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Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia
Practicing on Steel String Acoustics?
Hi there, just wondering about opinions on practicing on a steel string acoustic? I've been just practicing the basic flamenco stuff that my flamenco teacher showed me, and when I picked up my steel string acoustic, I found that it actually hurt my fingertips.
So I was just wondering whether I could practice (in part) on a steel string acoustic, just to make sure my fingers stay accustomed to it.
RE: Practicing on Steel String Acous... (in reply to HolyEvil)
Well, when you think about it, although they are tuned the same way etc...they are really two entirely different musical instruments in both sound and feel.
I can't think of any Flamenco technique that you could practise on a steel string...in fact it would only make your technique worse IMO.
I'd save all your steel-string stuff for the steel string and try to get a fairly low action nylon string one for your Flamenco, not just for the sound, but the all-important feel.
RE: Practicing on Steel String Acous... (in reply to Stu)
quote:
if you only want to play flamenco I'd say ditch the steel string
Ditto. A steel string guitar will only serve to take any fingernails off your right hand if you do flamenco technique and feel very different to your left hand.
If you want to play with a pick and still sound Spanish(y), then check out Al di Meola or some of the "nuevo flamenco" guys (armik, jesse cook, oscar lopez,strunz and farah etc.). There is nothing wrong with using flamenco ideas in other musical forms...but if you are serious about developing flamenco technique and learning flamenco properly you need a Nylon strung (preferably flamenco) guitar.
Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia
RE: Practicing on Steel String Acous... (in reply to HolyEvil)
Thanks for the advice guys, I'll keep my flamenco practice to my nylon guitar then. I don't really have a flamenco guitar. It cost quite abit. I never thought a Flamenco guitar would cost more than a Gibson Les Paul.
And I just bought a new acoustic about 2 months back, so definately not in the market for another guitar in the next few months.
RE: Practicing on Steel String Acous... (in reply to HolyEvil)
quote:
I never thought a Flamenco guitar would cost more than a Gibson Les Paul.
Flamenco guitars are like cars or clothes or anything else. You can pay as much or as little as you like. A really good concer flamenco guitar will cost $4000+ I assume you are in the US and that makes Spanish guitars more expensive but you can cheat on your first guitar (which I do alot for students) Firstly find a second hand student classical guitar for $100 dollars or so. There are bargains out there if you look. Charity shops, adverts in shops, friends with unwanted presents etc...its surprising how many people have guitars in the cupboard they dont play. Generally stay away from anything made in China. Providing the neck is straight and the intonation is ok you can get a music shop or even better, a guitar maker to fit a Golpe plate (clear plastic protector) to the top, and adjust the action, polish the frets, check the nut and generally set the guitar up. This costs about 50 euros in Spain..I don't know what a set up costs in the US. For under 200 dollars you will have a guitar that at least you can learn and practice on until you are ready for a better instrument.
PS Actually I would advise almost any beginner to invest a small amount in taking their guitar to be set up anyway. Even quite good instruments sometimes have horribly high actions and are left unfinished. It is assumed (in spain) that the player will set it up to suit themselves afterwards so often the bridge and frets are left rough. A professional set up may not change the sound so much on a student instrument but it will play like a totally different guitar and solve many technique problems.
RE: Practicing on Steel String Acous... (in reply to HolyEvil)
When it's too late to harass the neighbors i sometimes use my electric guitar (unplugged) to practice rasgueados while watching TV.. and sometimes i use it for memorizing the notes on a new falseta i just have to learn (in the middle of the night).. I haven't noticed any unusual wear on the nails, but the string tension is probably lower than on a steelstring acoustic.
RE: Practicing on Steel String Acous... (in reply to Haizum)
HaHa!
I was in this pub once (a little the worse for the beer), when the guy providing the entertainment (C&W on an Electric) was taking a break and asked if anyone wanted to get up and play something. The friends I was with egged me on and pushed me up.
I had a look at the audience and realized that Flamenco (on a really loud Electric) was not going to be possible, so tried to think of something more appropriate, just to make a passable attempt.
I decided to do "Peggy Sue" by Buddy Holly (though my voice is crap).
I was amazed at the amount of volume that came out of the loudspeakers from simply just stroking the (ultra-light guage) strings on a neck that felt about an inch wide....
Anyway, it was going down reasonably well, with everyone clapping along, until I came to the middle instrumental bit...
I decided to use a Flamenco rasgueado on the A to D to A changes and I heard funny "twang" noises as the first, then the second, then the third strings snapped!
Needless to say, the guy, when he came back, was not very amused!
(Ah God!...one of my many horrific "el cringe-o" memories! )
RE: Practicing on Steel String Acous... (in reply to Ron.M)
yes like Pimientito says get a cheap guitar in a second hand shop...sometimes u might get lucky and score...Sal Bonavista still plays a second hand guitar that he found in a second hand shop for $ 20 bucs or something i cant remember how much he said exactly..but it was something ridicoulos...
Also...u work with what u have ...if u only got a steel string guitar atm ...well then thats what u have (until u get it sorted out)...u might not be able to do everything on it but i played flamenco on friends electrics for fun..u can still practice your left hand etc... even if you dont worry too much about geting sound out or doing it hard...but u pretend by softly touching the notes and doing the fingering..visualise etc...
also u can remove the steel strings and replace it with nylon until you sort it out..
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