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Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
Questions about Picado technique
My Picado is slowly coming along but have a long way to go. My teacher tells me to play the notes very staccato by playing i finger and then stopping the note with the m finger and then alternate playing the m finger and stopping with i finger. I can do this playing very slow and get a very short staccato note. But when I try to increase speed the staccato goes away and notes run together. How can I increase speed while keeping a good staccato? Is there a speed at which the space between notes disappears? When I listen to good Picado like PDL and this Javier Conde video it seems there is a space even at very high speeds:
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Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
Posts: 310
Joined: Jul. 16 2015
From: De camino a Sevilla
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
Practicing one string at a time, your speed will increase by simply practicing the cut off. After playing a note cut it off as quickly as possible with the alternate finger. You're starting tempo is not so important, it's how quickly you cut off each note that will help you increase your speed
Cutting off a note gets that finger in position to play the next note, so the faster you cut off a note the faster you can play the next note
String crossing seems to fall in place a lot quicker after focusing on the motion
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to DavRom)
I get that cutting off the note helps speed. But the problem I have is maintaining the cut off as the speed increases, which I think is needed for it to sound good.
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Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to DavRom)
What I mean is you could play alternating i and m very fast with no cut off. Only your nails would be hitting the strings with each finger starting a note but not cutting off the previous one, if that makes sense?
_____________________________
Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
The way I see it, the staccato exercices are meant to force you to minimize movement in the right-hand fingers and that's about it. I don't think picado is meant to be played stacato. Basically, if you can play staccato at 80bpm, chances are you will be comfortable playing the same picado without staccato at say 110 bpm (don't trust these figures, I'd have to check on a metronome what works for me but you get the point). So of course it's good practice to speed up the staccato, but the idea is just to minimize finger movement so that you're comfortable playing "normaly" at higher speeds. That being said, I have to admit that picado is not my strong suit so maybe I should let the experts talk
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RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
Here is my half axed version of this one... Just focus on the energy from within and you will see some results... I also use the i finger then stopping with m method when I warm up. I believe it also has to do with the left hand. Both hands have to be in synch to get best results.Try and lift(or release a tiny bit) the lh fingers slightly when doing picado. ..
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to jg7238)
jg,
Good job playing that. I do notice it helps to press down with LH fingers only when playing the note and lift up otherwise. I like your phrase "focus on the energy from within" I am focusing more on what my fingers are doing but maybe that will help.
_____________________________
Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Sr. Martins)
Playing chromatically going up it is entirely possible to leave each finger down after the note is played and then going back down lifting them one at a time which is totally wrong for both directions.
_____________________________
Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
Most real picado masters recommend practicing the staccato technique. It is like everyone says just a way to practice, they don't really expect you to staccato at 200bpm it's just good form. My picado is terrible I'm realizing......prolly time for me to start practicing.
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
quote:
I do notice it helps to press down with LH fingers only when playing the note and lift up otherwise.
I hope it helps you.. It will be gratifying if it does; especially when you're surrounded by a-holes, two faced ****s, douchebags, etc both in the real and virtual world.... Ok, enough of my rant.
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
Nice job on that exercise, Juan. Pretty tough stretch there (and looks too easy for Javier).
One advice I can give to play staccato is to think of playing and muting as one movement, not two. Both fingers move at the same time in the opposite direction.
I've been changing my picado technique for the last few of weeks so I cannot demonstrate yet.
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
quote:
Playing chromatically going up it is entirely possible to leave each finger down after the note is played and then going back down lifting them one at a time which is totally wrong for both directions.
That doesn't sound like a good practice because in reality you will never hit the note with the right hand at the same time that you "hammer on" the next note. I agree that the only way to sound good at high speed is to completely stop the note at least a moment before you polay the next.
quote:
I hope it helps you.. It will be gratifying if it does; especially when you're surrounded by a-holes, two faced ****s, douchebags, etc
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
quote:
But when I try to increase speed the staccato goes away and notes run together. How can I increase speed while keeping a good staccato? Is there a speed at which the space between notes disappears? When I listen to good Picado like PDL and this Javier Conde video it seems there is a space even at very high speeds:
This is simply you discovering your speed limit. This is a good thing, though humbling to discover you have lots of work left to do, and in the end, you probably won't achieve the same speed as the two masters you named. But that is ok, you only need the speed YOU need. Hope that helps.
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
Thanks guys I think all that helps me to visualize things better. I tried again this morning with that thinking and its clear that its going to take a while just to sink in. I think I also know why I loose the staccato when trying to play faster, my left hand can't keep up with the the right and I am so focused on synchronizing them that I loose the fast i-m-i-m transitions so the notes are as long as my speed which isn't very fast. So I think one of my goals is to make the notes shorter than my playing speed.
_____________________________
Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Grisha)
quote:
Pretty tough stretch there (and looks too easy for Javier).
Hey thanks Grisha. That stretch is a bit tough there at the beginning (especially at fast tempo) but Javier's pinky reminds me of my teacher's pinky (Barbosa Lima)....Crazy reach.... I need to get it a tad cleaner.(the first cejilla).... He definitely makes it look easy.
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to jg7238)
Juan,
Is this your teacher:
That is a crazy pinkie like its on a hinge, how do they they do it? Maybe its genetic? So many great guitarists in Brazil.
_____________________________
Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
quote:
So many great guitarists in Brazil.
Yeah i agree... Rafael Rabello was another great player...
Yep, he was my teacher many years ago....
There is another piece by Scott Joplin he plays called "Solace". The left hand is pretty crazy.. I don't think there is a video of him playing it on youtube. He has played it for me a few times and it's an amazing arrangement.
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Questions about Picado technique (in reply to Cervantes)
Another great Brazilian finger stretcher, the late Paulinho Nogueira
_____________________________
Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
Printable Version
Just focus on the energy from within and you will see some results... I also use the i finger then stopping with m method when I warm up. I believe it also has to do with the left hand. Both hands have to be in synch to get best results.Try and lift(or release a tiny bit) the lh fingers slightly when doing picado. .. 
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