Norman Paul Kliman -> RE: What is your current practice routine and playing to your strengths vs. improving weaknesses ? (Dec. 28 2023 17:17:27)
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Hey Joe, If you want to work on picado, I’ve got some exercises: http://canteytoque.es/pmiexc.htm#picado I focus on Exercise 8, but I recommend you go over the other seven exercises to learn about the consequences of starting with index or with middle. In these exercises, it’s easier when you start with your middle finger, because, in the descent, you’ll be moving to the lower-pitched strings with your index, and the goal is to play the exercises well starting with either finger. It’s awkward when the pattern forces you to move to lower-pitched strings with your middle finger. After 15 or 20 minutes, the awkward sensation goes away, and everything else is much easier to play thereafter. Rasgueados are another technique that’s often overlooked in practice routines. I usually warm up my rasgueados by playing basic rhythm patterns of soleá por medio (could be any rhythmic style in any key, really), and for that you’ll want to have several cierres and remates, which are the ideas you play over beats 7-8-9 and 10-11-12, respectively. So, find a strumming pattern or three that you like, memorize five or six cierres and remates, and just play for your own enjoyment for a few minutes (rest and repeat). Make sure your rasgueados skate across the strings rather than digging into them, and don’t overdo it (you can damage your tendons). Like you, I also play a lot of pop tunes and just a few classical pieces to keep me spry and interested. Unlike you, however, my focus in recent years has been on easier things, or rather things that shouldn’t be so difficult for me to make sound good. I tend to play a little rough, and when I come across a relatively simple guitar situation that I play roughly, I use it as an exercise. Classical Gas is a good one for fun and good tone, although I think beginning flamenco guitarists should stick to flamenco for a few years. Glad to see the mention of Steve Howe. I no longer play “Mood for a Day,” but I have a blast playing “The Clap.” Other covers include my arrangements of Beatles tunes, blues, some jazz, etc. You’ll beat yourself up but you’ll come out much stronger for having learned Paco de Lucía’s zapateado “Percusión flamenca.” In the late 80s and most of the 90s, I listened to his studio recording of that a lot, just because it was part of a compilation release (greatest hits tape or or something like that). About 10 years ago, someone pointed out the video, and, without the string section of the studio version, I finally noticed the extraordinary guitar work going on there. That’s an excellent piece to learn, as is Manolo Sanlúcar’s zapateado "Los Caireles," from his album “Recital flamenco.” Those two are my ultimate exercises. Very hard to play well all the way through, and, if I’m out of practice, it might take a couple of evenings to get up to speed. But once I can play them at performance speed, everything else is much easier to play. Hope this gives you some tips.
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