de Fuenllana's vihuela method Orphenica Lyra (1554) is the earliest
record of the nail-no nail issue. Fuenllana spoke of redobles (ways
of plucking the strings with the right hand) and put forth a preference
for the use of the flesh. He said that what using the nails gains in technical
security, it loses in the artist's ability to transmit beauty. "Only
the finger, the truly living
thing, can communicate the intention of the spirit." What gives real
value to this man's comment, is that he was blind from birth, and the years
have tought me that the blind, develop their hearing to unsuspected hights.
When music is their profession, hearing is the universe.
Alessandro Piccinini (1566-C.1638) in his book Intavolatura di liuto...(1639),
di chitarrone (1623) recommended the use of the nails. "The player
should touch the string with the flesh, push the string towards the belly
of the instrument and slide the nail obliquely across them." His discription
of how to shape the nails is similar to the modern guitarist's approach.
-Guitarists from the Tarrega age on, are generally
referred to as modern-
(c.l612-c.l706) in his book on the lute Musick's Monument (1676)
expressed a preference for the flesh but conceded that there was an advantage
to using the nails. "The mellow sound of a lute played with the flesh
is lost while playing in consort, while the use of the nails allowes it
to be heard." However, he greatly preferred the sound of the flesh.
baroque guitarist Francesco Corbetta (1615-1681) used nails.
Weiss (1686-1750) said that the lute was usually played with the flesh,
but the theorbo (similar to the lute but with a longer fingerboard)
and chitarrone were plucked with the nails "and produced, in close proximity,
a course, harsh sound."
Moretti (1799) and Fernando Ferrandiere (1771-1816) laid the foundation
for the early nineteenth century guitarists in their respective books Principios
para tocar la guitare de seis ordenes (Principles to play the 6 strings
guitar) and Arte de tocar la guitarra espanola (The art of
playing the Spanish guitar) both published in 1799. Of Moretti's book,
Femando Sor said, "It is a torch which serves to light the errant steps
of guitarists." Moretti supported the use of the flesh.
Ferrandiere opted for the nails.
(1778-1839) was one of the most celebrated guitarists and composers of
his day. His compositions are still a big part of the repertoire.
On this issue he said, "Never in my life have I heard a guitarist whose
playing was supportable, if he played with the nails."
before him, Sor complained about the sound created by the nails. He felt
that it had an unpleasant tone and created too much noise. He also thought
that "very few gradations of sound quality could be produced" using
the nails. The one redeeming factor
was that "nails facilitate rapid passages". In deciding these
issues, Sor pointed out that every player was the real deciding factor:
"When I direct you to observe this or that precept, never rely on
my authority merely, but inquire the reason; and if I have none sufficiently
convincing to satisfy you it should greatly diminish the confidence with
which you honour me in regard to the science."
(1784-1849) in his Nuevo Metodo para guitarra (New guitar method)
of 1843 described a technique very similar to that of the modern guitarist.
He explained how to play using both the flesh and the nail approach with
a strong preference for the nails. Aguado himself played with the nails,
as did his teacher Manuel de Popolo-Vicente Garcia. Aguado believed the
use of the nails gave the guitar a unique sound and hence best brought
out its true character. The use of the nails allowed for a great deal of
timbre variation as well as rapid and clear playing.
- The next
major figure in the guitar's history was Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909)
who, having never written a method book, has become an important pedigogical
figure primarily through the writings of Emilio Pujol (1886-1982). Tarrega's
teacher, Julian Areas, used the nails, as did Tarrega up until the last
nine years of his life. In 1900, Tarrega withdrew from doing concerts and
started to play with the flesh. Pujol described Tarrega's use of the flesh
as giving a clear sound because of the "width, smoothness, and firmness
of the body that set the strings vibrating. This certain touch must
be developed". Pujol added, echoing Fuenllana, that "the flesh best
transmits the feeling of the soul ...such an unresponsive medium
as nails interferes, somehow with the direct contact of the artist's sensibility
to the string."
At times, Pujol
became very emotional about the subject. "The tone of a string struck
with the fingertip possesses an intrinsic beauty, which affects the deepest
feelings of our sensibility, just as air and light permeate space. Its
notes are incorporeal as might be the notes of an ideally expressive
and responsive harp. It has, as well as this intimate character, some of
the Roman strength and Greek balance. It recalls the gravity of an organ
and the express! veness of a violincello. The guitar ceases to be feminine
and becomes an instrument of grave virility. Finally, this style stands
for the transmission, without impurities, of the deepest of our emotions."
Despite the tone of this last statement, Pujol ends his treatise. El
dilema del sonido en la guitarra (1960) (The guitar sound dilemma),
on a very balanced note by summing up the qualities of each approach, and
he left the decision with the reader. He said the nails give the player
more ability to get timbre variations, clear harmonies, vibratos, speed
and articulation. The nails also allow playing with a minimum of effort
with the right hand. He said that the flesh gives uniformity, sobriety
and volume, clear pizzicatos, loud scales, and an etherial rather than
a metallic tremolo. The flesh approach, requires more strength and effort
to displace the string because of the increased resistance (of the flesh),
hence virtuosity is more difficult. Virtuosity is used as synonim
with speed. Mistake.
(1893-1987) played with the nails in Aguado's style. When asked for his
opinion on Tarrega's use of the right hand without nails, he replied; "It
is absolutely stupid. You reduce the volume of the guitar, and the difference
of timbre and colour.Tarrega has renounced the real nature of the guitar,
which is the richness of its timbres, the different colours of the guitar."
It is because of Segovia's influence, most guitarists now play with the
nails. The issue was never solved by evolution nor voted on by a majority,
but was decided by the work and popularity of Segovia and his followers.
It is this large following that accounts for the almost unanimous use of
the fingernails by guitarists today.