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Posts: 181
Joined: Mar. 17 2005
From: Seattle, Washington, USA
Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-Martinez
Sorry, please ignore this post if you already saw it in Flamenco-teacher.com forum
Hola amigo. Could any one please tell me the pros and cons of each DVD instruction set?I plan to buy either Nunes or Graf-Martinez but not both. Eventually I'll buy the other. Or do I really need any? or just working with what I currently have.
La Guitarra Flamenca de Gerardo Nuñez
Flamenco Guitar DVD, Vol. 1 - by Gerhard Graf-Martinez Flamenco Guitar DVD, Vol. 2 - by Gerhard Graf-Martinez
This is my flamenco status: - I've been in flamenco for almost 2 years now. - Having lesson with teacher once a moth (5 so far). - I currently own the Oscar Herrero - Guitarra Flamenca Paso a Paso - DVD Vol 1,2,3. - Own Chuck Kyser Flamenco Guitar series. - Own Juan Martin Art De Flamenco (CD and books). - Own Scott Tennant Pumping Nylon DVD
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
I havent seen the Nunez dvd yet but that's not gonna stop me from giving you my opinion :)
I gues it all depends where you are with your technique and how much you practice I mean Nunez dvd would be greate afterall is Nunez but will you use it ? are you at that level yet ? (again I have not seen the dvd so I am not sure what kind of level guitarist its aimed at, and I am not making any assumptions about your level, I guess only you know the answer to that ).
It looks like you have a pretty healthy collection cd's dvd's and books. I think that if possible try and have lessons with your teacher more than once a month.
But you can ofcourse disregard all of this if someone that has acctualy seen the dvd say's that its a must have. Juan Martin Art De Flamenco (CD and books). IMO is still the best and well tought out introduction to flamenco.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
The Stuff Gerardo shows in his DVD is Pulgar,arpeggio.rasgueados,picado etc and some of his own music. And in all those technique sections it´s basic flamenco guitar technique. Not for the already advanced guitarist,but for everybody who wants some excercises to develop their skills. The section where he plays some of his composition are at a very high level and NOT for beginners. The DVD is not very basic since he doesn´t explain diffrent palos and he plays a lot of stuff in diffrent tunings. If you aldreay know some basic chords and compas for solea,buleria,tangos etc then i would buy this at once He plays very well so it will can be used for inspiration and to develop techniques.
Henrik
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This is hard stuff! Don't give up... And don't make it a race. Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.
Posts: 271
Joined: Jun. 30 2004
From: West Palm Beach, Florida USA
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
Hello Gentlemen,
I bought the Gerardo Núñez DVD for pure FREAK FACTOR. He is a freak of nature!! Not that I'll ever be able to play his tunes but he does give some very good exercises. They're great to warm up with and just to keep up your chops. I like the DVD also because he tells you how it really is. No sugar coating, extremely informative and detailed.
Un saludo, Errol
I've had the opportunity to see him live and I'll tell you he is by far one of the most (perhaps the most) amazing player I've every seen play live!!!!!
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to duende)
Florian,
I was serious though. My spelling aint that great either. I like to spell check what I write and that could be a useful feature in this forum. Just a wish...
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
I don't have the Nunez DVD, but I do have Gerhard's Vol 1 DVD. My background is classical, and have played with the idea of learning flamenco for years, but have only been at it a few months. For my level, Gerhard's DVD works great. I'm focusing on the RH at the moment as well as the different counting approach. Still very basic. If you do go with Gerhard's DVD, try to buy the book with it if you are ordering the NTSC (sp?) conversion as the notation cannot be read from the on screen example. He has a solution for it which requires emailing him the serial number of your disc.
Anyhoo, I recomend it for someone at my level, but you sound more advanced than me so I'm not sure it's what you need. The Nunez DVD seems to be the opposite end of that extreme, seemingly a bit to advanced. Haven't seen it tho, nor have I seen Gerhard's Vol 2 which I'll be buying as soon as I get vol 1 under my belt. It takes me a while since I usually clock about 48-60hrs a week at work, and a family on top of that. It may take a little while. Head strong determined for love of the art, gotta love it.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
Hello Freinds
How Are you .. This dvds are Great i have theme all .. Gerardo Nunes DVD is Great ..
Olso Graf Martinez DvD Are Great he show you at easy way with compas he play in this dvd all the example shown in his Method Books But The DvD I Guess is much butter for Learning .. Its Great dvds ..
Posts: 432
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
I dont know the graf martinez dvds ....I have the first volume of his books.Cool,cool ...but it's just a method ....I still dont use it...since I have some unfinished bussines with a guy Dennis Koster(The keys to flamenco guitar). I've seen the Nunez....it's not about learning right away,but he gives u a lot of ideas that are invaluable .Like practice picado with all the right hand fingers...I thought that was crap really ...I've seen PDL only doing it with i and m.So y bother? The answer is in the Nunez dvd.Tremolo was like wow also for me ...Almost in every chapter where he is discussing technique...he is far, far more than u expect that it can be done,or at least it was for me.He makes u think this fingerstyle playing can be very round , simetrical .... Ofcourse the actual pieces are untouchable for me. So buy both .. but u got to see this Nunez,it's a guy who can really play.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to sorin popovici)
I'm sure you have heard or have a Gerardo cd. The material he teaches comes mostly from his albums. Hard stuff, right? I think so. Even the little falsetas and excersises he teaches can be tough to play the way he plays. Gerardo's technique is super refined, super polished, and his timing is perfect. His technique is the greatest to emulate, and for me, his music and compositions are all worth spending the rest of my life learning. For me, Gerardo's DVD is priceless. I keep it locked up in a glass case protected by lasers and rabid, mouth foaming pitbulls. You should get your own eventually.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
Hello there,
I've heard other people say also that it is a good thing to work on the picados with "the other fingers". Is it really worth playing scales with i & a or m & a ? Will it improve some other technics like arpeggios for instance ?
Sorin, you have to tell me what it is the answer that can be found in the Nunez DVD...
Posts: 432
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
well , for me it worked. I already had some fast pima arpeggios from classical .
But pami arpeggios is still hard to do fast .It's harder when u see things like ----0-----------0----------0------------------- -------0-----------0---------0---------------- --1-------1-2---------2-4------4--------------- ------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- this example is sone entirely with p a m i arpeggios . See the 1-2 on the G string?the G# u play with i and the A with the pulgar. This is hard at fast tempos.I mean pami if i and p dont play the same string is easier.But this exercise is good cause it showed me my limits.Btw pulgar is Always playing apoyando. Damn ....i forgot what u asked. There is this book in classical guitar that's all about the right hand ..i forgot the name of the book and the author ,i'll edit later when I'll remember. Now , in that book the author emphasis on how important is the a finger.There is this paradox...a is the weakest finger and he always have the most difficult task,deliver the melody(in most songs , sure there are pieces where the melody is on the bass entirely ...like Leyenda (Isaac Albeniz)). Because he has the hardest task , he must be trained very good. U only train that finger when u do arpeggios and tremolo and rasgueados.That's not enough ....u may think it's enough but until u see what's really to have speed in arpeggios, it's hard to believe ...but if u see it ,u'll know that Nunez and the guys from classical are right to tell u that u have to do picado with all the fingers.In segovia's diatonic scales he also says that u should practice with them all , but i have no Segovia DVD instructional :D.
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
From a classical point of view, there's a very good reason and also a definite must to train apoyando with all combinations. The reason is simple, they help with scale runs (duh.. ) and just about any other technique.
Why do you train im, mi, ma, am, ia, ai and later on, 3 finger combinations? It's to train speed, accuracy and even right hand finger development. A technique that will improve because of even development is tremolo. In flamenco, I find that the extra note covers up irregular or uneven tremolo. In fact, PdL's tremolo is uneven with a purpose. But what about classical pami tremolo? If your tremolo is uneven, irregular or not articulated, it's very obvious even to amateurs and you sound plain stupid. That's why I train ami rest strokes as well.
They build strength as well to help in arpeggios etc. Sure you only use im in the end. But classical players often use im for scale runs in pieces and yet they practise with all combinations with other fingers.
This concept is explained very well in Pumping Nylon as well and training all fingers is one of the few 'must-do exercises' in classical and I'm 1001% that it'll help greatly in flamenco.
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Gerardo Nuñez vs Gerhard Graf-M... (in reply to DavidT)
Also, in flamenco there aren't as many "rules". YOu may decide to play some tremolo apoyando. I play some "licks" that are arpeggios apoyando, for example, ami on the treble strings. You can also play aia real fast on the e and b strings on thirds for cool effects.
Printable Version
say's that its a must have. 
Not that I'll ever be able to play his tunes but he does give some very good exercises. They're great to warm up with and just to keep up your chops. I like the DVD also because he tells you how it really is. No sugar coating, extremely informative and detailed. 
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