View Single Post
  #22  
Old 12-11-2016, 06:01 PM
JonPR JonPR is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,450
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
I have already explained, due to the shape of most peoples fingernails (even when nails are short), why it makes a difference in tone. It does help to think in very small physical dimensions and very short time intervals around the moment the finger leaves the string. That is where variability in magnitude of the string's harmonic and inharmonic partials is set up.
That's mainly down to position along the string. We're talking pretty negligible effects here, at best.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
How smoothly does the fingertip leave the string ("gritty" = more inharmonic partials, smooth = less inharmonic partials.) Accounting for this the rest does not matter (downward or sideways finger motion or where the finger ends up after leaving the string).
OK. But you were talking about a "backward bend" of the finger. It was that I didn't understand. The way the nail picks the string is the same whether the finger is bent or straight.
The shape and quality of the nail certainly makes a difference - although only to the attack portion of the sound, not to the sound once the nail has left the string.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
It is pretty easy to test it out when (controlling for volume and distance from bridge) by using a smooth flatpick at various tilts and comparing that to what happens with a fingernail. Or another example: pick with tip index finger perpendicular to the plane of the string and plane of the guitar top. Then, keeping finger perpendicular to the top rotate the wrist towards the bridge so that the fingertip picks the string at an angle (say up to 45 degrees or so) and listen to the tone become more mellow.
OK I must have misunderstood you before.

However, when I try this I get a mellower sound the first way - picking at right angles to the string. At 45 degrees, there's more nail scrape. It's extremely minimal, but just noticeable.
__________________
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen.
Reply With Quote