Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
|
|
|
Picado -- Only ONE pair of fingers?
|
You are logged in as Guest
|
|
Users viewing this topic: none
|
|
Login  | |
|
   
machopicasso
Posts: 973
Joined: Nov. 27 2010
|
 Picado -- Only ONE pair of fingers?
|
|
|
It seems that most players privilege one pair of fingers for playing picado: either i-m, i-a, or perhaps less frequently m-a. Even Gerardo Nunez, who seems the most versatile, appears to privilege one pair (and, unfortunately, one that involves the injured index).
I've experimented with all three and, at least given the physiological structure of my right hand, am inclined to think each pair has an advantage over the others for different applications of picado (e.g. i-a for descending picado runs, m-a for picado on the two highest trebles, etc.).
So, I wanted to ask: is there any good reason not to try to train all three pairs equally? The only disadvantage I can think of is that one might acquire speed more quickly by focusing exclusively on one finger. But I'm not sure 1) if that's true and 2) if doing so would off-set the advantages of versatility acquired through training all three pairs equally.
What do the experienced players think?
I'm also curious to know if there are any players who frequently use multiple pairs of fingers when playing picado.
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date May 27 2012 10:03:00
 |
|
machopicasso
Posts: 973
Joined: Nov. 27 2010
|
|
RE: Picado -- Only ONE pair of fingers? (in reply to Ricardo)
|
|
|
quote:
It is just not strong enough sounding or practical to go fast as im or ia even. a-m was just to develop some control and even Gerardo just walks through some medium speed scales. It is was never intended and can no way be a substitute for im picado.
This touches on one of the questions motivating my original post: namely, is i-m picado intrinsically, or naturally, stronger than i-a and m-a?
Part of me was hoping that's not the case because my index seems to be weaker than both my m and a fingers. (E.g. if I'm playing thumb-plus-two-other-finger arpeggio, then I'm always inclined to use p-m-a. Incidentally, is that bad technique?)
Lately, I've been practicing all three combinations in my picado exercises. Similarly, whenever I stumble upon a picado run in a song, I'll pause and try all three to see which is most effective. I'm finding my i-m picado is improving, which is nice. But I'm also finding that each pair is more effective than the others -- in terms of speed, accuracy, and tone -- for different applications of picado. That's been illuminating.
So, to Rombsix, I'll probably stick with this for a while. (It'd be bad-ass to have monster picado speed on all three pairs of fingers, though we'll soon learn how feasible that is for me).
Ricardo, I agree with your other point about, as it were, the priority of musicality over technique. At the same time, picado is such a distinct and integral technique to flamenco guitar that it's difficult to circumnavigate the absence of that technique, musically. For me, at least, that issue is one of the driving forces behind my curiosity for Gerardo's next album, aside from the fact that it'll be great music, regardless.
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date May 29 2012 9:36:54
|
|
mark indigo
Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007
|
|
RE: Picado -- Only ONE pair of fingers? (in reply to machopicasso)
|
|
|
quote:
He used and recommended i-a because he said there was less overlap of the tendons (or something like that).
if i remember correctly (i could look it up to be sure) the i finger has more independence, but m and a share a tendon (or a tendon sheath or something like that, i did know it once, but can't remember now without checking). So using i alternately with either a or m is gonna work better, but m and a alternating will always be slower and more awkward.
there is some stuff about this in Christopher Berg's classical guitar technique book. although the rest of the book relates more to developing technique for classical music, the anatomy of the hands is the same, and he is quoting and referencing Raoul Tubiana, specialist in hand surgery and author of books on anatomy and physiology of the hand, including "Medical Problems of the Instrumentalist Musician".
this also relates to the issue of which finger to use playing on the beat or on the accents. Although the i finger is more independent and has more accuracy (and i think faster too), the m finger is actually stronger, so although most players "lead" with i to either begin picado or play on the beat (or both) as it is faster and more accurate, there is also the idea that using m on the beat gives a greater rhythmic attack.
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date May 30 2012 10:48:07
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts
|
|
|
Forum Software powered by ASP Playground Advanced Edition 2.0.5
Copyright © 2000 - 2003 ASPPlayground.NET |
0.078125 secs.
|
Printable Version
