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Ricardo -> RE: Help for my alzapua technique... (Dec. 9 2006 5:36:25)
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Like Ron said, rhythm is the key. But to me, rhythm IS technique, or at least should be a part of your practice focus. Most technical things can be smoothed out from the point of view of a rhythm exercise. I think Romerito wanted his step 1.) each time to be on the click, the other two steps filling the space between the clicks. In this way, with his 9 step exercise, you get to emphasize and strengthen each part of the "triplet".
Another faster way to do the same thing, is try to control steady 16th notes (4 notes per beat or click), using the same 3 stroke technique. Lets call the down stroke strum "A". The upstroke strum "B" and the single note rest stroke on the bass string, "C". So even though it is triplet based, you synchopate the stroke in 4's.
ABCA,BCAB,CABC,ABCA, etc. This way, every beat has a different part of the stroke emphasized. Increasing the speed and controlling the 4 feeling, is very helpful in making the triplet stroke sound smooth and even. If you get this going fast, without losing the beat, you will find actual triplets a piece of cake.
One more rhythmic thing is to do a gallop rhythm, where you have four notes per beat again, but leave a space. But change where the space falls, relative to the click.
ABC_,ABC_,ABC_, etc
C_AB,C_AB,C_AB, etc
BC_A,BC_A,BC_A, etc
_ABC,_ABC,_ABC, etc
That last one is the one that happens when you add the slur when doing a fast 16th kind of thing like Paco does in La Barrosa for example. The slur would occur in the space (on the beat, or on the click). But notice how hard it is to just do the right hand rhythm WITHOUT the slur. A lot of folks I hear try this and are not real tight sounding, because they have trouble feeling this rhythm without the "C" gravitating toward the beat.
Ideally you should practice these exercises with the left hand muting the strings, not even holding a chord or anything. This way, you can hear the dry rhythmic attack only, and can focus on eveness.
Ricardo
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