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RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Blondie#2)
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ORIGINAL: Blondie#2
Don't know about Regondi but his contemporary Carcassi was a nailess advocate.
Weiss wasn't a guitarist and didn't play tremolo
I played lots of Weiss, and not just his arrangements of the Bach Lute Suites. Did he play tremolo, did Carcassi ?
Hard to say, with Weiss in particular. Not really very obvious what his tempi were. Also I am not sure if he played pinkie down (which is the norm now) in the english style or if he played with a free hand.
I find it interesting to wonder at which point on its journey north the ud began to be played with fingers more than with a quill and how this affected the concept of sound. Probably as much changing to gut strings I think.
But maybe I should have said Mertz and not Weiss, the point being that the guitar/ud/lute met itself again on the way back south.
Posts: 407
Joined: Oct. 10 2010
From: Wooli, NSW Australia
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Blondie#2)
Konnokol is a south indian drum language . John mc Laughlin is a very strong advocate of it . This is a nice introduction from the man himself . You can skip to 4;30 for the basic sounds , after that its worth looking up others on youtube , Henrik Anderson has a wealth of work there . Since learning some konnokol I have notice I hear rhythmic groupings as if they have a sound of there own ( as they do ) .
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Blondie#2)
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ORIGINAL: Blondie#2
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha I played lots of Weiss, and not just his arrangements of the Bach Lute Suites. Did he play tremolo, did Carcassi ?
Yep, Carcassi did. (Op60 #7 springs to mind though there's a better example I'd need to hunt down).
Well you seem to have changed your position. My first CG teacher insisted that this was not a study for tremolo. I tend to agree that it is by no means a tremolo study in the way the Recuerdos is.
But if one likes to consider it a tremolo study then the lute works of Weiss are just chock a block with tremolo.
Do you know if Mertz played with nails ? I don't.
As for the no nails tremolo. I played one by Llobet in Benicassim a few years back. Don't know if it is on his historical recordings.
Posts: 14845
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Blondie#2)
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ORIGINAL: Blondie#2
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ORIGINAL: britguy
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Not so, Tarrega did play with nails for most of his career.
Strange. I've always understood Tarrega did not use his nails to play. (Which always surprised me).
Its a popular myth, mainly because of his legacy in the form of his pupils who certainly did play nail-less (like Pujol) - the 'Tarrega school' if you like.
Recuerdos was composed when he played with nails, which is the main thing relevant to this thread.
despite the timing, he never the less instilled in his pupils the idea that nail-less playing was superior in his opinion. And Pujol makes it quite clear exactly what tarrega meant by no nails...not SHORT nails, but playing with finger tip pads of skin.
Regarding comment that in 1826 (days of good ol sor and aguado) there was no flamenco guitar, that is just conjecture. El Planeta (1770-1850, cadiz-sevilla) was said to accompany himself por siguiriyas by playing intros and answer lines to his singing.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Ricardo)
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ORIGINAL: Ricardo
Regarding comment that in 1826 (days of good ol sor and aguado) there was no flamenco guitar, that is just conjecture. El Planeta (1770-1850, cadiz-sevilla) was said to accompany himself por siguiriyas by playing intros and answer lines to his singing.
Posts: 14845
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to guitarbuddha)
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha
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ORIGINAL: Ricardo
Regarding comment that in 1826 (days of good ol sor and aguado) there was no flamenco guitar, that is just conjecture. El Planeta (1770-1850, cadiz-sevilla) was said to accompany himself por siguiriyas by playing intros and answer lines to his singing.
What do you think. Thumb only or plectrum ?
D.
I think he did rasgueados and pulgar and arpegio and alzapua and tons of picado. The works. WIth nails. And sang better than Chacon Caracol and Camaron put together. All we do and see these days is left over crap from his and other great creations of 1800's lost forever after generations of mis interpretations or bad interpretations.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Ricardo)
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All we do and see these days is left over crap from his and other great creations of 1800's lost forever after generations of mis interpretations or bad interpretations.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Ricardo)
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ORIGINAL: Ricardo
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha
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ORIGINAL: Ricardo
Regarding comment that in 1826 (days of good ol sor and aguado) there was no flamenco guitar, that is just conjecture. El Planeta (1770-1850, cadiz-sevilla) was said to accompany himself por siguiriyas by playing intros and answer lines to his singing.
What do you think. Thumb only or plectrum ?
D.
I think he did rasgueados and pulgar and arpegio and alzapua and tons of picado. The works. WIth nails. And sang better than Chacon Caracol and Camaron put together. All we do and see these days is left over crap from his and other great creations of 1800's lost forever after generations of mis interpretations or bad interpretations.
Generally speculation is more creative than something so simple as wanting proof before assuming existence.
But now I see that you were complimenting me when we talked about speculation earlier. You are clearly enthusiastic about speculation.
For sure I got no problems with thumb only, Gypsy jazz is pretty much alzapua holding a pick, all rest strokes and no fingers. No I got no problem with that at all, I wish I was half so good as some of those cats.
But I don't think that is how flamenco is played today in general. And I don't have a problem with that either.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to guitarbuddha)
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha Well you seem to have changed your position. My first CG teacher insisted that this was not a study for tremolo. I tend to agree that it is by no means a tremolo study in the way the Recuerdos is.
I agree too, I never said it was a tremolo study. But to say it doesn't contain tremolo passages (6 bars not including repeats) would IMO be splitting hairs.
Don't see any change in my position, which was setting record straight about Tarrega and had nothing to do with other guitarists.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Ricardo)
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ORIGINAL: Ricardo despite the timing, he never the less instilled in his pupils the idea that nail-less playing was superior in his opinion.
True, in the last few years of his life he did, having spent 90% of his career making a successful career as a concert guitarist and composing all his major works. He apparently had no choice to cut of his nails - who can blame him for such marketing of his new nailess technique?
I agree with your point about Pujol etc, had already mentioned that previously, I just think its important to put the whole thing in context. Tarrega is often promoted as a 'nailess' CG player and clearly the truth is not quite as simple as that, certainly not in the context of this thread.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Blondie#2)
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ORIGINAL: Blondie#2
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha Well you seem to have changed your position. My first CG teacher insisted that this was not a study for tremolo. I tend to agree that it is by no means a tremolo study in the way the Recuerdos is.
I agree too, I never said it was a tremolo study. But to say it doesn't contain tremolo passages (6 bars not including repeats) would IMO be splitting hairs.
Don't see any change in my position, which was setting record straight about Tarrega and had nothing to do with other guitarists.
You said Weiss didn't play tremolo. As I said above (did you read it ?) if that Carcassi etudy is a tremolo study then the work of Weiss is full of tremolo.
You said Weiss was a lutenist and didn't play tremolo (wow news to me OBVIOUSLY). I'm the one splitting hairs ?
I asked you what you knew about Mertz' technique with regard to nails twice and you ignored my question.
I am frankly baffled by your tone on this thread, normally I enjoy your approach and your posts. You introduced the idea that Tarrega changes his technique, very interesting and I made no attempt to contradict you.
But why are you insisting that the thread shouldn't broaden out ? At which point did you realise you were the arbiter of what should and shouldn't be in a thread.
And the Carcassi unambiguously a tremolo ? Really. I like my classical tremolo from about 170-190 bpm. You can get through the Carcassi at that ? I'd love to hear it. And what was the other piece by him you mentioned, still hasn't come to mind ?
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to guitarbuddha)
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha You said Weiss didn't play tremolo. As I said above (did you read it ?) if that Carcassi etudy is a tremolo study then the work of Weiss is full of tremolo.
Ok, fair enough, I admit I haven't come across any but will take your word, my fault for getting drawn in as I wasn't really interested in discussing other guitarists and other instruments, I was purely responding to Ricardo's point that's all.
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha I asked you what you knew about Mertz' technique with regard to nails twice and you ignored my question.
I know very little about his technique, I know of a piece he composed with tremolo like passages in it (Ernani, Op. 8 No. 14). Hope that helps.
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ORIGINAL: guitarbuddha But why are you insisting that the thread shouldn't broaden out ? At which point did you realise you were the arbiter of what should and shouldn't be in a thread.
At what point do you decide what I am interested in, and should be discussing?
People are of course free to choose what to expand upon. Personally, if I want CG discussion ad analysis I'll go to a CG forum. Interesting though it is, as I keep saying, I only wanted to set record straight with regard to the most famous tremolo composition of all time coming from a 'nail less' player.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Blondie#2)
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ORIGINAL: Blondie#2
my fault for getting drawn in as I wasn't really interested in discussing other guitarists and other instruments, I was purely responding to Ricardo's point that's all.
.
I have commended you in the past for your posts. I like that you get drawn in to things because I feel you have a lot to offer. I'm not upset so much as confused.
I think that implicit in this discussion of Tarrega is the idea that he 'invented' tremolo on guitar as we understand it today. And that it would be a weird thing to do with no nails.
But both Mertz and Regondi had genuine tremolo pieces in their repetoire from way earlier. And I suspect that they had a no nail easthetic, possibly from the lute tradition.
I am certain that in the emerging flamenco there were untold virtuosi with a vast variety of terrific effects in their armory. I agree with Ricardo that it is a shame we have no record of them. The importance of classical performers tends to be overstressed simply because they wrote their music down and we have a fair idea of what they were playing.
If I were studying walking I would look at two legs not one. For me music for guitar is a broad broad church and I value the aesthectics of most of the styles I have come in contact with. And they are all joined like it or not. They have always influenced each other for as long as musicians have traveled, which is forever.
Posts: 14845
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to guitarbuddha)
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I am certain that in the emerging flamenco there were untold virtuosi with a vast variety of terrific effects in their armory. I agree with Ricardo that it is a shame we have no record of them. The importance of classical performers tends to be overstressed simply because they wrote their music down and we have a fair idea of what they were playing.
Bingo!
Also, I think in the tarrega wiki bio, he composed Capricho Arabe AFTER he cut the nails. Isn't that his best piece? And finally, are we to assume he stopped playing recuerdos AFTER he cut his nails and somehow still persueded his students it was cooler to play with no nails? What if he had lived as long as segovia instead of dying fairly young (57)?
The implication that it is wrong to call Tarrega a "nail less player" as a generalization compared to most other players simply because he finally settled on that way at the end of his career/life is splitting hairs. My only point was to stress that the composer himself of the tremolo piece was IN FACT (regardless of his career context) an advocate of playing with ZERO NAILS.
If the reverse had been true (he always played and composed nail less until one day at the end he realized how to file proper and made great use of nails for a few years) then indeed, it would be a silly point to make as a reply to the person who suggested it would be "one soft sounding tremolo" with no nails.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Blondie#2)
Britguy, I'm afraid, regardless of who did and who did not play with or without nails and when; you have around zero chance of ever playing a proper tremolo with nails (and not have lockjaw by the end of the tune).
Your lifestyle forbids it. Todd got it, of course, when he said that 'after' you have the nail thing worked out, you can handle your nails being longer or shorter, or perhaps with little refinements around the edges.
If your nails go west every couple of weeks you will never give yourself a chance to develop the right feel.
Chop em off. Chop em now.
Tele thinks a nail-less tremolo would sound soft. This is not a conclusion that could be drawn by anyone familiar with actually playing without nails. Think how Paco would sound without nails? Then how might he sound with huge callouses that he had to file, a little like nails?
I had the misfortune of being 'between' jobs for an extended period recently. By default (cause I had cut them, to tap my ztar) I played with no nails. I could play tremolo before, incidentally, classical tremolo and it wasn't too bad.
However, having no nails, and too much time on my hands, I discovered that my nails had been hampering me my whole playing life. I was simply not aware of it. I'm no great shakes but I got a degree and a few diplomas and played in some masterclasses (and got drunk too much playing in wine bars, a looong time ago).
Then I came here and asked about nails. A few people answered. Ricardo offered a magic bullet. Glue, he said, will rid you of your hook nail, and filing them straight across will do the trick.
I did exactly what he (and others whom I thank) said. Bingo.
So, if you can get the perfect nail then grow them. If you cannot them ditch them. Nail-less is infinitely better than crappy nails, infinitely better. And bear in mind that thirty years ago I was trying every conceivable shape and approach, wrapping micro abrasive around the string, filing this way and that, short enough to offset, I thought, the hook nail.
But I never ever really found the technique until I tried without nails.
However, having 'perfect' nails makes it all super easy (bear in mind that throughout my lifetime I have played a lot, but that had no apparent bearing until I played either without them or with the correct shape).
I believe many people kid themselves on these matters. Like learning a proof instead of working it out they think their nails are okay but the problems persist in almost imperceptible ways. For example, without the correct shape one will inevitably develop rhythmic problems, at least.
Tremolo without nails is, however, super-difficult. But it is not difficult in the way one might expect. It's like learning to waggle one ear or rubbing the tummy and tapping the head at the same rime. It becomes a problem of control and relaxation, concentration and coordination. Doing it the right way will work. Bad nails will put you forever in limbo, never quite getting it, no matter how hard you work.
This leads to the final part of this diatribe. I've read, even here, people asking at what speed the tremolo sounds continuous. If you input the greatest tremolos into a computer and actually measure great tremolos (in terms of speed) they will be all over the place, often changing wildly from bar to bar. Great tremolos evolve out of relaxed techniques. If you can get to around 100bmp or so, with an actual tremolo and no tongue sticking out and no effort, then you'll be able to swirl it around this way or that at your pleasure.
I used to find techniques like tremolo very difficult. But since swallowing my medicine I use those techniques TO relax.
But I expect everyone has to take a different path and there are no magic bullets and if someone famous hasn't done it or we have no proof that they did then it's all just a big pinyata.
Erik, first time I ever disagreed with you. I can't figure how filing 'round' can do it. Flat straight across still seems strange to me when I'm I'm filing but when I play it feels yummy; just right, like I finally came home.
ORIGINAL: z6 Erik, first time I ever disagreed with you.
I take that as a compliment.....
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I can't figure how filing 'round' can do it. Flat straight across still seems strange to me when I'm filing but when I play it feels yummy; just right, like I finally came home.
Thanks for your feed back. As far as nail shape is concerned i'm not sure how you picture "round" or "flat straight across" but i guess we file them pretty much alike. My suggestion was to start copying the shape of the distal edge of the nail (the slightly curved ring were the nail leaves the finger and become free to air).... then flatten it a bit to create a bigger point of contact (basically filing it "flat straight across" like you said)... and finally (and like always optionally) keeping them slightly shorter around the (ultimate) corners (reducing the risk of hooking when varying the angle of playing and possibly allowing additional options in nail/string contact)... the total picture is indeed pretty "flat straight forwards" ... i even (partly) filed my ima nails simultaneously (leveling their optimal length and angle favoring their optimal "working together position").. how much more "flat straight forwards" can one go :-).
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to Erik van Goch)
Apologies Erik. I misunderstood. That sounds about the same. (So any slight disagreements are back to zero for me.)
I do thoroughly enjoy your whole 'take' on music and flamenco guitar. The depth of analysis coupled with an attitude that will not beaten reminds me of my own 'guitaristic struggles'. It seems, even more, like people looking at the same thing, different ways.
But it does seem to be 'the same thing' in a very literal way. It is surprising to me but also comforting. (Now that my nails are sorted and all I have to do is 'do it'.)
When I started playing around 10 years ago I deliberately didn't use nails believing this would help me develop a good right hand technique. At various times since then I've thought about using false nails but so far have not got around to doing so. My right hand is pretty good and tremolo is no problem if my right hand is dry (i.e. not softened by water, sweat). No doubt the sound would be improved by having nails - one day I'll try this.
One thing I notice about many intermediate (or even "advanced") players is that their right hand fingers are weak - in the sense that they are not hitting the string hard enough. Listen to any good player and it's obvious they are plucking the strings pretty hard. In my opinion, playing without nails helps to develop a stronger right hand.
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to guitarbuddha)
O' Dette is a marvelous player. His technique reminds me of the flamenco approach. He does whatever is needed to get the job done.
Just in case Britguy considers shedding the talons there are a couple of things I found out that might factor into his decision. Playing with no nails is painful. Even after you have callouses it can still be pretty sore. But getting to usable callouses (in my case, because I have no idea what it might be like for anyone else) is a little bit like torture. You have to keep getting back into playing the strings when every tug hurts like crazy. The pain dissipates, then returns. And there can be blisters aplenty. I played through the blisters because I was enjoying everything else about it.
But, and I could be wrong, I thought I remembered Britguy talking about using free strokes with his thumb. I reckon, after you have a tremolo with an easy feel you could use plenty of free strokes but using them before that easy feel is deeply implanted will lead you astray.
Many years ago I used to teach guitar. To my everlasting shame I remember a few kids (over time) coming to me, sitting down awkwardly, holding the guitar BY THE STRINGS and playing what I now recognize to be picado and with perfect little thumbs thumping into the bass strings.
Of course, wasn't I an experienced classical guitarist who put them straight? I'm afraid I got it wildly wrong. I was as ignorant then about that as I am now about a bunch of crap I'm still not aware of.
Look at O'dette and think about how hard it is to hold a lute, or even a guitar. Classical guitar 'solves' this problem by creating a little structure with one's body. But maybe holding the guitar by the strings, from the get-go, is flamenco guitar technique?
The second required magic bullet, for me, was holding my arm off the guitar completely. It seems to train my my thumb. Again, feels very strange and impossible at the the start but it seems to inject skill into my playing at an exponential rate.
I understand that a lot of great players use those guitar supports, but have any actually got great using one from the start?
I look at great players and I see a right arm communicating with the strings. There is no holding on for dear life going on.
Anyway, I've proven that I have unwittingly offered many bum steers in the past so these posts may constitute exactly that.
ORIGINAL: z6 O' Dette is a marvelous player. His technique reminds me of the flamenco approach. He does whatever is needed to get the job done.
I think of nail free as judo and too long nails a knife fight.
Stefan Grossman talks about his approach (to ragtime and country blues) like this. Classical guitar players look for a balanced sound , he wants an unbalanced sound.
The desired easthetic and practical considerations should decide the technique.
There are so many great players with so many similarities and differences. Segovias RH looks a lot like Nunez, our very own Todd looks like Williams and in a lot of ways so does Paco. Grisha looks like ..... Grisha. Oscar Hererro has what looks like like the way flamenco technique is described and yet none of the greats look like that.
Loads of dude's pass themselves off as flamenco gurus and their hands are clumsy and the sound strong but one dimensional. Then look at Vicente, hand looks like a bunch of spaghetti, but the sound is so varied and his playing is DYNAMIC.
And the kids grabbing onto the strings, well the monkey doesn't want to fall out of the tree. Pupil and teacher both should be flexable if both want to get the most out of each other. It is good that these days teachers are taking more responsibility for problems in the teaching relationship but always remember that the child has at least 50 percent and a child who can't listen ....... well we can't blame ourselves for everything.
Again this meme or idea that classical guitar tech is some kind of handicap. I find it to be bogus and just really something that intermediate flamenco players want to say (just as intermediate CG players have plenty of silly things to say about flamenco players). * There are plenty of experienced flamenco players with rough, stiff, and unaesthetic technique who could turn a beautiful melody into coarse abominations. There are plenty of CG players with robust, strong technique that are free of dogma or hindrance. Let me share just a few of my favorites.
Yamasita blowing away someone who didn't practice.
Anna Likhacheva.
Philip Hii playing Bach.
Three totally seperate techniques, unencumbered by dogma or convention, three excellent results--just a small random sampling of good classical players.
*By the way, z6, this isn't all meant to be directed just to you, but I just wanted to comment on this common theme.
Britguy, I'm afraid, regardless of who did and who did not play with or without nails and when; you have around zero chance of ever playing a proper tremolo with nails (and not have lockjaw by the end of the tune).
would be interesting to compare what Britguy actually does on his farm with what I do in my day job.... it's probably similar-ish. I play with nails.
My advice, based on my solution to the work situation is: short nails, edges kept filed smooth, coated with superglue/nail glue and WORK GLOVES (I noticed on the pic of Britguy with the tree planting he's not wearing gloves!)
It is indeed a struggle and there is not one truth, although i tend to preach a couple of them like these:
If you stretch or close your fingers and lock them in a certain position, the result can be quite relaxed, but there is still the minute muscle tension needed to hold hem in that locked position. Each finger has muscles to open and to grab. If both of them are totally relaxed your fingers are in unlocked position and totally relaxed. That's the state i prefer them to be in when playing tremolo and arpeggio and since that unlocked position is a fixed position (hand/finger-wise) one must choose a hand/knuckle position that enables the fingers to end up at the place were they are wanted while still being in unlocked position.
The trick of simultaneously playing all 3 fingers together as 1 big finger for instance is just a (daily) starting point for investigations. I don't actually play in that position (only fire a couple of warming up rounds on a daily base) bud it did (and does) help me to find a more solid and trustable lineup of the fingers and nail-lenght. In real life i prefer to bring the hand a little more in line with the wrist and arm (don't like sharp hand/wrist/arm angels)...Since i don't change the line up and curving of the fingers (they are based on above unlocked position) the i, m and a finger will end up having different distances towards the string in starting position... i somehow level that difference by treating them different (not sure i move the more distanced finger faster or sooner).
Another way that helped me to get a more constant tremolo was not to concentrate on the fingers but on the string. Just feeding that string with constant new input....very regular in timing, energy input and tonal development. Somehow studying this at very very slow tempo's does improve mental and physical control at higher speeds, even when techniques change depending on the speed you choose (i always play as relaxed as possible and various speeds can result in various ways of generating/transposing energy (Paco Serrano has various ways to play picado depending on wanted effect, speed and length).
Britguy, I'm afraid, regardless of who did and who did not play with or without nails and when; you have around zero chance of ever playing a proper tremolo with nails
Not so, laddie!
As mentioned previously, there are times when my (5-note 'flamenco', I don't play 4 note 'classical') tremolo is not too bad. For my ears, anyway, which is all that matters these days. I have no virtuoso aspirations. . .
It is the inconsistencies that I have difficulty accepting, and that is what prompted my original post as to whether irregular nail length might be the cause of the problem.
And it would appear from many of the posts here that inconsistent and irregular nail length is a definite problem for playing good tremolo, consistently.
At this point, I still can't decide whether I play better tremolo with shorter nails, or longer. Both seem to work well at times. But I do know that I can play smoother arpeggios with shorter nails, which leads me to think I should expect the same for tremolo also. . .
I have gone through periods when - due to breakage - I have tried playing with barely any (or no) nails. I found I can play the few 'classical' pieces I know with no problems; pleasant 'lute-like' - quality to the sound. But for playing flamenco, I definitely need nails for the crisp rasping 'flamenco' sound I prefer. And how does one play clear, rattling rasguedos with fleshy fingertips?
I think perhaps some of us have learned a few things from this thread. But as for your suggestion of : 'chop 'em off', etc. Definitely not. That would almost be like chopping off my tentacles (not that that would be such a loss these days?).
(Besides; my reinforced thumbnail makes a very handy light-duty screwdriver in some situations. . . )
RE: Tremolo and nail length? (in reply to britguy)
Hey Britguy!
Make up yer mind man. And when you quote people, do it properly; the last clause (in parenthesis) was a device that tells the reader that the writer is at least talking about himself, and perhaps inviting recognition in readers within which such things are manifest). (That's a Ruphusism, by the way... I pay hommage, not mock.)
Miguel, those were nice videos but I couldn't get to the first. The tune the girl played was awful; a dirge. Strangely, and only strictly speaking, and within the confines of the point you seem to be making, I had huge problems with the last guy and the Bach. He's fantastically gifted. Such a mammoth run for such a short slide, I thought. This guy is, to me, as good as it gets. He sounds like a classical player. His fast rest strokes are all mumbly and ill-defined. But he does sound, to me, as good as it gets.
Anyway, let's be clear here. I am not suggesting that one cannot play a tremolo with long nails or short nails or hook nails or saw nails shaped in triangles and Feynman diagrams.
I am saying this: For anyone who cannot play a 'perfect' tremolo (sans lockjaw), there is a foolproof method.
Britguy, you're only 'bovered' about the inconsistencies? Is that not the point? Are you not sayng that when the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter collides with Mars then your whatever note tremolo is smokin? ? Well, no nails, or perfect nails. That's your choice.
But only if you want to avoid 'inconsistencies'. What I'm banging on about is a way to consistency, within the technique itself and within the music. It exists. It can be had. But not willy nilly. Such answers do not even exist in 'classical technique'. (Which pees some off no end, it appears.)
It has to do with not filing nails long or short but shaping them properly and applying glue. (for me, for me) The thumb must not fly out all over the shop. The arm must be completely free of the guitar... no pressing against it with the forearm.
People keep telling me not take things personally. I have noticed a lot of times that people ask for advice and then later claim they can do whatever it was that they said they had a problem with.
Flamenco guitar techniques are hard. If the nails are right and there's no hugging of the guitar going on then all you have to do is go thump brrrp. Then you go brrrp thump. Then, when the second one, cause it is much much harder, feels easy, then you have a tremolo.
This about gesture. Gesture interests me very much. Maybe later I'll upload some tunes I made some years ago to demonstrate my point.
Britguy, you said, "there are times when my..." Then you implied that your tremolo was pretty good, to your ears, but you had no virtuoso aspirations.
Tremolo is a virtuoso technique. That's it. Dead easy when you can, impossible when you can't. Inconsistencies? You're avin a larf right?
What does an inconsistent tremolo sound like? And before you tell me, tell me what a terrific tremolo sounds like but it only works now and again?
You ask Bitguy, how does one play clear rattling rasguedos without nails? Your playing sounded lute-like and fleshy without nails but it's all cojones and rattling strings with nails? No, it's not and that's fine. But don't plant your sound into the gestures of others. I believe there is proof enough in the simple imagery of Tomatito playing 'all fleshy' (and you guys act like you've never seen a callous and how hard it can be).
Miguel, I don't know about any intermediate factions. I'm a beginner at flamenco.
Indeed, do not chop em off. It's all about enjoyment after all. Going bareback is a lot of work. But I felt it my duty to relate my experience, in case there are people out there who do want to play tremolos and just need a rail track that will take them there. Not talking about the talented people who can do it this way or that. I mean untalented grunts such as myself who need to get there the easy way.
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