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FYI, I was at a workshop with Juan a couple of weeks ago and he showed me that rumba stroke. Its simple and as he said 'it's just played really fast'. Not sure if I dare post it and get all that going again though.
He's a great guy and a very strong traditional player. He played palo after palo and had tons of falsettas for each. A very solid dance and cante accompanist. Anyway ... (danger danger!) ... this is how it goes ... very simple but just play it very fast.
||: 1 & 2 & :||
* ami ami p
(slap) (up) (down) (up)
That's it (sorry the alignment is bad but it simple one to one).
The last time someone posted this it caused a huge row, a massive long thread full of insults and several people left.
I'd tread carefully if I were you, JM is a controversial character in the flamenco world.
Hi Jon, IMHO, people get too worked up over pointless things. I remember "the troubles" you're talking about. It comes down to people seeing themselves too aligned to a given player or style (e.g.. ever notice how some get too wrapped up in G. Nuñez' approach or similar players while being derisive towards other players of a different ilk? How they inadvertently attack the comments of others when they contain preference or adolation of different styles or players like Diego del Gastor or JM or Paco Peña?). Name calling is unfortunate if not completely childish and ignorant. Tantrums are something my two year old throws and shouldn't be the stuff of guitarists or wannabe guitarists like myself. Leaving a forum is also inane but I suppose understandable if you are getting nothing but sh*t and abuse each time you sign on.
I for one really like Juan Martín. Not because he's exceptional in his virtuosity and speed (he isn't), but because he's accessible to me and that every once in a while, he comes up with an arrangement or phrasing that is at the same time both simple and elegant in it's sound (not always, but he does come up with them from time to time). He IS a very good player. It's just that we seldom see it because often what we see is teaching material from him consisting of basics or intermediate level material. Perhaps I should say he's a good traditional player that seems to cherish Flamenco and apparently prefers to keep things simple rather than overly showy. Working through his books and DVDs (those two volumes he has through Mel Bay) has helped me with my approach to Paco Peña's Toques Flamenco which in turn has helped me with all of the other material I have to work on (Habichuela, Moraíto, Sabícas). Nobody on any of these forums is good enough to cop the kinds of attitudes we unfortunately see often enough (except maybe Grisha, but he's been nothing but gracious and humble in his postings from what I've seen).
I say, post JM if you want to and just enjoy it for what it is...someone playing a piece of music because he likes to.
He IS a very good player. It's just that we seldom see it
Hi Jamey, I take your point about tantrums and name calling but to say he's a very good player? The thing is that Juan has very cleverly managed to spin an illusion and promote himself to stardom yet in the real world his toque is really only average given so many exceptional players in Spain and around the world. It's all a bit sick and this video sums it up. I mean, the dance was dross and who ever witnessed PDL or Vicente or .......the list of quality flamencos is extensive, lying back on a velvet coutch strumming his guitar? (no inuendo intended ) He should have a big red face yet he's oblivious and folk seem to love it.
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