Help with the beat

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Help with the beat

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flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

Help with the beat

OK a year and a quarter in and its going great. But now my lack of any previous musical instrument is telling.

I really must get down to the difficult bit of palo and beats. So the metronome is by my side. Does anyone have any ideas, exercises, or whatever to help with not wanting to over beat???

OK you haven't a clue what I'm talking about and possibly nor have I so an example. I have a solea (level zero Juan Martin). The metronome is set to 6, my foot to three, and off we go. But before long everything is in sixes (1-and-2-and-3-and-1-and...). I can't stop the foot wanting to tap every beat. Tried metronome on three and vioce on six, etc. .

If the answers just try harder I can live with that but just wondered if anyone had any ideas. Help as always greatfully received.

_____________________________

nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 22 2005 15:13:38

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Help with the beat (in reply to flyeogh)

Nigel,
I can't personally see what the problem is in tapping every beat.
Tap every beat if you want to...so long as the phrasing is right and it sounds like Soleares.
Maybe tap a little harder on the 3, 6 etc
Personally, I feel for a guitarist, the rhythm should be in your head and your hands.

Only my opinion of course!

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 22 2005 16:25:59

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Help with the beat (in reply to flyeogh)

Start with taping every beat with your foot. Then do solea palmas at the same time.
Do it along with the metronome or preferebly to a recording you like. It helps if it got cajon or palmas already in there (if you can´t hear the rythm in the playing as it is).
Then you might wanna try to tap your foot. on 3 6 8 10 12 or 3 7 8 10 12.
And do the same solea palmas over it.

This is just an idea to improve the feeling of the rythm. I do it a lot. while riding the bus,walking or infront of the stereo.

Henrik

_____________________________

This is hard stuff!
Don't give up...
And don't make it a race.
Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 22 2005 16:40:23

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Help with the beat (in reply to flyeogh)

Thanks guys. I'm certainly practising the palo on the train (even if you get odd looks - nothing new there then

) I'll give the foot beat and palmas palo a go. But it is the foot. Clearly with the guitar the hands do their thing and you know if it is wrong. The issue with the foot doing them all is that after the fast bit I need to bring it back to the main beats (where there is three notes to the bar and not six) or I suddenly find myself going twice as quick.

I've just been practising a Tientos and this has notes off beat and seems to be easier - my feet do not follow irregular beats.

Possibly I'm worrying about nothing and it will sort itself out in time. As anders suggested a little while ago if you have technical playing issues your brain tries to sort them out and meanwhile you can lose the palo or in my case the beat. As you say Ron the beat in the head is the one that I need to perfect. I'll crack on and ignore it for a couple of months. Just a bit concerned about bad habits and all that.

_____________________________

nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 22 2005 17:04:00