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.
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
Hi there, I would be more worried about the fact that the tip joint of the fingers are collapsing in your strokes.
I think the raised shoulder is a tension habit and although a lot of people get away with it at least one prominent player has ended up with a really nasty focal distonia as a result of an unchecked shoulder raising and no longer has a picado.
At a distance it is really hard to give advice on picado as the problems change for individuals fluidly as their playing develops, but in order to push down you have to be bracing the weight of the hand(and indeed introduce finger stiffness) so that the force you apply doesnt cause the hand to lift or the tip joint to bend.
But maybe let accuracy be your guide, if you are dropping a lot of notes at performance speed then there is a problem. If you need more speed then maybe the technique has to change but that will happen as a consequence of your musical development . I am not sure that the reverse often occurs.
Sorry if this seems presumptuous, but I am a little drunk, feel free to ignore me. D.
Posts: 407
Joined: Oct. 10 2010
From: Wooli, NSW Australia
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
I. Still feel picado is not achievable for all people . Perhaps try using the bounce , let the bounce become a tremor . Or you can turn to flickado moo ha ha ha ha .
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
Doutor, if your hand bounces, then some of the energy that should go to the stroke is going to moving your forearm. It would seem that the solution would involve optimizing your coordination so that more of your energy goes into depressing the string and not moving your forearm. I do not think relaxed tip joints would cause the problem; in fact, relaxing my tip joints helped this issue for me. (although I don't play very loud)
Disclaimer: I am a little tipsy too. Kim Crawford Pinot Noir, 2011.
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Miguel de Maria
Doutor, if your hand bounces, then some of the energy that should go to the stroke is going to moving your forearm. It would seem that the solution would involve optimizing your coordination so that more of your energy goes into depressing the string and not moving your forearm. I do not think relaxed tip joints would cause the problem; in fact, relaxing my tip joints helped this issue for me. (although I don't play very loud)
Disclaimer: I am a little tipsy too. Kim Crawford Pinot Noir, 2011.
I think that could be because of the incorrect alignment of the finger joints. When looking at Ramzi's hand from the camera angle, the first joints of his picking fingers should always be concave to press down the strings and not collapse under the force/tension.
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
I think you should take a lesson via Skype with Grisha or Ricardo. It will be worth the money and will help you continue on your path to improving your technique.
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
Hi Ramzi!
In the beginning of the video it was bouncing more in comparison to the rest. I noticed that you were not resting your forearm in the guitar ( it was completely on the air). When i do picado i always rest my forearm on the border of the guitar, in my opinion it helps you control your movement better.
Posts: 3497
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
Ramzi,
In my opinion you should rest your upper arm on the side of the guitar so that the edge between the side and front (soundboard) does not dig into either your upper or forearm. Only you can determine if you have too much bounce in your hand, but my long-time flamenco guru, Paco de Malaga, taught me to maintain a steady hand, regardless what I am playing: picado, rasgeado, tremolo, etc. The more you allow your hand to "bounce" or move around, the less control you have. It has worked for me. (At least it has worked for me to the extent that my limited abilities allow!)
Cheers,
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
Try straightening the two fingers and use a hammer effect pushing more down as the string is released. For me, less use of the end finger joint and more use of the finger/hand joint is very natural, gives greater power as well as speed and accuracy.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Bouncing hand during picado (in reply to rombsix)
i dont' feel it's bouncing much. Nor is the tip joint flexing TOO much (ie hyper flexing backward...it's supposed to flex a tiny bit from curved to straight when playing.). I think the movement you have is not efficient enough as you like and therefore you are not going to get more speed. You need to focus on the same old thing we always talk about...STACATO....and you will gain efficiancy control speed, less bounce less flex less tension etc etc....The bounce is just your perception as a result of too much un needed movement of the fingers. Stacato takes care of that.
here you see some bounce at 2:30 onward as necessary. Middle tip joint has to fllex a bit more than index that he keeps pretty stiff. But his hand and shirst sleeve must bounce a little, not possible to do this and have only fingers moving.
Printable Version
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