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just wondering what is the difference of accompany a dancer
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dararith
Posts: 120
Joined: Jun. 4 2010
From: Oakland, CA
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 RE: just wondering what is the diffe... (in reply to XXX)
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Although it's true that the left hand accompanies the singer (pitch changes) and the right hand accompanies a dancer (rhythmic changes), there's more to it then this. Here are my findings from working with some dancers:
My dancer tells me that it's all about phrasing. I can't play just straight compas. I have to do more. This doesn't mean I need more material, I would simply need to phrase and accent various parts more effectively. When the dancer slides along gracefully waving her arm in the air, I would have to 'mimic' that motion on my guitar and bring THAT mood out. This could mean that I play an elongated, yet SOFT ieami strum...and when she flicks her wrist out to the side quickly, I would do a quick and dampened attack. Also I can't just throw in a chord change whenever I want, it has to match what they're doing. This took me a long time to figure out and I'm still working out the kinks in understanding this fully. Most of the time if they're not doing anything, I stay with the same chord (haha, I got yelled at when I changed to one other chord when they didn't do anything) until something signifies a change. This is different from a break or a llamada, both of which are easier to identify (at least with these dancers) as they have special signals one compas before to prep you for it....this is another story altogether though.
So it's not just footwork. Sure you can NOT look at the dancer and play what you hear but you need to be able to see them...and a good dancer will have facial expressions for joy (Alegrias/Guajiras) or lament (Solea)...and even within those palos, the mood changes dynamically with a brief moment. So instead of just following what the dancer is doing with your right hand technique, I find that a more advance (or interesting) thing to do is to GIVE TENSION to this. If they are doing beats in 3's and you do beats in 4 but somehow meet up in the end properly, then it all works out magically giving it a really wholesome, full-bodied feel.
Another thing is the type of 'phrasing' or rather, cycle. When my dancer is teaching her students various sections of a dance or specific dances, I would have to arrange (or compose) a cycle that FITS that entire section. She may do a cycle that repeats after every 4 compas, and you'd have to come up with something that fits. Go through your repertoire of falsetas and llamadas and compases and make it work. Not only that, but you have to play it very appropriately that fits the aire at the time (whether playing it softer, louder, phrasing the falseta differently, anything to bring out a desired mood). Sometimes it's not even about mimicking them exactly, but it's about creating the right atmosphere, the right mood.
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And so much more. I could go on and on. And yet, as I realize these things from working and speaking with many dancers, I have trouble keeping up, but the work of the guitarist has always been underestimated and often times unappreciated. However, deep down there's an underlying respect.
We are creating music and bringing out a flamenco aire, so there HAS to be a relationship between you and the dancer and singer. A renowned dancer visiting from Spain once told me that a guitarist he worked with never looked at him once...and although he played great music, he will never work with him again.
Word.
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Date Mar. 8 2011 23:41:05
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dararith
Posts: 120
Joined: Jun. 4 2010
From: Oakland, CA
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RE: just wondering what is the diffe... (in reply to Florian)
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quote:
thats a hard one to answer, cause its so hard to generalize in flamenco especially with unwritten rules ... its yes and no...there's room for interpretation but in keeping and observing certain rules..just like in flamenco but working with dancers/ singer ads its own set of rules on top
for example u dont have to play the exact escobilla melody but your melody should give the same dynamics...should use the accents to help and flatter and work with what the dancer is doing...rithm needs to be clear throughout , timing perfect, even when playing a falseta accents to be obvious or eazy to find ...the golden rule is how well does what you play sound with what the dancer is doing and how well it compliments it
so much about flamenco its unwritten but necessary to observe and notice and i guess noone could tell you all of it and even if they do... it still only really hits you after years and years of listening, watching and trial and error....cause u do different things, u watch yourself back on video and you think why dosent it swing and float the way i thought it did...
Exactly! I agree whole-heartedly. In the end, it's a matter of taste and preference in what you bring out in the dancer and yourself. There isn't a right or wrong answer. What you're bringing out to the world when you play or perform is a personality trait of your own....and how you're able to bring that aire in with others. You have to ask yourself is that what you want, is that bringing justice to the palo. Is that the type of emotion and feeling you want others to be receiving. If whatever you're playing is doing that, then good. You are sharing with the world or audience (and even with each other) your version of what flamenco is. You dismiss whatever intentions and selfishness aside and allow the flamenco artistry to emerge on its own and for that captured relationship to be expelled in the form of a dance, singing, playing, and even palmas (and finger snapping, banging on coffee tables, stomping your feet...everything). Flamenco is about expression after all, with all of its explosive emotions and gracefulness. Damn, it just got all zen-like and philosophical...haha.
Anyway, I believe solo playing is magnificent and I envy anyone out there that can perform brilliantly, however I think it misses a lot of great parts seen and experienced in other aspects of flamenco.
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Date Mar. 9 2011 5:41:36
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Florian
Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia
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RE: just wondering what is the diffe... (in reply to XXX)
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let me put it another way...its like when you the best soccer player on the pitch and you playing by yourself (with nothing to be measured against) ....as opposed to standing out still but while playing with your team...
as an accompanist you don't just get judged on your falsetas, your timing with the dancer/ singer, your strumming ( how effective is it), your dynamics with whats happening... your ability to make others look good to and your ability to understand what they trying to say and helping them say it, get any of those things wrong and the fact that you have a singer or dancer with you will really show it ...accompanying amigo is so so so much more then what you think it is..
for me soloing its eazyer...its like a martial arts demonstration with no opponent...u do whatever you want when you want and none can call you up on it, its artistic choice...u mess up a dynamic...you go back and do it again the next compas..with dancers or singers u get slapped over the head, u dont just need to remember what you need to do but what everyone needs to do too and when...
u dont just need to know your falsetas, have to remember every single beat and knock the dancer does with her feet and rithm but the cante chords and rithm and where it stops and how many compases before you go into that falseta, and the llamada that ends on 9, palo seco, and need to anticipate the unrehearsed thing she does...and need to listen and respond quickly...the amount of work and concentration dosent even compare...and btw u need to learn and remember all this in 2 or 3 rehearsals... i put so much details into my rithm and brakes and llamadas its just like a solo only i have to do it spot on at the same time and i get one chance at it...go back to my solea por bulerias video from the last show and watch the llamadas and the brakes and the detail that went into it in comparassement to the footwork and dynamics...the singing dynamics..with my help
i am not saying soloing is a piece of cake, its hard enough too, has its own challenges but personally i am always practicing everything else more then my solos in shows where there's both
i am not talking about accompanying where u just play whatever as long as its in compas ...i am talking real accompanying ...the kind that is set or thought out from compas 1 to the last and compliments and mimics and answers every knock and follows every dynamic and gesture
whats soloing a couple of falsetas you have had years of practice at home with and some rithm in between at a comfortable speed u get to pick in any order you want ? woo scarey
quote:
and im not going to produce any lines what its about, or duende or whatever. I'll leave that to others who need it.
I need it...and i search for it every time like a junky...thats what i am addicted to, thats whats kept me in flamenco all this years, always leaves me searching for it and wanting more...is the only thing that truly matters to me
_____________________________
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Date Mar. 9 2011 12:35:15
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seriously beautifully put... 
.......roses are red violets are blue if you dont like my poem f*ck you 
jk.