My thumb makes me mad

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Georg

Posts: 405
Joined: Feb. 5 2006
From: Germany

My thumb makes me mad

From all the techniques the pulgar technique is the one that is the most difficult to me.

These are the problems I noticed:

- right and left hand are not coordinated when it becomes faster (although I practice it slow most of the time)
- I'm lacking strength
- I'm lacking stamina

Are there any exercises to improve this? At the moment I'm doing the Oscar Herrero exercises, and the famous one from Gerardos Encuentro video, but I don't get over a certain point. Perhaps I got not talent...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 8 2007 23:38:57

edgar884

Posts: 1975
Joined: Nov. 16 2005

RE: My thumb makes me mad (in reply to Georg)

One thing I was told in one of the workshops I went to was, work on playing downstrokes with the thumb first, apoyanda of course and the later work on upstrokes or double picking with the thumb.

Try doing just a simple chromatic scale with all down strokes on the thumb and make sure to keep it rigged.

I hope that helps a little.

_____________________________

May we find God through Flamenco instead of Angels and Demons

www.gabrieledgar.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 9 2007 0:39:01

Georg

Posts: 405
Joined: Feb. 5 2006
From: Germany

RE: My thumb makes me mad (in reply to Georg)

Thanks Edgar for replying.

I'll give that a try.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 9 2007 9:10:35

John O.

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

RE: My thumb makes me mad (in reply to Georg)

Hi Georg,

could you possibly make a video? It's hard to tell where the problem could be or which exercise would help.

In any case you won't get strength, stamina or practise your reflexes if you only practise slow, you should also try speeding up bit by bit with a metronome. A metronome is very important, it'll keep you in rhythm, measure your improvement and bring your left and right hand together when you practise.

At the slowest speed at which a technique doesn't work, really focus on the exact point where it goes wrong, slow down the metronome and focus on that.

The thumb's a real bitch to get going, I had major problems for years. Just don't give up!