Mark2 -> RE: Bad experiences with dancers? (Jun. 27 2012 22:42:18)
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You say you can accompany any tempo, but unless you've accompanied people who can go at speeds the pros go, how do you know? If you had to rehearse to prepare for a dance class, then you are in danger of being seriously humbled by a good dancer, and even though the dancer you got together with may not be that, they are out there. Everyone who has played for dancers for any amount of time has had bad expereinces, and good ones, and great ones. Dr. Compas???? I love dr compas, and I have nothing but respect for Jason's abilities, but it would be foolish to judge someone based on if they have an i phone app. There are incredible dancers in Spain who have never heard of dr compas, and probably many others who don't care about i phone apps. I was also one of those people who played guitar professionaly , many years full time, before learning flamenco. I managed to study with a good guitarist and learned many of his solos and did many gigs before really learning how to play for dance. It's a different thing, and your knowledge of other styles of playing will be of limited use should you decide to pursue it. Even if you can play solos in every palo in compas doesn't mean you can accompany them decently. A dancer has the leeway to change the tempo.......... Remember you are there to support them, and if you can't do that, you can't really help them much, and conversely, if a dancer can't dance in compas, then nothing you play will make it so. But, if you know the steps, of which you will learn to recognize many after a time, you'll know when someone is dragging and be able to adjust. That's not an option if they aren't in the ballpark. I don't know if you should pursue working with this particular dancer, as it could be frustrating working with someone who thinks they know but doesn't. But it's worthwhile to pursue playing for dance in my opinion, because your flamenco playing will grow for sure. quote:
ORIGINAL: Shawn Brock Okay, Perhaps I have been to humble? I can keep time, pull off any tempo that can be danced, change chords in the appropriate places, play some good fast-in-time rasgueados, and get paid to play, yes, even get paid here and there to play flamenco. So that's several levels above sucking I guess... I'll remember to choose my words a little more carefully in the future when describing my playing on here from now on. All points are well taken, and yes I am whining a bit and I'll admit that. The problem is that I had built this up in my mind and practiced hard just to find out that it all was going to crash and burn. We're talking a lot of hours here... Though in the end all that practice time helped me no matter the outcome of this class and I'm thankful to have that to show. I would have loved getting together privately with her and working stuff out, but she should have thought about that during the last 6 months when she was emailing and calling me and telling me how great she was... I thought it to be odd that she didn't want to get together before hand, but what do I know. I asked her what she wanted to dance and told her I would be ready. I informed her that I didn't have a wealth of experience with dancers, but that I would learn what ever she wanted me to, and I would keep time and not hold her back. At first I questioned my playing and kept wondering where I was going wrong. Then when she could dance with a loud count and stomp, I realized that I wasn't the one who wasn't prepared... The 2nd student coming in and burning the footwork up with my accompaniment confirmed that I wasn't the problem. I would be more than glad to work with her and I'm sure it would make both of us better. Its a little hard to work with someone though if they don't see that they aren't as good as they think they are. We all know that this stuff aint easy, but she seems to think that its easier than it is. I commend her for wanting to start something up no matter her experience, but don't try to take peoples money if you aren't better than they are. As I have said, one of the two students showed her up badly. I got an email from her this morning and we'll be getting together, so all was not lost... @ Stephen, I get what your saying about the guitar being the air traffic controller, but I'm no where near an experienced enough accompanist to be able to keep a dancer in compas if she/ he don't have the palo and rhythm in in his or her mind and feet. That would take several years for sure to get to that level, and many nights doing it over and over. That won't ever be an option in this town... I guess my problem is that I have played music for 21 years now mostly on a professional level, and got used to working with people who can keep time. We all have worked with lots of people who will sway the tempo... Anyone will move tempo somewhat unless your always playing every note with a metronome, but if she don't know the palo I can't hold her up. I'm just not that good of a flamenco guitarist... Maybe some of you have magic hands and the powers of experience that will automatically make a dancer be in compas no matter how she moves the tempo or no matter how many beats she leaves out. If that's the case then I congratulate you, because I don't have that skill and probably never will... Furthermore, until you have many years of experience accompanying people, always accompanying one person who can't keep time will have a negative affect on your playing and I guarantee that. At this stage of my experience, (or lack there of) in flamenco, I won't knowingly do anything that will f**k up my playing. I also won't do anything if it isn't fun, just because I don't have to. Life's to short and music is to great to make either be bad... Come on people, we are talking about a "teacher" who has a iPhone but no DR. Compas, (and had never heard of it), who said she has never owned a metronome, but wants to take peoples money for lessons. I think that tells the story better than I ever could about her timing and commitment to flamenco... I'm sure plenty of you can come back and tell me 100 ways I am wrong though, and you may be right about all 100 of them...
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