Hi everyone. I'm new here ...

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seanm

Posts: 169
Joined: Apr. 5 2005
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Hi everyone. I'm new here ...

... so a bit about me for anyone interested :)

I've been playing some sort of guitar for something like 25 years. Started with rock and taught at a conservatory, then did a Bachelor of Music degree for classical guitar performace and the played professionally for about 10 years (i.e. had a permanent flute and guitar gig, accompanied singers in concerts, weddings, made a self-distributed tape/cd, that sort of thing). Eventually, I decided to stop playing for money and got a Bachelor of Computer Science which is the field I work in now. Having always loved flamenco and not needing to maintain stack of classical repatoire anymore, I began the transformation to strictly flamenco playing about 5 years ago. I found some great local teachers (recently), built a flamenco guitar based on the Barbero plans, and followed the Paco Pena book, then some Juan Martin books and recently the Oscar Herrero and Chicuelo Encuentro material. My goal is to be able to play with the pulse and spirit that is flamenco regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the music. Rhythm not being me strongest suit, this has been my hardest battle (and I tend to get distracted by technique ... to much classical I guess :) ).

From the couple of days I've been visiting, I have to say that everyone seems so knowledgable and helpful. Thanks everyone.

Sean

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 15:26:21

Escribano

Posts: 6417
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

You found the right place. Welcome Sean!

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Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 17:27:29

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

Sean,
cool, good for you! Flamenco is a truly rewarding art.

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Connect with me on Facebook, all the cool kids are doing it.
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Arizona Wedding Music Guitar

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 18:00:25

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

Hi Sean,
Thanks for introducing yourself and telling us where you stand with the guitar.
This stuff is like a drug and you can't just flirt with it, you just get pulled in more and more.

Compás and Rhythm?

Many, many folk get involved in this music from hearing a great vituoso guitarist play something that totally phases them out....music that is so exciting and passionate.
The solid rasgueados, the soulful tremolos and the blinding picado.
Who could resist it!

In this Forum you'll hear these two words a lot..Compás and Rhythm.

Without it, then Flamenco is nothing...just a picture postcard of Spain.

My advice would be..work on Rhythm more than technique...and really the only way you can do this is to listen a lot.

A guitarist with mucho compás and little technique will always sound better than one with mucho technique and little compás.

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 20:01:23

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

welcome seanm

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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.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 20:05:53

XXX

Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ron.M
My advice would be..work on Rhythm more than technique...and really the only way you can do this is to listen a lot.

Yes, so true!

Your last sentence, I dont know.

Welcome Sean! Btw where are ya located?

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Фламенко

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 20:08:16

seanm

Posts: 169
Joined: Apr. 5 2005
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The 'hotbed' of flamenco! ... ok maybe not :)

An excellent dance troupe here though ... http://www.elvientoflamenco.com

Sean

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 20:12:53

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to XXX)

quote:

Your last sentence, I dont know

Depends on the audience Phrygus...
If you are playing to a general non-Flamenco foreign audience, then technique and stage personality will win out...regardless of compás.
Manitas de Plata proved that!
If the same guy goes and plays in Jerez...then nobody is interested, not even in a little bar.
Depends on what you want to do really...

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 20:44:33

sorin popovici

Posts: 427
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

hey i have to wait till june and I'll get my diplomea for Automatics and Computers....guess
what,been thinking to go to a music school after this....funny thing.

So Paco Pena method, can u play them all....and in compas?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 20:57:49

Escribano

Posts: 6417
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

quote:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Cool, I had some wild Thursday nights in Halifax on the roof of some bar, I do not recall the name. Do people still get paid Thursdays in Halifax?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 20 2006 22:28:40

Thomas Whiteley

Posts: 786
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

A guitarist with mucho compás and little technique will always sound better than one with mucho technique and little compás.

Amen! I agree 100%.

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Tom
http://home.comcast.net/~flamencoguitar/flamenco.html

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 21 2006 4:34:45

seanm

Posts: 169
Joined: Apr. 5 2005
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia

RE: Hi everyone. I'm new here ... (in reply to seanm)

I don't think payday is related to the night life ... seems any night is a good night here is halifax :)

I played the farucca, soleares, sevillanas, alegrias and seguiriyas from the Paco Pena book to a point that was performance worthy but that was several years ago and I played then far too classically. I still play much of the soleares and seguiriyas and I think my compas is good in those. Things took a turn for the better when I took a some lessons and got the Graf-Martinez books (forgot to mention those ... I find those to be perfect for me).

Sean

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 21 2006 15:28:05