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Lessons/Advise
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Kalo
Posts: 400
Joined: Jan. 25 2011
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 Lessons/Advise
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Hi Everyone!
I am new to foro flamenco! My name is Kalo, and I am a girl who is VERY interested in flamenco guitar!
I've been studying flamenco guitar on my own for 1 year! I came across Jason's McGuire's blog where he offers a few FREE flamenco guitar lessons. I have learnt Sevillinas F# Phyrgian/Compas and count with my Compas clock.
I also learnt from this site a Bulerias Compas Set of medium difficult that I can also play and count with my compas clock as well.
I would like to join Jason's site for lesson, but, i am wondering if it is a little too advise for me.
My problem is I felt like it took me forever technique wise to get those two palos down!
I want to acquire a teacher for sure before joining Jason's site! I've heard that he only post lessons there for a month.
I don't want to say where I live because what I am going to explain about this teacher and his lesson might not come off sounding to nice. Where I live this is the only flamenco stuido so if I give more information and flamenco guitarist reads this forum well, it might not sound to good.
This flamenco/teacher and his wife own a the one only flamenco studio here in town. I was so STOKED and thought that having a lesson with this teacher and was really going to help me.
When I spoke to this teacher over the phone he showed immense promise that he would make sure my technique was correct and really help me.
Okay, so the day of my lessons this teacher plays a farruca accompaniment for his wife! That wife/flamenco dancer was awesome!
Cutting to the long story when it came time for my lessons, he was showing off just playing a solea for almost 20 min. So, I got bored watching him show off and sat in the corner and played a farruca that I learnt from a book!
To be honest and please don't think I am arrogant, his farruca accompaniment that he played for his wife sounded as though he learnt it from a book as well.
As I was playing farruca to get his attention so we could FINALLY start giving me my lesson, he stopped playing for a moment and turned around and said "oh you know that one", I replied, yes".
SAfter almost wasting 20 min. of my time he then came over to show me a rumba pattern that I already knew. I basically only had 10 min. of a lesson at the most.
He said following week he was going to show me a tangos, started playing what he was going to show me, and it was this basic tangos with a fan type ras. starting with a xami.
After he played the basic tangos he was going to show me for next weeks lesson I played it back and again, oh, you know that one, I said, yes, but I like this way of playing my tangos.
I showed him basic tangos with a flick ras. amii that I learnt from a book He responded what is it with all you players today using that flick from behind your thumb. That techinque is so limiting.
I didn't say anything other than I guess Tomatito likes using that ras. and he said I have NEVER seen Tomatito use that techinque!
Anyway his wife came out at the end and said to him that she thought I should sit in with the dance group and he was like "Oh, no, I'll deciede when she sits in" and then as she was talking to me enthusically he was there in the corner jamming another solea and acting like he was in his own world.
His wife glanced over at him with a dirty look like she wanted to say to him can't you see I am talking to this girl and you are being rude playing your guitar over us. She looked at me and said just ignore him he just loves his guitar.
To make the long story short, I didn't go back for another lesson because I truly felt he wasn't going to show me anything.
He never looked to see if my techinque was correct while I was playing and all he ever said was "oh, you know that one"?
This is where I need advise! Should I go back and give this teacher/flamenco guitarist and give him another chance?
In my heart I think first impressions are everything and he was clearly into his own playing and style which was very old school and that is okay, but, guys he seriously sounded like he learnt stuff from a text as well.
He told me that his style came from Diago Gastor's protege and that he study with him.
The bottom line is I really want to learnt stuff! I know there are a whole sleuth of on line lessons from Jose Tanaka, to Jason McGuire, but I think I would really like to hawn my techinque!
What should I do? Go back to this guy and see if he is a better teacher than what I experience my first time or should I go take on line lessons. I will try to post my buleria playing. It's nothing fancy but, I will post an audio file. I am going to invest in a inexpensive camcorder so you can see my playing and hopefully give advise on it!
Any adivse as of right now would be great!!
Thanks
Kalo
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jan. 25 2011 22:28:23
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El Kiko
Posts: 2697
Joined: Jun. 7 2010
From: The South Ireland
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RE: Lessons/Advise (in reply to Kalo)
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Hi Kalo , and welcome to the site ...
The only thing I have to say , maybe you already know , playing and learning flamenco should be fun ,, you do it cos you want to , so apart from learning you have to get on with your teacher and like his style , both playing and style of teaching, . if you have a doubt in your mind then forget it ,,,,
but it's up to you of course.....
Here on this site you there are many great players who also are teachers and proffesionals, and many people who will give advice and post vids and give feedback, there is quite a lot of here when you find it all.
There are also little competitions and challenges you can enter which really help.
So really no matter what you decide, you can stay on this site, and have a teacher or any other material , and use this place as a sounding board or just to have a seconed opinion...
_____________________________
Don't trust Atoms.....they make up everything.
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jan. 25 2011 23:33:45
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Kalo
Posts: 400
Joined: Jan. 25 2011
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RE: Lessons/Advise (in reply to XXX)
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quote:
Posted: Deniz Looks like you already have his wife on your side LOL. I dont know if you should go to that teacher. Do you think he can show you something? Does he have a decent technique to copy for you? Does he know good material, things you like? If all this is not the case, then you at least have a dancer to accompany now ;) Welcome to the foro btw!
Thanks Deniz! I am happy I found this forum!! In reality I don't know if this guy has any good chops to show me. I hope I don't come off as sounding arrogant, but this teacher's style was very choppy sounding like he was fight the strings! It sounded as though he was fighting HARD TENSION strings and had a high action! I can tell you that I wouldn't want to learn his style of playing. I could hear the squeaky sound of his fingers when he moved from chord to chord. His Ras. sounded like a wooshing sound not very strong, but more of the older traditional style! There was just something missing in his playing that just didn't sound authentic. He really sounded like he learnt his stuff from a dated book. Does that make sense??
quote:
Posted: henry3483 i would say one good lesson with a teacher you like and most importantly respect correcting your technique is better than 20 crappy lessons with a guy you dont. i travel to spain each year and get lessons when i can from visiting teachers such as canito etc, and when i can from el fenomeno John "el picao" Walsh. i'm a subsriber to jasons website, his material is always there (not just for one month) and for a little over 25€ a month (half the cost of a one on one lesson with a pro teacher) you get access to a tonne of videos, compas patterns,falsetas and yes he does have a great section on technique, scales, chord progs etc. also if you upload your stuff to youtube he will give constructive criticism to you.
Hi henrym3483, yes you're right one good lesson is better than 20 years of crappy lessons!!! Jason's site sounds like an ideal website. I did learn two palos that I am sure you might be familiar with, again this was from Jason's blog and it was free. However, it took me 5 months to get the sound and the techinque correct. I just got a new job, and I am very much considering joining Jason's site!! Also, by next week I should be able to afford a camcorder! I will for sure upload videos of my playing so that you all can help me!!
quote:
Posted: Rico_Kiko: The only thing I have to say , maybe you already know , playing and learning flamenco should be fun ,, you do it cos you want to , so apart from learning you have to get on with your teacher and like his style , both playing and style of teaching, . if you have a doubt in your mind then forget it ,,,, but it's up to you of course..... Here on this site you there are many great players who also are teachers and proffesionals, and many people who will give advice and post vids and give feedback, there is quite a lot of here when you find it all. There are also little competitions and challenges you can enter which really help. So really no matter what you decide, you can stay on this site, and have a teacher or any other material , and use this place as a sounding board or just to have a seconed opinion...
Hi Rico_Kiko, Well, I do have doubts in my mind about this Flamenco/Teacher, because I didn't learn anything new! More important he never really checked my techinques!! Another thing he stated during my lesson with him was that he never goes over lessons from the week before! He doesn't like to repeat himself. Well, what if I had questions? I am starting to see that I will learn more of this site then with him!!
quote:
Posted: deteresa1 No. he sounds like a tool. Pick up the Juan Martin books and start watching Youtube videos. Upload some stuff here. Jason's site is a great resource and there are other good online teachers too as you mentioned. For the price of a one hour lesson with Manitas de Drogas over there you can get Jason 24 hours a day for a month.
The only thing I dislike about Juan Martin is his ras. examples sound weak! I like the way the more modern players sound. I would love to learn traditional flamenco with a more modern techinque! I did learn some stuff off Graf-Martinez book, Volume I, but most of what I am working on now is from the free lessons that Jason offered on his blog! OMG, I just read the rest of your post Maintas de Drogas, LOL!!! That is funny!!! Your right I am sure Jason will probably be the way to go. What I love about Jason's site is CANTE/BAILE! All of his teaching style is geared up for that and not performance flamenco guitar. I much more prefer learning cante/Baile ANYTIME!!
I want to thank you all for your advise!! I will stay on this forum and should have a video posted next week. Please any cool critique of my playing will help me quite a bit. I look forward to all of your help in the future!!
Thanks,
Kalo!
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jan. 26 2011 1:35:59
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Kalo
Posts: 400
Joined: Jan. 25 2011
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RE: Lessons/Advise (in reply to Ricardo)
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Hi Ricardo,
quote:
try i up, a down, i down. Only flick i down. That is what tomatito would do for basic compas of tangos. Only thing is I agree too many people do flick off the the thumb for EVERY rasgueado, but there are so many more colors available. Still I recommend mcguire and also tanaka. I also teach only live skype lessons if you are interested. First lesson is free try out to see if it will work for you.
Ricardo,
on the i up, a down, i down (only flicked) should I practice it in triplet form? Also, should I learn to play the amii without flicking it? I learn to flick it from the Graff-Martinez book.
I would very much appreciate a lesson from you. Maybe even once a month until I know I have good techinques going.
As stated, by next week I should have a camcorder and I can also join skype.
I will pm you when I get everything rolling!
Thank you,
Kalo
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jan. 26 2011 3:03:57
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Kalo
Posts: 400
Joined: Jan. 25 2011
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RE: Lessons/Advise (in reply to Kalo)
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quote:
Hi Kalo, I'd really recommend one to one lessons. I wasted a year trying things from the internet and books etc. The problem is that if you aren't practicing correctly to start with then you'll just develop poor technique and become frustrated. If you're not happy with the quality of teachers in your area then I'd recommend you hook up with Ricardo for a one to one Skype lesson. It's quite important you start off on the right foot, and have a teacher check out what you're actually doing. Have fun.
Hi sean65, You bring up an very interesting point!! I agree with you 100% I am at the point to where I could learn from Jason's site or Jose site, however, it has taken me a long time to get the tehniques down! Like the Sevinillas I have learnt form Jason's site. I still screw up on the apreggio! I play it decent, but there are some part I don't understand why I am still have a little bit of trouble with! So, yes, before I signed up for Jason's or Jose's site, I really want one on one lessons!! Happy to say that if Ricardo is willing, I would like to start one on one with him!!! I am stoked that I found this forum!!!
quote:
Kalo, How dare you talk about me like this; I'm that teacher
Only kidding First of all welcome to the Foro.
>LOL, Argaith! You know I can't chance saying the state I live in because flamenco is such a small world. Seems like everyone knows each other. This teacher is very much internet savy that even though he may not post doesn't mean he doesn't check out the post, LOL!!!
quote:
First of all welcome to the Foro. I double Sean65; nothing is better than a one to one (face to face) lesson with a good teacher. You can learn a lot on your own from books, etc (if you are disciplined) but there's always risk of learning things wrongly. A good teacher can fine tune you (hand position, etc) and teach you nice tricks. However, if there's not a decent teacher around, your best bet is on the on-line lessons from Jason or Richardo. Bear in mind that IT TAKES TIME, so be patient. Good luck.
Thanks! I hear ya on the one on one lessons with a good teacher!! Your right I have learnt some good stuff from books and your also right that one can also learn things incorrectly and think they are doing the techinque right as well!! Thanks for awesome words that it does take time!!! I am patient person!
quote:
As you say later on this can be done as well with a straight thumb anchored on the 6th, but there IS a reason to anchor on the 5th and bend, that would be to snap into the D string bass note. Meaning you do it deliberate to flick/snap that bass note, especially on say an accent or with a golpe. Even to anchor on the D string to snap into the trebles may be desired. It all depends on the chord voicing and purpose. Point being there are reasons for doing it differently, not a one and only way it should be done.
Very good explanation Ricardo!!! I was seriously under the impression that the flicked ras. was done to be modern and not for the different colors!!! Very AWESOME point!!! This is why I need to take private lessons with you!!! I will hopefully, look into a cool inexpensive camcorder this weekend so we can start some skype lessons!!!
Thanks for all the great advise!
Kalo
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Date Jan. 26 2011 21:39:28
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Kalo
Posts: 400
Joined: Jan. 25 2011
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RE: Lessons/Advise (in reply to at_leo_87)
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quote:
i've taken skype lessons with ricardo, online lessons with mcguire and tanaka. all highly recommended. lessons with ricardo would be a good idea to work on your technique. see how much you learned from just a few posts? imagine a 1 on 1 skype lesson.
Wow, that is awesome at_leo_87! I seriously plan to start with Ricardo first! Hopefully, he'll be able to help me with my techinque. I think the one I am having trouble with are fast arpeggios!! I can also use a little help on my triplet ras as well. I can only play it so fast and then it feels like my wrist is cramping. I think I need to relax. However, tonight I practiced VERY slow with a metronome. I've been at the same speed for about two weeks and it is helping!
quote:
I'm sorry to hear your story Kalo! There may be instructors or those that claim to be instructors but fail to listen to the students! Sometimes people may play well but they can't teach at all, and those are people you may want to get away from.
Well, this teacher has a lot of passion for flamenco! But, for some reason some teachers lack direction on how to teach!
quote:
Since you've been playing for a year or so, I don't think the online stuff is bad at all. If you can play Jason's intermediate bulerias stuff well then I don't think your technique is all that bad. Having a few lessons to correct your technique is the basic minimum before attempting to learn other things on your own though.
Well, with lots of practice I can play the Sevillinas and Buleria, but, I am sure that when you all see me play there are probably somethings that will need correcting. The good thing is I can play to the compas clock and I am in compas, so at least I am on the right track.
quote:
I'm subscribed to both of the J's websites (Jason McGuire and Jose Tanaka) and I'm taking all I can from anybody (we all got lots to offer). I've never taken any lessons from Ricardo, but from a student's perspective on this forum, he is attentive and always answer questions on this forum rather quickly and explain things in a very clear manner, so that's evident of his dedication to the art ... instead of just showing off like some others. His youtube video are phenomenal to watch too, so I'm vouching for him based on that.
Wow, that is awesome that you are taking lessons from both site!! I was reading a TONS of review about Ricardo's Buleria compas that is available for only $10.00 on a site called flamenco-teacher.com LOTS of RAVE reviews on that lesson!!! I was thinking of purchasing now, but, maybe I will wait for my lessons with Ricardo before hand. Either way I don't think I can go wrong with that lesson! I've read LOTS of wonderful reviews about Ricardo's teaching and playing 
quote:
lol.. I think if he reads this he will pretty much know who it's him
Well, maybe, he does know who is posting about him, LOL!!! If he does read this thread which I highly doubt, no harm intended to him!!! I guess I felt a little disappointed that the lessons didn't turn out better!
Again thanks to all for the advise and the encouragement!!
Kalo!
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Date Jan. 27 2011 3:08:49
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