Flamenco Style

lcrcboy

Hi guys Im not sure if this is the right forum so if you want to move it go ahead, basically I want to learn to play Flamenco style on the Guitar but I dont know how to play regular style, so Im wondering should I learn how to play regular style before attempting Flamenco or can I start with Flamenco, cheers for any advice :cool:

CianRyan

I reckon jump right into it.
No use in learning a style you don't want to play, been there and it's just frustrating.

Other's might'n agree with me but in my experience sticking to what you like is the key to keep you happy and progressing. As long as it's within your skill level of course.

TeddyTedson

I agree, just go for it. Don't get put off by the first few months, once you get the run of things you'll love practicing.

jazzme

My advise is try to learn basic guitar first if that is what you mean by "regular style". The Flamenco has a lot of complicated fingerings and requires a lot of flexibility plus a strong wrist. You should develop those first by playing regular chords. The right hand (if you are right handed) in Flamenco requires a feat of dexterity for this style seldom use pluckers.

Flamenco is considered as an advance style of playing by many so it would be a good idea to start with the basic forms of strumming and chord type before moving on to this particular style.

Demeyes

I'd say your best bet is to jump right into that style with a good teacher. You could pick up a lot of bad habits learning normal stuff first that might set you back on your way to learning flamenco. There'll be a load of crossover anyway so you should be well able to play normal songs too when you start getting good at it.

CianRyan

jazzme wrote: »

My advise is try to learn basic guitar first if that is what you mean by "regular style". The Flamenco has a lot of complicated fingerings and requires a lot of flexibility plus a strong wrist. You should develop those first by playing regular chords. The right hand (if you are right handed) in Flamenco requires a feat of dexterity for this style seldom use pluckers.

Flamenco is considered as an advance style of playing by many so it would be a good idea to start with the basic forms of strumming and chord type before moving on to this particular style.

There's quite a big difference between the two styles though, I could see learning to strum regular pop/rock songs would just make learning flamenco even harder, unless you're a weathered player with years under your belt.
And as I've said, if you have no interest in a certain style of music there'll be no passion to learn it and that alone could mean the play could get bored and never progress to what they really want to play.

You wouldn't tell a metal guy to learn to Backstreet Boys because it's easier, would you?

JWGuitar

Hi Lcrcboy,
By far the most important aspect of Flamenco is the Compas, (i.e rhythmic structure, usually a 12 beat structure whose accents would be considered odd by western music standards). You don't even need a guitar to learn this.

With a few basic chords and some right hand technique you can play very basic flamenco guitar. Most young guys in Andalucia can mark the compas like this on guitar and don't play anything fancy, and their sense of rhythm as a consequence can be at quite a good level.

If you are talking about playing solo Flamenco pieces for guitar it is a somewhat different matter but like anything else it depends on what level you wish to reach. If you want to play a basic Tangos or Solea(2 common forms in flamenco), with some easy falsetas(melodic passages) you could learn to put something together within a year provided you like practicing!
If you are talking about playing pieces by Paco de Lucia, Tomatito et al properly, give yourself a good 5-8 years of solid practice. But don't be put off by that. The things you would pick up in between would keep you more than occupied and it is an incredibly fun form of guitar playing.

I'm a professional flamenco player and give Flamenco lessons in Dublin.
You can find more info on www.myspace.com/johnwalshguitar.
If you are interested you can get in touch with a P.M.

In any event, I would say just go for it! It is a beautiful form of music and quite addictive once you get into it.
All the best,
John

CianRyan

Some great stuff there, John.

I tried my hand at classical lessons about 3 or 4 years ago and I really think I was at the wrong age to try and learn that specific style of guitar.

It was with my parents persuasion that I went, at a time when I had no interest. I would love to try my hand at it again though.

Could you give some advice for some one who's been playing metal, punk and blues for 8 years?
I find it very hard to control my picking hand and to be so precise with my fingering hand, the styles of playing are obviously very different.
As well, I can't read music despite several attempts at learning. I'm dyslexic so I wouldn't say that helped.

JWGuitar

CianRyan wrote: »

Some great stuff there, John.

I tried my hand at classical lessons about 3 or 4 years ago and I really think I was at the wrong age to try and learn that specific style of guitar.

It was with my parents persuasion that I went, at a time when I had no interest. I would love to try my hand at it again though.

Could you give some advice for some one who's been playing metal, punk and blues for 8 years?
I find it very hard to control my picking hand and to be so precise with my fingering hand, the styles of playing are obviously very different.
As well, I can't read music despite several attempts at learning. I'm dyslexic so I wouldn't say that helped.

Hey Cian,
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
If you are asking about the right hand in general for use in apreggios for example, there are many similarities between flamenco & classical technique. Flamenco technique also contains some peculiar right hand functions such as alzapua & rasqueado of which there are almost endless variations.

In general I would advise to practice your picking very slowly with finger combinations of PIMA, PAMI, PIMAMI to begin with(P-Thumb, I-Index, M-Middle, A- Ring finger).
You will gain superior control of your right hand by planting your finger before you actually play the string. This by the way is planting the finger ON the string, make sure not to be touching the soundboard with your fingers.
You can find many articles online about Full & Sequential Planting I am sure. Classical guitarist Scott Tennant has written excellently on the subject for example.
Try to be very definite about every note you are playing when you practice and you will gain greater confidence in both hands which may help the accuracy you referred to. Make sure you are going very very slowly though. Fast practice is wasted practice when learning new techniques.

If you were referring more specifically to Flamenco technique in your comment above, then coming from a rock/blues background you would need to work on your right hand extensor muscles in order to cope with Rasquedo for example, and this will also have positive effects on your arpeggio and tremolo techniques.

I hope that is of some help to you. If you have any other questions, ask away and i will help if i can
regards,
John