Flamenco

thomasross20

I've listened to loads of flamenco in my time, really like it. Dabbled playing it (ha, a life's study!) a while back and even bought (and sold, doh!) a nice Yamaha flamenco-type guitar.

So. This is a thread for everything to do with flamenco. Technique, theory, guitars, artists, you name it.

thomasross20

My faves (maybe typical) are paco DE Lucia, Vicente amigo, Jason McGuire but there are clearly loads more.

I met a guy at the airport who was off to a flamenco course in Spain for pennies!

mellowsun

I've just bought the Juan Martin book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-Solo-Flamenco-Guitar-Martin/dp/0786664584

Even the pieces in Grade 0 are pretty difficult, as you have to master rasgueado. The problem for me is the strum starts with the little finger, i.e: e a m i, which is the opposite to the way my hand wants to play it!

thomasross20

Thanks for that, will check it out

Kebabkid

I love the usual suspects like Paco de Lucia (God rest his soul), Vicente Amigo, Paco Pena (cited by Hendrix as being rather brilliant and still putting on excellent shows) and a guy called Eduardo Niebla who used to duet with Antonio Forcione.

My favourite flamenco-based record is Paco de Lucia's sextet "Live...One Summer Night". I saw them on that tour too and they were all simply amazing
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meltedbuzzbox

mellowsun said:

I've just bought the Juan Martin book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-Solo-Flamenco-Guitar-Martin/dp/0786664584

Even the pieces in Grade 0 are pretty difficult, as you have to master rasgueado. The problem for me is the strum starts with the little finger, i.e: e a m i, which is the opposite to the way my hand wants to play it!

what a small world, I ordered that yesterday as well from Amazon

DulcetJones

I've been through a large flamenco phase, along with the above mentioned players I got into Sabicas, Juan Serrano and dabbled with the Graf-Martinez book/DVD's.  I found that any instructional  DVD's you can get are the best way to go for getting the techniques right, but to make them really work takes a lot of slow practice and lots of counting.   I met a guy who used to work on rasguedo on his beer glass, nearby objects like table legs, his chin, maddening really, but with the beer glass you could hear and count easily...., I did own a made in Spain flamenco guitar for a few years, "Appariccio" or something but sold it a few years ago after a bout with RSI in both arms.  Before the phase fizzled out I was accompanying a small group of flamenco dancers for a dance studio each week for a few months, just during classes though, no live shows.

thomasross20

I guess the difficult thing is the outlet for that style of playing...
I'm going to try and see a few flamenco shows at the Edinburgh fringe.

rolls1392

Have been trying to learn this stuff for about 18months now using a Juan Martin book and also Youtube.

Its tough going but I think its all down to loads of practice.

Currently battling tremolo, trying to get it regular and quick enough.

Better than working though!!

EricTheWeary

There was a doc on BBC4 tonight about flamenco, might be worth catching on iPlayer.

thomasross20

Was it this? 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01dy1fk

There must be so many great vids on youtube. I love watching the flamenco concerts of the artists I mentioned previously. 

EricTheWeary

I think so, haven't actually watched it.

thomasross20

No probs - will try to check it out if I have time. 

There are two flamenco series' on jamplay so I'm going to give them a shot at some point. 

PolarityMan

Apparently it's the algae in the water that makes them pink.

DLM

PolarityMan said:

Apparently it's the algae in the water that makes them pink.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11KaKhGAa3I

Blacksheep

Check out Camaron . . . the boy genius of flamenco . . . particularly the recordings he did with Paco de Lucia.

Also a guy called Migeul Flores who often performs as Capullo de Jerez (God knows why.  Capullo is slang for asshole!)

I also highly recommend a trip to the annual Jerez flamenco festiva, which is in March I think. I did this one year and it was excellent. Although admittedly I was shit-faced for much of time.

Much better than the flamenco tablaos organised for tourists in Seville etc.

ArchtopDave

Just back from seeing Juan Martin tonight playing in a duo. Excellent evening.

DulcetJones

ArchtopDave said:

Just back from seeing Juan Martin tonight playing in a duo. Excellent evening.

Glad to hear he's still doing well.  During an intense flamenco phase a few years ago I learned a lot from several of his instructional books/CDs/DVDs.   His approach worked better for me than most of the other materials I worked with.

ArchtopDave

DulcetJones said:

ArchtopDave said:

Just back from seeing Juan Martin tonight playing in a duo. Excellent evening.

Glad to hear he's still doing well.  During an intense flamenco phase a few years ago I learned a lot from several of his instructional books/CDs/DVDs.   His approach worked better for me than most of the other materials I worked with.

Juan Martin y Chaparro de Malaga - doing 2 more Concerts - King's Place London. October 21st, and Arts Centre Colchester, October 22nd