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mark indigo -> RE: Niño de Pura 'Essential techniques of flamenco guitar' (Sep. 22 2016 10:09:49)
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I got it last week. I am just watching it at the moment. I find I play much better after watching the DVD for 20-30 minutes!
I like his playing, and have his albums with the Guajiras and Tarantas, really like that Guajiras, so that and his take on technique got me interested. I get a lot out of just watching really good players close up, so the above joke is kind of serious too.
The technique section of the DVD is interesting, mostly picado, some interesting ideas and exercises, including arpegio/picado combination - also an evil arpegio exercise! Alzapúa and Rasgueado too. (but no "Pulgar" - get the Nuñez DVD for that!)
But he doesn't actually explain the unique way he moves his thumb across the strings in picado....
(the only other person I'm aware of doing this is Manolo Sanlucar in the b/w rito film accompanying Maria Vargas, so maybe an experiment of Manolo's that he later dropped, but not before passing on to Niño de Pura?)
I should say also that the "exercises" are all quite musical, based on nice chord sequences etc.
The normal speed versions of the pieces are accompanied by cajón, the slow versions without any percusión/metronome.
But the slow versions of the pieces have a really annoying "compás clock" in the corner of the screen that is really distracting.
I emailed La Sonanta to ask if there's a way to turn it off and they said no, and that it was a "necessary" part of the "method".
I have been playing for dance classes for 20 years and really don't need a "compás clock" on screen.
(I don't see how anyone that does need a "compás clock" on screen could ever play these pieces in any kind of convincing way.)
I think I will stick a piece of cardboard over the screen to cover the clock when I study the slow versions....
The playing is of course immaculate, as you would expect. The "extras" are couple of pieces from live concert and I think I have seen them on YouTube, maybe not all of them.
The interview is interesting and also in places funny.... he likes his mealtimes very punctual!
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