Nails Create Tone

• Your guitar tone is dependent on the movement of your fingers or thumb
• Your guitar tone is dependent on the shape of your nails
• Your guitar tone is dependent on the position (arch, alignment, and rotation) of your right hand as determined by the position of the guitar

Thumb

Example Explained

Your thumb nail probably looks like one of the pictures on the left.

The shape on the right will produce a decent tone on the guitar.

Fingers

Example Explained

Above are three nail shapes and suggested shapes (at far right) to produce good tone on the guitar.

Complete Finger Suggestions

Example Explained

Above shapes are of the three fingers (index, middle, and anular) and suggested shapes to produce good tone on the guitar.

Remember, guitar tone is very personal. You will have to experiment for quite some time to get your basic primary tone.

Also, many guitarists use very fine sandpaper to make their nails really smooth. This sand paper is available at auto body supply stores in grits around 1500.