Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Full Version)

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mrMagenta -> Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 16:59:54)

I'm getting very frustrated with my neighbours when practicing at home (I have neighbours living above,below and to both sides of my single room apartment) . I'm thinking of getting myself a used yamaha silent guitar. As things are now, I just can't practice all the hours I would want to.. the question is, would practicing on a yamaha SG cause potential bad habits because of its construction? Anyone tried practicing say, rasgueado on one of those?

I know the trick of using foam to dampen the strings etc, but it just doesn't cut it for me.. i want the notes to sound, though quietly. I also like to sit up late and do transcribing etc, for this use I would think the yammy would do.. but if it could be used for serious practice that would of course make a purchase much more worth while. Is it a good idea.. what alternatives are there?



gounaro -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 17:03:16)

I really want to know how can i do this too, cause i have the same problem. Practice but i want to hear the notes...



Guest -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 17:27:06)

The yamaha has a fairly thin neck like a steel string, a bit wider, not remotely the feel of a flamenco guitar. but sounds ok with the b band [ i owned one]
the aria has a more 'realistic' feeling neck but sounds pretty bad with headphones. [ i owned one of these as well]
golpes are difficult on both unless you somehow attach something underneath the strings to get the right action.

my solution in the end
a cheap classical. valencia comes to mind.[ just find something with a relatively playable neck. file the saddle and bridge. fill, jam and stuff full of foam/pillows/washing[:D] or anything that will dramatically decrease it's poor acoustic tone.
cover sound hole underneath with cardboard to keep the foam in.
if needed glue some ply where you will play golpe.
an viola an $80 silent guitar....ugly but then again so are the silent guitars.
huge savings for something you really need....

the idea came from reading an old pat metheny interview describing how he practiced in the dorms at college.



nospoonboy -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 17:30:28)

The school I teach at has two guitar labs that are equipped with these guitars. I played a few of them and it felt like I was playing on a piece of plastic...(one step up from a guitar hero set up...)

Not to mention those Yamaha guitars aren't cheap. However, if you are really having issues you may try putting some material (a soft shirt or fabric) in the soundhole of your guitar. This will dampen the sound, still allow you to play, and not cause such a problem for your neighbors.

Dampening the strings are not going to be as effective as stuffing the soundhole...but the thought of this makes me think of the gimp from Pulp Fiction...poor guitar :-(

Good Luck!



nospoonboy -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 17:32:01)

Hey we came up pretty much the same solution... :-)



Pimientito -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 17:35:22)

Great idea of saving $500 there. You can get foam in cans from hardware stores for filling gaps in walls. Its a bit like shaving foam except it expands 100 times and forms a rigid honeycomb. Its got the added advantage of not adding as much weight as material would. As you say it might be worth trying on a 50 dollar chinese guitar ....and will also turn the guitar into a life preserver if you are playing near a lake!![;)]



mrMagenta -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 18:06:42)

This foam / floating device idea sounds viable, if it dampens the vibrations enough. The problem with cloth is that, at sufficient damping, the guitar becomes heavy as a pile of bricks!

I wonder how far one could get by purposely sabotaging the guitar by drilling, or bracing with the purpose of muting vibrations instead of assisting them.

I guess the problem here would be that the sound would most likely turn so ugly that you wouldn't feel like picking it up..

... this is a real problem for me though. when practicing with full sound at home, i end up with a lot of tension in my hands



GuitarVlog -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 11 2011 19:19:35)

quote:

ORIGINAL: AlVal
The yamaha has a fairly thin neck like a steel string, a bit wider, not remotely the feel of a flamenco guitar.

There's a new model out, the SLG130NW which has a traditional 52mm wide neck and a "pick guard" which doubles as a tap surface for golpes.



But it's not cheap at $630. [:(]

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px



Guest -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 12 2011 2:21:25)

quote:

sound would most likely turn so ugly that you wouldn't feel like picking it up..

well the silent guitar has the same effect...[:)]
but good to know that yamaha have made the adjustment in the neck.....
if you have money to burn or play different styles maybe the yamaha is an option...but basically prefer my chinese brick...



changue -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 12 2011 7:28:10)

I've got a Yamaha and I love it. It's not completely silent. The feel is, obviously, very different. I never use the pick-up. I tend to leave a capo on 4 (if you get one, make sure you get the wide neck). Personally, I don't see a downside with these guitars, but you have to try 'em for yourself. I do see a downside with trying to practice, say, rasgueados, whilst feeling inhibited about the amount of 'noise' you are making... Good luck.

Changue



mrMagenta -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 12 2011 16:56:51)

That looks like the one I've been eyeballing. I don't know what the number means.. there's one for sale thats a 120 NW.. i was thinking of placing an offer.

Today I picked up my old 'quiles' flamenca, stuffed it with airfilled plastick bags, the kind that you get if you order something fragile.. quite effective! and there is virtually no change in weight. i would say that with this set up I can practice as much as i want until 21:00.. if the yammy would be more silent than this, and allow me to practice until 23:00 that would perhaps be worth a few bucks. my airbag filled guitar has very muted basses, but the trebles still have quite some power.. funny. All the usual positives are suddenly negative!



mrMagenta -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 12 2011 20:26:03)

Small Update. I added a thin kitchen towel to fill up the last space at the soundhole, the rest of the guitar volume is filled with air-cushions. Wow this works very well, and it actually sounds decent (for its intended use of course).. it's slightly louder than my electric guitar unplugged, but with this I can practice rasgueado and picado without frying my nerves



Ramon Amira -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Sep. 15 2011 3:04:08)

I have the same problem with neighbors late at night. This little device works pretty well.

http://www.stringsbymail.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_info&products_id=5806&reviews_id=54

Ramon



Vahid -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 26 2016 11:07:51)

Guys. I just want to appreciate all your advice. I was so depressed because my neighbors warned me about the noise and I was wonder how to solve this problem. now I found some solutions.
thanks a lot.



Dudnote -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 26 2016 11:26:18)

I just chopped a foam washingup sponge and squash it up near the he bridge. Very inexpensive solution.

But who called me the other day at midnight when I was singing the same Alegria for the 50th time? Will have to try a sponge in the mouth as the witching hour approaches.



Piwin -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 27 2016 6:35:25)

Or you could just practice singing in your head [8|].
I remember Tommy Emmanuel saying that a lot of times he just composed on the train or in the plane and that he could just visualize where his hands would have to go to play the music he was imagining. Definitely a skill worth cultivating.




Tap_Tap -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 27 2016 19:17:37)

I am also a late night sponge user. works great unless things get really percussve



kjnouri -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 27 2016 20:16:00)

An old school solution that I use from one of the greats:




Blondie#2 -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 28 2016 8:39:51)




After seeing this I put a perspex golpeador on mine, works pretty well.



Piwin -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 28 2016 9:02:48)

The towel is definitely a classier option than the rolled-up toilet paper I use for the same effect [8D]



Morante -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Nov. 28 2016 15:37:47)

Why not just use an electric guitar un plugged?



at_leo_87 -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Dec. 7 2016 19:34:20)

quote:

After seeing this I put a perspex golpeador on mine, works pretty well.


I use a similar set up. The string spacing and action is different from my main guitar and the string feel is very stiff. But it feels more natural than using a towel or socks or whatever.



johnnefastis -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Dec. 7 2016 21:37:25)

I have the Yamaha silent one with a custom plate I put on myself. It velcros on so its really portable.

It has a thinner neck and shorter fretboard length to my other guitars so it is a bit deceptively easy to play some stuff. Also you tend to hold it differently which is probably not a great thing.

It is definitely quieter than my other a guitar with a towel or whatever. I can play it with someone in the next door room and rarely get told to be quiet, but with a sponge towel option a guitar sounds pretty loud and percussive.

Anyone remember this one that Paco had made. I would love to try it.

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=77736&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=&tmode=&smode=&s=#77736

Ideally I would like something like this with a full sized neck that detaches so you could pack it down take it on holiday etc.



Dudnote -> RE: Practicing flamenco on a silent guitar (Dec. 8 2016 2:44:06)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Morante
Why not just use an electric guitar un plugged?

And if you went for the Guiness Book of Records prestigeous "most sound ports on a flamenco guitar" award - how much volume would be left in it then with just a skeleton of a body + a gulpedor in place? It would at least be the right shape, not to mention nice n light.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Piwin
Or you could just practice singing in your head [8|].
I remember Tommy Emmanuel saying that a lot of times he just composed on the train or in the plane and that he could just visualize where his hands would have to go to play the music he was imagining. Definitely a skill worth cultivating.



Nice Piwin, so you got that Living On A Prayer transposed to an Andalucian cadence, the rhythm of Sevillanas and lyrics of Copains d'Abord clear in you head yet? [:D][:D]



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