We would strongly recommend that you use your fingernails when you pluck with your right hand. Using your nails will give you the clear, round, and pure tones which are the standard of modern classical guitar musicianship. Trim your right-hand nails to a length of between one-sixteenth of an inch to one-eighth of an inch, when seen from the palm side of your hand. To trim your nails properly, first trim the length of each nail to the desired length with a nail buffer, just like your instructor shows you on this clip.

After they are the proper length and shaped well, you will need to fine-tune the shape and get rid of any excess particles etc using a fine abrasive polishing paper. We recommend 3M-Tri-M-ite Paper Sheet 405N, 500 grit, A-weight open coat, available at http://www.shop3m.com/60073901013.html.

Now, you’re ready to start playing! First, let’s give you a good foundation on some basic left-hand principles in the next lesson.

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