Join me on Facebook! / simplyluo Covers tapping harmonics, nail attack/attack mute, and percussive strumming GEAR Martin 000X1: bit.ly/Martin000X1 MSP4150 Strings: bit.ly/1QCgt4m
@SimplyLuo Thank you very much for this lesson ! in this moment I try to learn Oasis, and so I can learn the technic !! (excuse my english, I'am french)
A good hour and a half of scraping my skin on my strings and never giving up, and I think I've got a real nail attack going on! You taught it really well thanks!
@BluesRoadHK I'm not sure. I bought mine at Wal-Mart. They are called KISS Active Oval I don't use them anymore though. All I do now is keep them moisturized so that they don't get brittle, and I file them a little shorter than I used to Thanks for all the kind comments :)
Mmm not necessarily the e-string If we are talking about nail attack strumming, as in "upstrum downstrum," it is the thumb doing the upstrum and the middle and ring finger doing the down strum across the strings. This can be seen in the wings videos. If it's picking, then the melody is generally picked with the index finger and the bass with the thumb. I'm probably not being very clear about this x.x sorry
It's usually because the pinky has little dexterity and strength compared to the other fingers. Also, it's often at an odd angle if you're using rest strokes (plucking through a string and landing on the next one). I do use my pinky often for rasgueados and percussive techniques. I'll very rarely use it for five-string arpeggios if needed, or for harp harmonics if the situation calls for it. But generally, it's not used much at all
To develop the individual actions, keep your hand and pinky down and practice using only your middle and ring finger to do the attack. In the actual nail-attack, your pinky should not really be doing anything but controlling the movement of your hand by providing a stopping point
For up strumming, make sure you're drawing your fingers in toward you, instead of brushing upwards away from the top of the guitar. Brushing will make a raspy sound. Pull towards your palm.
in this case nowhere, just up and down with thumb and middle ring the nail attack strumming isn't so much of the attack, it's releasing the nail attack down through the strings instead of going down into them. it's kind of like regular strumming , except the pinky is there to stop the hand.
@mfha113 Try adjusting the angle of your nail attack so that you're hitting more directly down into the strings. It's not just a strum! You should be able to pick a single string and hit it accurately.
Yes, they should naturally "bounce" off of the strings Don't really need to hit 1 string at a time unless you're using it to help play the melody, it's usually two. the tabs will tell you which strings to hit, though
Great explanation of this technique, thanks Jon. I like watching Yuki Matsui, who has pretty much mastered this style. I can't help but wonder though, doesn't this type of playing over time make an artist vulerable to repetitive motion injuries?
@Nevexity There's not really a set order, it depends on what you're playing. So if you're playing Wings for example, you alternate the plucking and nail attacks
@seighart2909 it depends on the sound you try to get. It's just another method of strumming - if you want a more muted, percussive sound, it will go straight down into the strings. If you're trying to make a sound but still with a bit of percussive effect, then the nail attack should go more through the strings (it will feel like strumming). If you listen to the chorus of "A White Cloud of That Summer", all of the down strokes are "strumming" nail attacks
I got those nails at Walmart (KISS Active Oval) for like $5, and attached them with Glue Dots. The glue dots are pretty strong, but get the super-strength 1/2" ones. On average they last around two days for me before I have to use new glue dots, even with aggressive playing. Thanks for watching!
Do you still use fake nails? I've been using them for a few weeks now but almost everyday a least one nail gets cracked. Is there a more durable nail out there or an alternative solution to playing?
@dudcks2099 Hi, sorry for the late reply. I'm not sure what to make of this without seeing.. The pinky doesn't have to be rigid at all. It's better if it's relaxed. Don't focus on driving your entire hand downward, most of the emphasis is on the release of the fingers. The pinky is just there to help control it
Thank you for your instruction video. Coincidentally, "Wings" is the song I'd like to master next. I'm not sure if I will be able to nail-attack as clear as you, but I want to try anyway. I wish the volume of your voice will be higher next time.
@SimplyLuo I look forward to seeing your Splash lesson then. Aw, no time for guitar. Anyways good luck with your apps and your testing, forget my Tension request, I'm almost done learning it :).
I learned it by keeping my hand in the neutral position, and using only the middle and ring fingers to flick the strings. You need to develop control over each finger I'm not sure what you mean. You should be able to do the nail attack without moving your thumb, if that's what you're asking Thanks for watching!
Sure, I'll try! Hold your hand in the rock on position-thing. Now, turn it so that the tip of your pinky touches the pick-guard area, your lightly rests on the E-string, and your index finger lightly rests on the high e-string, with your middle and ring finger together. All you are doing is bringing your hand slightly up, and then back down. As you bring your hand down, hit the strings with the middle and ring finger alone. Slowly practice the up-down without the nail attack, then add it in
Definitely the most helpful tutorial for these techniques. Can't find anything like this anywhere else. Thanks for making this. But i was wondering one thing, how do you mute a nail attack? Like if you want the percussive effect but you dont want the bottom strings to ring out? Thanks!
@ron619 I think it's mostly because the string tension on the nylon strings is a lot less than steel. Try down tuning a steel string guitar to lower the tension, and then do a slap harmonic. It won't be as clear.
@spazz9099 It will definitely come with practice. I had a lot of trouble with it too In your nail attack, try to limit the finger flicking movement to your middle and ring fingers. Your index finger should move only to get in position for the pluck
@jxker You'd usually pluck the melody with your index finger. Occasionally you'll play a note or two with the nail attack, but it depends on the song and/or the sound you want to get.
It will be hard! It will take weeks, even months. But like anything, the more you repeat the motion, the easier it becomes. So keep practicing! And yes to your question
@mssandrabae Sandra! How are you? Thanks for the kind words, I'm happy they can help. Let me know if there's anything you need clarified, I'm not that great at explaining stuff.. Jon
i'd recommend 010~047 string gauge for fingerstyle , ive tried 010 , 011,012 gauge, 010 is the best to me , doesnt require a lot of strength to press from the 7th frets onwards ! try it
@nnews41 Sorry for the late reply! With your index and middle finger, just bring them down onto the strings so that they mute and make them hit the fretboard. Then pick
Sure, you can use just the middle finger if that's more comfortable for you. As long as you can hit the strings you want to hit and get the sound you want to get!
@h3ffyEnd Thanks for watching them :) It depends on the sound you want to get. Personally, if I want a more jangly percussive effect, I let my nails bounce off a bit. So that means hitting straight down into the strings. If I'm getting more of a strumming effect, then more of a follow-through through the strings Hope that helps a bit, Jon
@omelettecrap Hey there, Song is "Splash" at 3:40. If I have time today or tomorrow I'll try to make a lesson for it. I haven't had much time for guitar lately, and probably won't for a while with college apps and testing and whatnot.. :( Jon
I played electric guitar for two years, and I've been playing acoustic fingerstyle for around 10 months I learned Wings at around 3 months of learning acoustic. It took about a month to perfect back then... Now it takes me around a week or two to get a song to the point where I'm happy with it, especially now that I know how he plays the stuff. I'm self-taught though, so don't follow my technique 100%. It's probably pretty terrible
Thank you for commenting! All it takes is slow, precise practice and it becomes very easy. I will raise the volume on my Wings lesson, sorry about that. Jon
Hey! long time no see haha Yuki Matsui is awesome! I don't think this kind of playing could cause injury. The nail attack, for example, should be loose and completely relaxed. The sound doesn't come from how much muscle you use, but how quickly you hit the strings. I might look a bit rigid in this video since I had just learned the technique, but in my later videos (and any of Yuki Matsui's), you'll see that I keep my hand and arm fluid and relaxed. If it hurts, you're probably doing it wrong
@IIIHagakureIII haha yep! I stopped using fake nails, they were too much of a hassle. I'm planning to make a new version sometime. Maybe when school settles down a bit
@SimplyLuo Im telling you, Invest in some "Jojoba Oil" for your nails, a good file and just keep then nice. If someone asks you why you have nails... Show them why! Haha! Im lucky though my lady is a beautician! Hey, thank you for making this tutorial, It really helps!
Hey haha It just takes practice. Try not to practice by playing through the whole thing each time, but break it up into small loops and practice each loop slowly and precisely like 50 times Then you can put the whole thing together, and you'll have the techniques down
Nope, my guitar was tuned to DADGAD Sure! I am going back to school tomorrow, so it might be a bit before I can make it though. Thanks for commenting! Jon
Depends on what you find comfortable. I think it's better to keep it lower though, like keep your wrist closer to the top I've never taken lessons so I'm not really sure what is proper technique, sorry..
ahh ic. Right now im practicing everything your teaching in this video and starting off with an easier song like oasis. Whenever you have time a cover/instructional would be nice =D
Heyo, awesome lesson dude. I learnt a lot. What's that song at 3:40? And could you do a Tension cover, I'm surprised you don't have one. That would really help me learn it, thanks again!
Thank you so much! Everything was new to me except the harmonics. It's so hard to learn these techniques just by watching... By the way, do you know Kotaro Oshio's "Fight"? Could you maybe explain the right hand technique in the intro?
@regalstring It was pretty low when I got it from Guitar Center, so I haven't had to adjust it. It's high enough that I can downtune to a C without much buzzing, but low enough to be pretty comfortable
wow~ thanks so much for making these videos. i tried learning this years ago by watching that chinese video that i couldnt understand... needless to say, i gave up quite quickly... but i just had a technique question about the nail attacks. when you attack the strings, do you want to follow through with the your fingers, or have your nails bounce off? or does it not really matter...? whatever i do, i havent been able to get a good sound...
