I) get some recommendations for some entry-mid range guitars best suited for classical?

i think the shredlord duder is in to said though i haven't seen him online in quite a while

I'm still here!



1) I'm not a fan of cutaways. They reduce the volume of the body and impact the tone a bit. To answer your and Zim's question, look into Kremona Orpheus guitars. One of my former guitar students had one (about $750)--great tone and played well. I'm used to the wider necks of classical guitars, and it's been a while since I played his, but the neck seemed fine to me. A wide neck just goes with the territory!



<!-- m -->http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ ... tic-guitar<!-- m -->



2) Don't clip your nails! You should file them and buff with fine sandpaper to remove rough spots. The length can vary a lot from player to player, but in general, the tip should extend at the most 1/8th of an inch past your fingertip (looking at it from the underside), and they should follow the general shape of your finger tip. Sadly, yes, they can break easily, but again, that issue can vary quite a bit. If yours are especially thin, then you might try using OP Nail Envy as a hardener.



This video might be helpful. (I've tried the "ramp" technique and it didn't work that well for me.) <!-- m -->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUjV0X1-I_o<!-- m -->



I applaud your decision to play classical, but be prepared for lots of hard work to play even a fairly simple piece. I thought I was quite the badass guitarist when I started, but I was soon humbled!





[quote name="Dudley"]any classical players here? i believe shredlord knows the ways, but i can't remember who else might. got some questions:



1. opinions on cutaway classicals? i tried a couple out today, and i like the playability as the ones i tried were a bit more accomodating to my tiny hands compared to a standard setup, but the sound was pretty unimpressive. are there any normal-scale, full-bodied models that have that same style of narrower/'smaller' neck?



2. what in the hell re: fingernails. i'm only just starting out with proper classical lessons, so a lot of what i'm focusing on is developing technique. i''ve had to force myself to abandon compulsively clipping my nails, and it's kind of driving me insane. just how long do i need to let them grow, and how much care to i have to put into shaping them? are broken nails a problem or what?[/quote]

I'm not a classical guitar player, but I am quite proficient in finger picking



I think fingernail length, like what's said above, is really up to the player, similar to guitar pick size, thickness, grip, etc. quite a personal choice



I taught myself with my steel string acoustic, but once you get quite good at it, you can apply it with the electric guitar and do all sorts of neat things, chickin pickin and stuff.



one of the absolute hardest parts, just like with using a pick, is getting a feel for proper dynamics. at first it's difficult to pick softly or harder when needed, but it'll come with time.



I actually don't use my finger nails for much except strumming, I've managed to teach myself proper finger picking dynamics while using the flesh part of my finger tips. But like I said above, it's a personal comfort choice when figuring out what works best for you.

sweet, thanks for the tips! i wound up going with a standard full-bodied design, though much cheaper than the kremona it's going to take some time to get acclimated after having spent pretty much all of of my guitaring time over the last couple of years on my ibanez RG's.



the nails are still a major nuisance, they're at the length where they're just long enough to be noticeable but not long enough to reliably pick with. they intermittently catch when i'm playing now, so it frequently feels like i have next to no control over dynamics. ah well, another 2-3 weeks and i should be good to go on that front.



do you have any particular beginner-level pieces you like to give to students for practice/study? looking to get my hands on as much material as i can to keep going after the semester ends as that will probably be the end of my lessons for a little while, unless i wind up going back for another semester.

I use Solo Guitar Playing 1 by Frederick Noad. It's great for beginners--has tips on nails, tone production, reading music, lots of good technical exercises, and at the end, some relatively easy but nice pieces to play.