Where from to study about compas

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rombsix

Posts: 7823
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

Where from to study about compas

Hey y'all,

I need a credible, and easy-to-read source about compas. I want to go back to the basics, and start from scratch, trying to cover all the palos properly. Any references in mind (books, websites, etc.)?

Gracias!

_____________________________

Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2009 20:12:23

minordjango

Posts: 918
Joined: Feb. 26 2005

RE: Where from to study about compas (in reply to rombsix)

i really like F.Nunez cd and book , he really describes all palos well, and the playing examples are so cool, guitar sounds great !!! i think Ron said it was a bellido ??

examples i feel M.Granados methods are cool , yet maybe M.Cardoba book 1 and dvd is also good, i purchased it and still need to motivate myself to get into it , instead of all the bells and whistles falstas.

your playing seems very call man, expecially your compas.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2009 20:40:44

JasonMcGuire

Posts: 1141
Joined: Apr. 10 2007

RE: Where from to study about compas (in reply to rombsix)

My advice would be to listen to lots and lots of cante recordings. Loads of compas there. Just listen. What you listen to is what you will eventually play. Reading is fine, but its really not the best way to learn flamenco. Its an old school aural tradition thing. Listen and repeat. It seems to me you have a great ear. Use it to learn compas. Spend the money you would use for books on CDs.

Try to develope a clear idea of what you WANT to sound like. When you have that in mind it becomes much clearer how to get there.

Guitar soloist CDs are fun, but the real foundation for flamenco is in accompaniment. I remember a critique of my playing once that I just strum a lot of chords most of the time. Everyone should spend a lot of time doing that sort of thing. Everything improves greatly by the study of compas.

Think of a drummer. Should a drummer spend all their time doing drum solos or should they work most of the time on grooving? Guess what? Flamenco guitar is actually a percussion instrument. You are a drummer wether you like it or not. Any instrument in which the notes are produced by striking them has to be considered a percussion instrument.

What do you call the guy that always hangs around musicians?........................

a Drummer!

_____________________________

http://www.Flamenco-Lessons.com/
http://www.CaminosFlamencos.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/Bikhiyal
http://flamenco-lessons.blogspot.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2009 21:19:02

aleksi

Posts: 528
Joined: Nov. 10 2008
From: Helsinki, Finland

RE: Where from to study about compas (in reply to rombsix)

Hi Ramzi,
I dont know books, but my advice is that you take a palo what you want to learn and start feeding your mind and body with it alot. Make a play list to your mp3, and while listening it, tap the rhytm with your feet or your hand or fingers. Try to find the basic rhytm first, stay with it until it becomes natural, then make a little variation about it and stay with it until it becomes natural. After you will be able to change between these two and know where you are all the time. If you have patience, you can then take third variation, make it solid etc..

After you have the basic compas under your feet/hands you have more freedom to listen whats around it. Start to listen how the singing is going, where does the guitarist make accents. They usually follow the basic compas pattern and it goes easily with your tapping, but they are also "playing" with the rhytm and accenting in interresting places (maybe just microsecond before or afrer the compas pattern) and ways.

I find this way of learning compas effective. You can do it where ever you are. Driving car, walking, bycicling, at shop, at home... After awhile the compas you want will be playing in your head even without mp3 and you can do some nice contras to that

I've noticed that theres a limit of how much listening one can take without getting crazy, or totally bored about the subject

so be careful

-Aleksi

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2009 22:40:17

aleksi

Posts: 528
Joined: Nov. 10 2008
From: Helsinki, Finland

RE: Where from to study about compas (in reply to rombsix)

I had to put one more message here to get away from the unauspicious posts number i had. Its the national emergency number so I was afraid something bad could happen because of that.
Im a bit superstitious

Have a nice day

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2009 22:45:47

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Where from to study about compas (in reply to rombsix)

quote:

I need a credible, and easy-to-read source about compas. I want to go back to the basics, and start from scratch, trying to cover all the palos properly. Any references in mind (books, websites, etc.)?

G.Graf Martinez vol 2 for bulerias.. strange compas..but it helps. And the one and only Juan Martin! (The white book) (caution... very old style of compases..but nice)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 9 2009 5:58:50

Ricardo

Posts: 14861
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Where from to study about compas (in reply to rombsix)

Just take any accurate transcription book of a flamenco player (like books by Faucher or Encuentro for example). Pick your palo, then go through the book(s) and mark off everything that is NOT a falseta (ie compas strumming)....and learn only those short sections. Over time you compile a rich bag of ways to make compas for a certain palo. I personally don't care about time period or player style, it can all fit together somehow. From there it is never ending learning whenever you hear or see a new pattern for a certain palo, and you take note of very subtle differences and details that enrich your expression of the rhythm, and finally it becomes your personal way.

I always feel weird about "method books" on flamenco. I see the simple compas patterns that try to get increasingly difficult and I wonder which flamenco player actually plays compas THAT way? Just pick something from a real deal player, and get it down, then add to it over time.

good luck
Ricardo

_____________________________

CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 9 2009 6:35:08

Wannabee

Posts: 131
Joined: Jan. 13 2007

RE: Where from to study about compas (in reply to rombsix)

I found these videos helpful:

I only posted two, but this guy has a whole series on youtube.

I noticed this video yesterday, it looks helpful as well.

Also, Ricardos lessons are very good.

In regards to why some of us lesser mortals require materials that work from simple to the more complex, I can only say that when I try and learn stuff that is at a professional level, I invariably get lost in just trying to play all the notes and lose sight of the compas.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 9 2009 15:22:41