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please share thoughts on the volume you get from the p-a-i abanico rasgueado (or p-ch-i) vs other triplet rasgueados.
for me, it's the weakest in volume. My other 2 go-to's are the 'marote abanico' (p - m+a - p | sometime p - m - p) or a straight forward a-m-i (non-abanico). Sometimes I'll use the a-i-a.(also somewhat quiet)
nature of my question is triplet rasgueados in the end of bulerias compás á la Paco. He uses lots of these p-a-i and p-ch-i. Tons of volume for him as well as every pro I hear. Yet mine sounds anemic. yes, yes - I'm not Paco. But it seems standard fare that most pros develop very strong p-a-i abanicos.
because I'm snapping my regular rasgueados off the pad of my thumb and getting lots of power, the abanico type seems wimpy in comparison as I'm using only wrist rotation and finger strength, without the pop from the thumb pad I get w/ normal rasgueados.
body mechanics suggest to me it's going to be difficult to get them all of the same volume, but is this exactly the training I should be after? Or is it accepted that the p-a-i will never be as loud as a 'marote abanico'?
Posts: 15856
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: p-a-i abanico volume vs other (in reply to turnermoran)
Common problem, don't feel alone. I try to get students more heavy handed using the wrist. Do this a lot:
i down, use entire wrist LOUD, then p up very strong. Keep the hand closed sort of, i and p can touch sort of like holding a pick. Now repeat BUT.....leave a pause on your up stroke, so your hand is suspended up in the air. So you have a swing going....da DAh... daDAH....daDAH..... etc Get it going pretty quick and loud. Learn to feel the beat on the up stroke, where you have the pause, so your down stroke i is the pick-up swing note.
Now after a lot of practice with that and you can control it, with your P up in the air, simply flick the a finger out. Don't move your wrist or try to do loud, let it be soft. It's ok at first. Now do the other rhythm, but stop when you flick the a out. i down, p up (daDAH) then ring right away flick it out (bing). so you have this rhythm daDAH bing....
Keep doing that awhile THen when you can do it where you are flicking a as I said and not moving wrist, follow with the i down again, hard like before. so it's i-p-a-i....daDAH bing dah.....
after you get that, add the final P stroke so you have this rhythm....daDAHbingda DAH!!!! so you got at least ONE strong triplet, plus the pick up note.
Then go back to doing that swing with the wrist, but keep it going like a groove. daDAH daDAH daDAH....and every few beats toss in the ring finger to fill the triplet sound. You will impress yourself with your volume and the ring finger being weaker is not noticeable, because the momentum and groove of your wrist action. then try two triplets in a row, always going back to the swing groove. EVentually you will be able to maintain the volume and keep the triplet going and going.
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