Punteado

(Sp.; Fr. pincé; It. pizzicato).

The modern term for the technique of plucking the strings of a guitar with the fingertips or nails of the right hand. Historically, the manner of playing derives from lute technique, and was used by baroque guitarists in conjunction with strumming technique (see Rasgueado). The Italian term pizzicato was the one used most widely in the Baroque era, since Italian guitarists were the main developers of the technique and repertory for the instrument in that period (see Guitar, §4). Punteado is the term most commonly used from the late 19th century to the present.

JAMES TYLER