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Thought i'd try this as a topic.. First thread i believe...been here over a year... This time of year i find about 70% of my flamenco playing involves working with another guitarist usually in dance classes/rehearsals/performance... This is a great thing is these players have alot more experience and are passionate and inspiring players.. as a second guitarist either in classes or in performance find i am often given a fairly free reign in terms of extending the chords and harmonizing falseta's and picado runs etc... I try to get a handle on the falseta's they play and work on these things in practice, some i can play... but when we play together there is often a different part i create...usually a result of improvisation until the ideas are solid or familiar....
with compas i am becoming familiar with breaks, llamada's.., baile and cante..in a variety of palos...knowing what to play and what not to play one guitarist i work with has a fairly traditional rep while the other is modern in approach guess i get the best of both worlds...great place to be in your hometown..
so the point of this is i realized my background in jazz/world and brazilian music is influencing my approach and learning of flamenco guitar in terms of harmony etc...a type of mindset in terms of analysis and possibilities..
so there's always this uneasy feeling that i'm not really playing flamenco... only those around me are!...
guess i'm a realist and know that my flamenco playing will never be traditional or as mindblowing as some of the artists at foro...but certainly want to understand the essence of the art and respectful of the tradition...
so if there is anyone out there who works regularly with another guitarist would be interested in sharing any approaches to working with two or three guitars, creating parts and ensemble playing guess this is the space to share..any thoughts, theories..criticisms...process's...
Posts: 528
Joined: Nov. 10 2008
From: Helsinki, Finland
RE: Playing with other guitarists (in reply to Guest)
interresting topic! I play sometimes with other guitarrists and I also lack ideas. Only thing that I can do is strengthen the chords for their falseta, or do some counter rhytms for compas. Im like a percussionist making the rhytm more interresting. I would like to know how to create interresting harmonies and second melodies to make falsetas more beautiful. So im studying harmony, melody and rhytm but cannot give you any advices. I hope someone else shares their ideas also.
RE: Playing with other guitarists (in reply to Guest)
just upload something IMO. I have no idea why not more members use this forum as a tool to progress in their playing, by uploading and getting feedback.
RE: Playing with other guitarists (in reply to XXX)
ok. did occur to me.. just need to get permission from the other players to upload their playing on a public forum...a few days i guess...another thought is if someone else uploads could record a second part..like a mini challenge or something..thanks
RE: Playing with other guitarists (in reply to Guest)
quote:
Playing with other guitarists
In general I realy like that. Thats the fastest way to improve and to get fun for playing. The problem is,.. that you have to find players who are at your level. That way everyone can push the others.
RE: Playing with other guitarists (in reply to Guest)
Hi, Recently our teacher (group lesson) showed us a video where he is supporting Rafael Utrera and his wife (sorry forgot the name). Rafael's wife gave an extended dance performance with many rhythmic runs. He stopped the video a number of times and asked us to identify the rhythms and then repeat them on the guitar keeping in compas. He said that there is so much to be had from imitating these rhythms. To do this with many guitars requires a lot of 'space', and the support guitars best mark the compas with minimal strumming. He has the same opinion of any improvisation - doesn't matter so much what the notes are as that they fit in with and have the feel of the rhythm.
RE: Playing with other guitarists (in reply to Elie)
Unison Octave displacement Counterpoint Harmonized by 3rds and 6ths Harmonized b 4th and 5ths Other intervals for dissonance Strum chords in rhythm underneath the falsetas and switch every other falseta.
thanks DED
seems i'm on the right track then..will try to upload some ideas