Best exercises

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Best exercises

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makanakijones

Posts: 14
Joined: Sep. 14 2019

Best exercises

Hi pals.

I want to ask you about exercises really helped your playing.
I try to practice technique all days and I feel that some exercises are a waste of time.

Thanks.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 3 2019 19:26:36

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

I signed up to an online course in part because the guy sent me an example exercise for an Em scale.

It included several bars of compas, followed by a short and a longer scale with more compas between, and a remate. Thus I could go for just the scale, but easily build upon it.

I think well thought out exercises do not have to be boring and limited. They can give you a context but still achieve the objective.

I have seen here several times people saying that they should have learnt less falsetas and focused on the compas. But for those like me who will never be professional, enjoying the journey if anything is more important than the result. Playing a nice melodic falseta gives me a buzz and makes my spanish non-flamenco family happier

Just my two pennies worth

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nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 3 2019 19:53:36

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

quote:

I try to practice technique all days and I feel that some exercises are a waste of time.

don't do those ones

seriously, think about what you are trying to achieve, and what you are using any exercise for.

I don't think any exercise is a "magic bullet" that will necessarily improve technique, unless you use it and practise it in a way that improves technique, in which case it can be really useful.

I use exercises to warm up and to work on technique. I like ones I can transpose into different keys so I can practise them regularly without getting bored.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 4 2019 17:34:48

devilhand

Posts: 1598
Joined: Oct. 15 2019

RE: Best exercises (in reply to mark indigo)

quote:

seriously, think about what you are trying to achieve, and what you are using any exercise for.

A very good point.

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Say No to Fuera de Compás!!!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2019 18:09:19

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

The most effective exercises for me have been practicing very short phrases or rhythmic patterns with a metronome and slowly bumping up the speed. Boring? Very. But effective. This is is contrast to learning some cool long exercise and playing it half assed over and over again all the way through.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2019 20:13:51

makanakijones

Posts: 14
Joined: Sep. 14 2019

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

Not boring.
Thanks mate.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2019 13:49:17

Filip

Posts: 403
Joined: Apr. 23 2006
From: Paris

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

quote:

The most effective exercises for me have been practicing very short phrases or rhythmic patterns with a metronome and slowly bumping up the speed. Boring? Very. But effective.

Same with me, just that I would practice falsetas or maybe even whole pieces. I noticed that starting from lower tempo, and doing that for 20-30 minutes noticeably improves my control and precision when playing, which further motivates me to practice/play and makes me enjoy more.

Regarding exercises, I rarely do any but when I do I usually do those from Oscar Herrero's Paso a Paso or DVD of Gerardo Nuñez. This also helps me gain more control when playing.

There are a couple exercises that I think significantly improved my golpes and picado.
For golpe, I used the following exercise to learn it in the first place because when I started playing I just could not hit golpe while strumming with I downstroke. It goes like this: I down, I up, (m)a golpe without strumming, I up; repeat. I am not sure exactly where I got it, most possibly it was on this foro some fifteen years ago, but it did miracle for me after only 10 minutes. The trick is that while doing golpe without strumming you are moving I down without concentrating on it, so later you can just naturally plug the strumming in.

For picado, I found this recently from a player in Paris. It has several steps. First, I play with a metronome to get the rhythm right and learn the notes well until I play it comfortably. Then, I play it without metronome two-by-two notes with a small pause between pairs, and then three-by-three with a small pause between triples. Then I do the same, but starting by playing the first note of the picado alone (so, play the first note, and then do pairs/triples.
Imagine a picado, four notes per beat, like this:

ti ta ti ri ti ri ta ri...so you do:
ti ta__ti ri__ti ri__ta ri...then
ti__ta ti__ri ti__ri ta__ri...then
ti ta ti__ri ti ri__ta ri...and finally
ti__ta ti ri__ti ri ta__ri...

I hope you get an idea, maybe I could make a video for you so let me know.
Have anyone else worked the same exercise before? I really wonder what you think about this exercise?

Cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 12 2019 19:25:57

Ricardo

Posts: 14806
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Best exercises (in reply to Filip)

quote:

I am not sure exactly where I got it, most possibly it was on this foro some fifteen years ago, but it did miracle for me after only 10 minutes. The trick is that while doing golpe without strumming you are moving I down without concentrating on it, so later you can just naturally plug the strumming in.

You’re Welcome.

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=74245&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=golpe&tmode=&smode=&s=#74356

quote:

I hope you get an idea, maybe I could make a video for you so let me know.
Have anyone else worked the same exercise before? I really wonder what you think about this exercise?

I used to offer this up for general rhythmic control. It’s from drum rudiments called “tap timing” exercises.

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=238388&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=tap%2Ctiming&tmode=&smode=&s=#238547

_____________________________

CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 13 2019 2:45:31

Filip

Posts: 403
Joined: Apr. 23 2006
From: Paris

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

quote:

You’re Welcome.

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=74245&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=golpe&tmode=&smode=&s=#74356

Woow, yesss :) I could have put my bet that it was here, but I would never remember that I actually participated in the thread...nevertheless, at least I said 'thank you' back then, and this is so great I would like to buy you a round of drinks Ricardo. Just send me your paypal on pm and I'm doing it. I really would like to buy you some drinks :)

quote:

I used to offer this up for general rhythmic control. It’s from drum rudiments called “tap timing” exercises.

Good to know, thanks.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 13 2019 22:38:18

devilhand

Posts: 1598
Joined: Oct. 15 2019

RE: Best exercises (in reply to Filip)

quote:

For picado, I found this recently from a player in Paris. It has several steps. First, I play with a metronome to get the rhythm right and learn the notes well until I play it comfortably. Then, I play it without metronome two-by-two notes with a small pause between pairs, and then three-by-three with a small pause between triples. Then I do the same, but starting by playing the first note of the picado alone (so, play the first note, and then do pairs/triples.
Imagine a picado, four notes per beat, like this:

ti ta ti ri ti ri ta ri...so you do:
ti ta__ti ri__ti ri__ta ri...then
ti__ta ti__ri ti__ri ta__ri...then
ti ta ti__ri ti ri__ta ri...and finally
ti__ta ti ri__ti ri ta__ri...

This exercise (1st video) looks useful along with Scott Tennant's speed bursts exercise for scale (starts at 6:24 in 2nd video).

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Say No to Fuera de Compás!!!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2019 15:13:40

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

That helped my playing the most...

For rasgueado, any kind of exercise that allows you to stress different fingers on the beat (amii over triplets, p-am-p over 16th notes, etc.).

Throw in a bunch of thumbwork (focusing on tone), including alzapua (a good one for me for that one is to vary the number of strings the alzapua is played on. For instance, 6th string, 5th, 5th, 6th. Then 6th, 5th and 4th together, 5th and 4th together, 6th, etc.).

With rasgueado and thumb you have pretty much all you need for 90% of stuff so focusing on that definitely helped my playing more than arpeggio or picado exercises.

For picado, staccato exercices. That and speed bursts where you add notes along the way. (a burst with 2 notes, then 3, then 4, etc. until you get the whole phrase in one single burst).

The speed burst thing also helps me a lot for arpeggio and tremolo. For tremolo I practice the bursts as iamip. For arpeggio it depends but i'll usually start on p and end on p.

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"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2019 17:43:12

Dudnote

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 13 2007

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

For me the best exercises are any falsettas or compas variations from masters of the art.

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Ay compañerita de mi alma
tú ahora no me conoces.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2019 22:07:53

Brendan

Posts: 353
Joined: Oct. 30 2010

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

The left-hand exercises at the start of Pumping Nylon.

Whatever you’ve learned to play using the first three fingers of your left hand, play it with finger 2-4.

Left hand! It’s almost always the limiting factor.

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https://sites.google.com/site/obscureflamencology/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 17 2019 7:13:50

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: Best exercises (in reply to makanakijones)

I wanted to make sure that my left hand was walking the strings and frets with precision. Also, that I was getting good clear sound from each note. So, I took some studies, waltz and little classical pieces from a finger picking course I bought ages ago. To maintain good sustain it was necessary to use all four LH fingers independently. And with the RH get good consistent string contact. Problem is I now quite like the pieces, so they have moved from being exercises to being part of my repertoire. Next I’ll be buying a classical