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BarkellWH -> RE: What has flamenco taught you? (Dec. 30 2014 22:17:57)
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Flamenco has taught me that even someone of my advanced age (I'll be 72 years old this February) can learn something new that brings great joy. After I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service, I began studying flamenco guitar from scratch with Paco de Malaga. I had first played guitar at the age of 17 in 1960 while a junior in high school in Phoenix, Arizona. It was at the height of the folk boom, and I just learned three and four chord progressions that were fine for singing folk songs at parties.
I was introduced to flamenco guitar when bought an album by Carlos Montoya, and then I went to see him perform live when he came to Phoenix. That led to Sabicas. I fell in love with flamenco guitar, although I understood nothing about flamenco. Just knew I loved the sound of the guitar. Didn't do much with the guitar after high school, but kept one handy through university, the Air Force and a career in the Foreign Service, that is until I retired and began seriously taking up flamenco guitar.
But here is what I have occasionally thought about since I have been learning and playing flamenco. Just imagine some guy 16 or 17 years old in high school back in the early '60s who actually knew how to play some flamenco guitar. He wouldn't have to be very accomplished, just enough to play some rasgueos, a nice falseta, and perhaps a bit of tremolo. Just enough to put together a reasonable piece. Back in my day, flamenco was considered such an exotic form that that guy could have had any girl he wanted! I'm sure he would have beaten out the guy with the brand new 1960 Chevy Impala. And he surely would have beaten out me playing my three-chord progression folk music!
Bill
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