John O Rocks!

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John O Rocks!

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Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

John O Rocks!

Seriously though John, I am listening to a lot of early Paco stuff at the mo and after checking out Paco on You tube I have been looking at your You-tube videos again.

I was trying some falsetas from Cepa Andalusa. That first falseta after the intro is SO tough on the left hand - you make it look so damn easy! All those barres with twiddly slurs etc. Its even hard played slow!

I have a published transcription of Cepa and I only just realised it has several errors - I've only looked at a few of the falsetas and they all had mistakes. I take it you did your own transcription too? Are you learning the rest of it?

PS Your Paco Solea climax was awesome too. Respect.

_____________________________

Spanish Guitarist in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2006 12:57:44

John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: John O Rocks! (in reply to Jon Boyes)

Well shizzle my nizzle...

Thanks, man!

Yes, I do my own transcriptions. Some things are just impossible to put into universal format notation-wise, so I listen to the CD and get exactly out what's played. Unfortunately once it's in my head I trash what I've written down (not that anybody else could read it).

My left hand can do some weird grips and pivots higher up but I sometimes have problems being loose in the first and second positions further down. Could be the way my wrist is positioned that holds me back. In any case when playing that bar at the 7th fret where the middle and ring fingers go to the 8th fret - it's okay to let them go at the same time. Makes it a lot easier and at full speed you don't really notice. Both those bars can be played a bit choppy. I also do a lot of pull-offs where I'm sure Paco hits the notes.

That soleá was a bit risky. During my honeymoon I realized I was missing a piece to play and knew I'd be performing a couple days after getting home. No notes, books, CDs or videos with me, so I stuck together all the falsettas I had in my head in an order that seemed to fit. The order goes Chicuelo, Nino de Pura, Montoya, PDL with a couple Canizares moments inbetween, Sabicas polo, back to PDL, Vincente alzapua.

On another topic, after yet another identity crisis

I'm focusing less on technique and more on improvisation with palos. I've learned about 15 alegria and guajira falsettas this week and am cramming more and more in every day. Focusing on technique and complex falsetas brought me a long way, but I'm missing repertoire big time.

Aaaaanywho, thanks for the complement!

Let me know if you have any questions about Cepa.

John

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2006 14:59:01

Romanza

Posts: 296
Joined: Oct. 24 2005

RE: John O Rocks! (in reply to Jon Boyes)

Let's have some links then!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2006 15:39:09

John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: John O Rocks! (in reply to Romanza)

Aaaaalright....

The rest is on my page, too. It's a shame I have that horrible sounding metronome going - don't have any palmas tracks to play over. Oh, well...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2006 16:15:35

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: John O Rocks! (in reply to John O.)

quote:

ORIGINAL: John O.
In any case when playing that bar at the 7th fret where the middle and ring fingers go to the 8th fret - it's okay to let them go at the same time. Makes it a lot easier and at full speed you don't really notice. Both those bars can be played a bit choppy.

Good tip - yeah, I was practicing it really slowly, holding that second finger down for the duration and trying to keep everything clean - ouch! Yours certainly doesn't sound choppy at tempo.

Interesting that - kind of goes against the usual way of practicing.

I just tried it lifting the middle finger early and its definitely easier - also just realised it helps to barre from the 5th string rather than all six of them.

Little fingering details make all the difference with stuff like this, don't you think?

_____________________________

Spanish Guitarist in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2006 16:27:50

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: John O Rocks! (in reply to John O.)

quote:

ORIGINAL: John O.
The rest is on my page, too. It's a shame I have that horrible sounding metronome going - don't have any palmas tracks to play over. Oh, well...

Use the original! Cepa Andalus has about 3 compases of palmas at the start as I recall. Chop and loop

_____________________________

Spanish Guitarist in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2006 16:32:44

John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: John O Rocks! (in reply to Jon Boyes)

It's all the difference, I think that's where most of the hours of practise go!

Not barring the 6th string is also important. To be honest I do hold the 8th fret with the middle finger a little bit, but now that I have my guitar with me, I'd say most important is concentrating the tension on the strings where you need it first. For example when sliding from 7th to 5th fret with the bar, first get to the 2nd string with your ring finger and the first string with the big knuckle of your index, the rest can take its time.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2006 16:35:45