How to play Flamenco Guitar

Welcome, this lens is your opportunity to read about some of the woncderful techniques used by Flamenco guitarists throughout the world,  aswell as learn a bit more about the way of thinking behind this style of playing, and how I have  made it work in todays contemporary music scene

 

The page is currenty being built as of Sun 25th Feb 07, read on and enjoy, there will be more to come!

 

 

 

INTRO 

 

Sadly today, flamenco is a very niche art form, traditional performers are scarce and those with the commitment to learn the guitar aspects to a performance level are few in number.  Those of us practicing the art form,allbeit it in our own styles, are coming to realise the importance of passing this knowledge back to keep alive the spirit (duende).  Sure there will always be the recordings and text books that are published today, but I have found the greatest inspiration to someone is often given by playing something amazing right in front of them.  That is why I have not chosen to wait to the end of my career to author some notes on guitarring, I am a guitar player right here and now, working my way into the music industry every day and hopefully inspiring those around me to do so aswell.

 

Part 1, Understanding the what and the why, behind the technique.

 

Many times a person will hear a piece of music and have their ears prick up to the tunes coming at them.  Some who chose to learn them may buy a book or pick up their instrument and pick out the tune, all great things, however I have come to appreciate and value the part that comes before the tune, the thinking and mindset of the people making the music.  You want to understand a style of music, learn about the life of the people that make it.  Flamenco, often conjures an expensive elaborate and upper class anticipation when it is mentioned.  The reality of its origins is anything but that.  If anything it has more in common with the blues.  It is a music of a poor and transient people, influenced by invasion, a hard life and little luxuries. 

 

Make no mistake flamenco technique is hard, it will push you, when I first started practicing it, I broke alot of the rules normally kept to acheive results.  Textures and techniques in flamenco are not like that of rock or blues guitar, you can let go of your plectrums now for starters!

 

Perhaps the attitide of the early flamenco's was "if we dont have anything, we dont have anything to lose", therefore why not experiment and push the boundaries of whats used on the guitar.

 

 

 

Part two - Cutting through the mix

 

For the past few decades our ears have grown used to hearing well mastered and mixed CD's and albums by our favourite musicians and bands.  Often the recording process in the studio is followed by a lenghty mixing process, where all the recorded levels of each instrument and voice are carefully adjusted to just the right balance, so that when a guitar solo happens its at a perfect level to be heard, or when a vocal comes in softly it is raised in the mix for crystal clear pronounciation.  Well let me tell you when you are playing live, you can forget all about that!

 

9 times out of 10, when playing live 

 

YOU, are the artist, musician, person in charge of his sound and how much it cuts through to be heard by the audience.  An guess what?. the flamenco guitarists were in the same boat and these guys/girls didnt even have amps, they had to project right through, vocals, the cajon (flamenco box used for percussion) numerous percussion of dancers as well as all the handclaps on stage and via the audience.

 

These days a 150watt marshall stack mic'd up through a 5k sound rig will pretty much cut through anything, including the doors to fort knox, but hey ho, we are after different results.  So lets take a look at the tools and the talent.

 

Guitar - the flamenco guitar, differs from acoustic models with steel strings or those built for classical purposes.  The wood (sometimes spanish cypress) of the guitar will be light and ideal for helping the sound penetrate and cut through, our cousins in the classical world often favour a denser wood, heavier, providing a warm round tone.  Flamenco guitars, have a full body and deep resonant sound, but also a heck of a bite, the action is also low enabling fast runs and holding down all important rhythm chords for long periods of time to support singers and dancers.

 

Technique - A drummer friend of mine once said, "cymbals are designed to be hit", sounds obvious really, but what he means is, if you are going to hit, then HIT.  With the flamenco guitar, I encourage steering away from dipping your toe in the water to check the temperature. To capture the sound, start by capturing the energy.  Of course its ok to do things slowls to build up the speed over a longer period of time and ultimately do them correctly, but do do it with all your heart.  That guitar punches through becasue the energy behind it is great, its not a casual stroke of the string or brush of a chord unless the player wishes it so.

 

 

 

Part Three, Rasgueo (one of the flamenco strums )

 

The above word has many interpretations, I am going to show you one technique that has the immediate effect of bringing about a loud percussive strum that can be used to punctuate the beginning or end of a musical progression with great effect.  This is one of the number one musical equivalents of this symbol   !!

 

Playing the chord of E major at the root, strum the chord in the following way.

 

bunch the hand loosely in a closed fist, extend the fingers one after the other across the strings starting with the small finger, let the small finger almost finish its extension before releasing the next, finish with the first finger extension, remember the energy needs to come out here.  This technique when used live creates one hell of a punch, and almost anyone in the audience on their mobile at this time will abruptly find themselves saying the words "i'll call ya back"

 

Using the technique in a chord progression.

 

Spanish flamenco is famously enjoyed through the minor keys, in particular Phrygian (which i may cover later if anyone is crazy enough want to read that far) for the time being play the following, on the very last strum try out the rasgueo.

 

E maj x 8 (alternate up and down strokes)

 

F maj x 8

 

G maj x 4

 

F maj x 

 

E maj x 5, the fifth being where you place the rasgueo ending

More coming soon!

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info@themusicofbyron.com