Abstract: A pulse shape in general terms (as referred to in this article) is just the time dependence of both the phase and the amplitude of a given pulse.There is no pulse without shape (be it only rectangular)-this lecture therefore tries to explain some of the highlights in general pulse patterns and shapes that are used in current NMR experiments,their advantages and limitations.It also tries to explain the interdependences between spectrometer hardware and experimental capabilities with respect to the various pulse patterms and shapes.

Key words: NMR, RF pulse, Shaped pulses