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Jon Boyes -> Just started accompanying!! (Sep. 30 2004 12:22:20)
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Well guys one of my goals for a while has been to try accompanying baile, and last night I got there. I am so excited about this.
Here's the story..
There is only one pro flamenco dance instructor in our city, called Mercedes Romero, who runs dance classes, teaches privately and puts on shows. For some time I've been thinking of going along to her dance class and just seeing if she'd let me hang out and play along with the music (she uses CDs in her class). I thought about leaving this until I was more experienced, but last night I suddenly had a window (cancelled gig) and I thought what the heck, I am just dying to try this out, now or never..
So I turned up with guitar in hand, just as Mercedes (the dancer) is about to start her class. I went straight up to her and asked if she minded me playing along a little. She looks at me and my guitar case dubiously and says something like ..".. well I don't know what you can play..."
I said I could play along to Tangos and Rumba (I checked out the advert for the classes beforehand to see what she palos was doing this term), and I explained that although I had no experience accompanying I was sure I could pick it up and play along with her CD.
She still looks dubious (understandably![:D]) and says.. "..well I don't know what kind of guitar you have.."
..so I assure her its a flamenco guitar (and not a Fender strat[;)]) in my case, and whip out the guitar to show her. I play through a few bars of Tangos, and suddenly she dashes off to get a chair, puts it in the corner of the dancefloor and announces to the dance class that I will be helping to accompany them.
Gulp! We're on![:-]
She goes thru palmas and basic steps with the class unaccompanied, then asks me to provide music.
I stick to the basics - straightforward, loud tangos compas with minimum fuss and no falsetas. After a while she asks me what else I can play - Farruca maybe? I'm not on safe ground here, so I suggest I play por rumba. She asks me to show her, so I demonstrate a quick rumba with slapping on the guitar etc. She corrects my accenting (..note to self, must remind Juan Martin about THAT one...[;)]) , I revise the pattern and we're off again, with the class doing their thing.
She asks me if I know Tientos, but again I have to say 'not well enough'. She sticks a Solo Compas CD on for the class to dance to, I listen closely what the guitarist is doing, then start playing along. She suddenly comes over, impressed by the fact that I could work out quickly what was happening on the CD and play along to it, and tells me I have a very good ear. Now she is rather more interested!
What can I say? An I had an hour of pure fun! I loved it. It was so nice to take a back seat from playing as a soloist, and so nice to be part of something bigger, and more flamenco.
At the end of the class I thanked Mercedes for letting me bumble along to her class and asked if I could come regularly (nothing like pushing your luck, eh?). She said yes, and (amazingly) wants to meet up to discuss things further, so I gave her my card.
Next week she is lending me some of the Solo compas material she is using so I can go away and prepare it better, and play some more variations.
Wow! I am still buzzing over this.[:)]
Jon
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