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n85ae -> Getting Better (May 31 2007 16:10:13)
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Well, after many years of playing guitar in the living room. I finally had this idea
to learn Flamenco, so I started learning all the basic stuff. I was thinking, ah,
I can do this. :) And to a degree I was pretty succesfull (I thought!). So I turned
in my old Martin, and bought a nice new Pedro De Miguel from Tom Nunez.
As I started recording some stuff, and posting a little bit, and then listening to
other stuff I had recorded, I realized - Man "This Sucks". Ricardo made the
comment, get a metronome, and work on FUNDAMENTALS. That really hurt
my feelings, but it was the right advice. That was just a week ago.
So I bought a metronome, and have been revisiting playing simple stuff at
a nice slow tick-tick-tick setting. BUT playing it 100% precisely. I know for
real music students, you're intimately familiar with using a metronome. But
for us self taught players, it's sort of a mysterious device.
I never owned a metronome, or ever even used one before. I always just
tapped my foot. And the dots on paper, were just an endless stream of dots
to be memorized (never mind the timing).
It's quite a revelation. I realized, that just because I have the ability to put my
fingers where I want them on the guitar, and hit strings on demand, that
doesn't make quality sound. No in fact it can be really bad, but playing something accurately at slow speed, can sound - Well, good!
So I'm thinking, if I had to give somebody advice learning Flamenco, especially
if they think they know how to play guitar already, but find themselves being
frustrated. Is do what Ricardo said - that is get a metronome, and work on
FUNDAMENTALS (and I'll add) slowly.
I'm not where I want to be by any stretch of the imagination, but just a week
of practicing carefully, and I've discovered with just some basic stuff, that
really rapid progress can be made faster, by just slowing down and being
very carefull. I know that's OLD advice, but it seems really true.
Next time I post something, hopefully it will sound good!
Also I encourage everybody else lurking out there, to post some of your own
stuff. It really helps. Even if you embarass yourself, you'll get a better feel for
where you're at, and you might get the advice you need to help yourself get
better.
Jeff
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