| Are Flamenco guitar lessons worth taking for | | | | succession. The thumb and fingers of a guitarist who |
| somebody not raised in Andalucia? Many years ago | | | | has practiced this technique can play some very fast |
| you had to be a black American to have any credibility | | | | arpeggio passages. The effect is similar to sweep |
| as a blues singer or guitar player. And if you were not | | | | picking used in rock guitar. |
| Spanish you never got anywhere as a Flamenco artist | | | | The thumb is uses almost exclusively in downstrokes. |
| no matter how good you were. But these days, like | | | | This is another rest stroke where the thumb plays, for |
| many musical traditions, Flamenco is now embracing | | | | example, the sixth string and comes to rest on the fifth |
| young people from non-Spanish origins. Twenty or | | | | string before starting the next stroke. It may seem |
| thirty years ago Flamenco guitar playing, at least as | | | | strange to anybody who has not tried it to make the |
| perceived by people outside of Spain was dominated | | | | thumb and fingers "rest" between strokes, but this |
| by a couple of third-rate guitar players who were | | | | technique can produce some very fast thumb and |
| good at promoting themselves. Now you can see | | | | picado playing. |
| many fantastic guitar players, professional and | | | | Another technique used in Flamenco guitar is the |
| amateur, Spanish and non-Spanish giving wonderful | | | | tremolo. This is a technique for producing a long line of |
| Flamenco guitar performances on YouTube. Here is a | | | | melody notes accompanied by the thumb playing bass |
| rundown on the guitar techniques you will be | | | | notes. This technique was borrowed from classical |
| introduced to if you decide to take Flamenco guitar | | | | guitar and differs in that Flamenco tremolo is played |
| lessons. | | | | with four notes between each bass note whereas |
| So onto some basic Flamenco guitar techniques. The | | | | classical guitarists only play three melody notes |
| most distinctive technique used in Flamenco is the | | | | between bass notes. In most guitar notation systems |
| tapping on the body of the guitar. This technique is | | | | the thumb is shown as "p" (for the Spanish "pulgar"), |
| called the golpe and is performed just below the sound | | | | the index finger is shown as "i" , the middle finger is |
| hole. Flamenco guitars are made with a tapping plate | | | | designated "m" and the ring finger is "a" (for annular |
| to minimize damage to the guitar from constant hitting | | | | which is latin for ring). |
| of the body. The golpe is often used in conjunction | | | | To play a continuous E on the open first string of the |
| with downward strokes of the thumb and with | | | | guitar, use the fingers and thumb in this order: |
| continuous up and down strokes of the index finger | | | | Play a bass note on the open sixth string with your |
| used by guitarists playing the Flamenco musical form | | | | thumb using rest stroke. |
| called Bulerias. | | | | On the open first string: |
| The rapid picking exhibited by Flamenco guitarists is | | | | Play a free stroke with i |
| called picado. This is also used in classical guitar but to | | | | Play a free stroke with a |
| nowhere near the same degree. It is a "rest" stroke | | | | Play a free stroke with m |
| which is played by striking a string with an upward | | | | Play a free stroke with i |
| stroke of the first or second finger which comes to | | | | You have just played one bass note followed by four |
| rest on the string behind it. So if you play a rest stroke | | | | melody notes. To continue playing, make an E chord |
| on the second string the finger comes into contact | | | | with your left hand and alternate the bass notes |
| with the third string after it has struck the note. | | | | between the sixth, fifth and fourth strings. |
| Flamenco scale passages are played as picado using | | | | As you can see these techniques are hard to explain |
| rapid alternating strokes of the first and second fingers. | | | | in words. They are easier to understand if you use my |
| Another Flamenco guitar technique is the use of rapid | | | | written descriptions in conjunction with watching |
| arpeggios. Arpeggios are played by placing the first, | | | | Flamenco guitarists on video. It will take some hard |
| second and third fingers in position on the first, second | | | | work to actually use these techniques, and I strongly |
| and third strings as if you are going to pluck a chord. | | | | suggest you take lessons from a guitar player who |
| Instead of plucking all three strings you lift your whole | | | | knows how to play Flamenco. |
| hand slightly so that the fingers play the strings in rapid | | | | |