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Flamenco guitar playing
Flamenco is a really serious music
Flamenco is the music of the gypsies of southern Spain. Mostly what
we Americans hear is the guitar playing of highly accomplished
professionals. I'm fond of saying that Flamenco guitarists think that they
are being paid by the note.
In fact, Flamenco guitar, like any other folk music, has a lot of
wonderful, simple material that anyone can learn. After all, there are
lots of people in Spain starting to learn to play guitar with flamenco.
I have been teaching Flamenco guitar playing since the early '60s, and
have had literally hundreds of students over the years. I've developed a
kind of tablature, thanks to the computer and CorelDraw, that is easily
learned by everyone. It's a kind of traditional pictorial notation,
originally developed in the rennaisance for the lute, that uses fret
numbers on lines instead of notes. It's very intuitive.
As a break from guitar building, some of my students take a Flamenco
guitar lesson as part of their day's tuition.
we Americans hear is the guitar playing of highly accomplished
professionals. I'm fond of saying that Flamenco guitarists think that they
are being paid by the note.
In fact, Flamenco guitar, like any other folk music, has a lot of
wonderful, simple material that anyone can learn. After all, there are
lots of people in Spain starting to learn to play guitar with flamenco.
I have been teaching Flamenco guitar playing since the early '60s, and
have had literally hundreds of students over the years. I've developed a
kind of tablature, thanks to the computer and CorelDraw, that is easily
learned by everyone. It's a kind of traditional pictorial notation,
originally developed in the rennaisance for the lute, that uses fret
numbers on lines instead of notes. It's very intuitive.
As a break from guitar building, some of my students take a Flamenco
guitar lesson as part of their day's tuition.
Ervin Somogyi cracks me up with a Bulerias riff, while John Valterza accompanies
with "palmas", at an NCAL meeting. That chord is a B flat, by the way.
with "palmas", at an NCAL meeting. That chord is a B flat, by the way.
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