Category: Uncategorized

Ian Watt invited me on his podcast to discuss the life of Emilio Pujol, who was, among many other things, the most important advocate for no-nail playing in the twentieth century. Many interesting points were discussed; Ian is always a wonderful interlocutor:

Joaquín Panadés has a particularly wonderful new video out. He’s playing Llobet’s famous transcription of Granados’s La Maja de Goya. Without nails, of course. And on a Torres guitar once owned by Llobet: I made a video on the various ways one can alternate between flesh and nail. Not only is this very possible, but…

Let’s begin with a a quadrumvirate of no-nailers (though there is some cheating, as it were, with plectra in the first half!) In the latest issue of Soundboard I have an article on the ways you can alternate between flesh and nail. Yes, it is possible! And there are various historic examples of players who…

Ian Watt interviewed me for his podcast Unwound. We mostly talked about 20th century no-nail playing, with some enjoyable digressions. It was a fun conversation indeed. Do watch, and also check out Ian’s recordings — he is an astonishing player!

I’ve just come back from a symposium on the 19th century guitar which was held in Innsbruck. The days were packed with talks and concerts from researchers across the world. It was a very special and memorable experience indeed. I gave a talk on the nail question in the 19th century — see the images…

First, a wonderful concert by Joaquín Panadés and Daniele Sardone, both no-nailers: Another splendid video of Carles Trepat and Carmen Jimenez. Again, both no-nailers: I’ve been researching the harp and nails. The concert harp (from the Classical period onwards) has always been played without nails, but historically nails were sometimes used, especially in Ireland and…

First up, hot off the press, a new Carles Trepat video. This time he’s playing a Torres guitar that belonged to Severino García Fortea (1854-1931), a friend, neighbor, and student of Francisco Tárrega: Enrica Savigni and Marco Ramelli have a new duo album out. Enrica plays without nails and Marco plays with. They create an…

This extraordinary video deserves a post of its own. Here is Jon Mendle playing Sor’s most famous piece, Introduction, Theme and Variations on a Theme of Mozart, op. 9. He is using a guitar from c. 1830, with gut strings, and is following Sor’s no-nail technique. A must watch:

Teresa de Rogatis (1893-1979). Rogatis was an Italian player with a considerable reputation. For a long time she taught in Cairo and helped to found the National Conservatory of Egypt. She also wrote a number of compositions, for piano as well as guitar, which have since been recorded. There is also a home recording of…

First, Nicola Pignatiello, who plays without nails on gut strings, as here (but grows nails when using nylgut). I think this a magical performance: Vincent Dubès is an extraordinary virtuoso, specialising in 19th century guitar. There aren’t many recordings of him yet, especially since he cut off his nails a few years ago, but this…