My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Full Version)

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Munin -> My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 1 2009 5:15:46)

After some weeks of contemplation and rewatching Jason's sample lesson every once in a while, a few days ago I finally decided to go ahead and register for a trial at his site, flamenco-lessons.com and I just wanted to share my experience with it. I really feel that he deserves some more exposure for all the work he has been putting into it.

Well I think I can just say it now - I feel that Jason has created an amazing site that is well worth the price of admission. Currently, there are already countless lessons online, divided into categories, from palos to things like a technique section. One of the things I really especially like about the site is that Jason covers things you only rarely see in instructional videos etc., for example Ida y Vuelta, Cante & Dance accompaniment, and so on. Even with the abundance of learning material these days, it often seems as if most books and videos restrict themselves to teaching rasgueados and a bunch of solea falsetas (exaggerated of course) and that's it. With Jason's site I get the feeling that he is really trying to share every bit of his flamenco knowledge, and for the people who simply don't have access to Spain or a place where the less obvious things are taught, his site is an invaluable resource.

And then there's all those cool little tidbits that truly make Jason's site stand out among others and also among other learning resources in general, for example Jason uploaded a lesson where he puts Thelonius Monk's "Round Midnight" in a bulerias rhythm. Now, the purists may see this as rather gimmicky, but personally, I really loved it - you just don't see these sorts of things anywhere else.

It has to be said though that in general, I think Jason's site is more tailored towards Intermediate+ players rather than beginners like me. Even though he classifies his lessons into 3 difficulties and has a bunch of videos available to teach the very basics, the beginner stuff is often very tricky too. And there are a lot more lessons classified as Intermediate/Expert online compared to the Beginner stuff. But for those who can do it - and of course, challenge is good - there is an insane amount of material available.

There are a couple things that could be improved, for example, and this ties into the last paragraph, I feel there should be a bit more structure to tie the lessons together in general - if I was a complete beginner having just subscribed to the site, I'd feel slightly lost. The site could use a bit more written text to accompany all the available lessons, for example some guidelines for beginners. And while Jason makes a "commentary" video available for every lesson and explains things well, it's often merely used to explain the theoretical or historical context rather than explaining how to specifically tackle certain parts of a falseta, for example (this is not true for every lesson though, just a limited impression I had).

In general though - I can highly recommend the site. He keeps adding new lessons constantly, the price is very reasonable, and most importantly, his material is truly, truly unique and has a personal touch to it, not just some rehashed "let's count bulerias compas" stuff all over again. No idea how the site compares to Adam Del Monte's, for example, but overall, I think it's one of the best monthly investments one can make. (Hope I didn't sound too much like an ad [:D] )

Are any other guys here also subscribers? What's your opinion?




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 1 2009 10:13:50)

Hi Munin,
I don't want to sound defensive, but I tend to leave the commentary to cover just a general bit of info about the lesson and comic relief.[:D] When a student needs help in a particular area of a lesson, they can ask a question at the site forum or even post a video of themselves for critique. I almost always respond within a day.

How many private "real life" teachers can you call 24 hours a day and bug about things that way?

The forum section of my site is a great reference tool that goes hand in hand with the lessons. If you haven't checked it out, stop by, introduce yourself, ask a question, post a video of yourself and I will be more than happy to give you the personal attention that for most is essential to learn.

I will try and get a lot more beginning material posted soon. I have been meaning to do so for some time. Its my New Years Resolution. Also, all new lessons will be recorded in HD with a new 3rd camera angle that really shows the right hand in detail. Audio will be much improved as well.



I know there are quite a few members of my site here. They must be shy or something. [;)]




Ailsa -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 1 2009 11:41:59)

Hello all, and Happy New Year!

I too am a fan of Jason's site, both for the clarity of his explanations and the actual material he teaches. When I took the 3-day trial I was really impressed, and the only reason that I'm not subscribing at the moment is that I already have too much material to get through - I'm in two separate classes, plus have private lessons, and I just can't keep up with it all.

That makes me pretty lucky I know - not everyone has that sort of access to tuition. Even if you do though, like all online learning, Jason's site is really flexible. You can have a lesson at 6 in the morning before going to work if you want![:D][:D]

Ailsa




Doitsujin -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 1 2009 15:32:59)

quote:

Hello all, and Happy New Year!


Sorry Ailsa, but thats in the wrong thread... tststs.. We have a special "happy new year thread"... [8|][:D]




Munin -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 1 2009 23:28:50)

quote:

Hi Munin,
I don't want to sound defensive, but I tend to leave the commentary to cover just a general bit of info about the lesson and comic relief. When a student needs help in a particular area of a lesson, they can ask a question at the site forum or even post a video of themselves for critique. I almost always respond within a day.

How many private "real life" teachers can you call 24 hours a day and bug about things that way?

The forum section of my site is a great reference tool that goes hand in hand with the lessons. If you haven't checked it out, stop by, introduce yourself, ask a question, post a video of yourself and I will be more than happy to give you the personal attention that for most is essential to learn.

I will try and get a lot more beginning material posted soon. I have been meaning to do so for some time. Its my New Years Resolution. Also, all new lessons will be recorded in HD with a new 3rd camera angle that really shows the right hand in detail. Audio will be much improved as well.


Yeah, that indeed makes sense. It's maybe because I'm actually not used to the integration. The forum is indeed an important part of the site that I forgot to mention. Well, I stand corrected then. [:)] In any case, I wish you lots of success with your site - you really deserve it!

Hope to hear some other opinions as well.




Arash -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 2 2009 3:35:47)

For me the best flamenco online lessons website at the moment.

(+)

1) already many available lessons to start with
2) Jason is always there and answers all questions very fast
3) Dance and Cante accompaniment lessons also available
4) Reasonable price comparing to real teachers and other online lessons

(-)

The only thing which can be improved is some minor technical issues with the website (but this is responsibility of the
website designer): 1) the forum is too chaotic and not organised, 2) automatic log-out after few minutes.
These issues can be solved easily to make everything perfect.

Keep up the good work Jason.




XXX -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 2 2009 4:38:56)

Its great! Most falsetas are challenging for me, but with great musicality, so that you feel inspired and motivated by them. I hope there will be more accompainment stuff, maybe with some explanations too, on how a choreography is set up, and how which parts are accompained or so.




Francisco -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 2 2009 6:56:34)

quote:

I hope there will be more accompainment stuff,

I have also been waiting on this material. I know Jason intended on adding some a while back, but never heard back whether it was actually added. I'm about to just do the trial period to check the actual material available. Seems like a really good deal considering all that is offered.




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 2 2009 9:41:11)

There is a little bit of cante and dance accompaniment. I will be adding much more this year. Francisco, sorry I didn't get back to you about the accompaniment lessons.


Arash, I will see what I can do about the forum at my site.




ddk -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 2 2009 13:56:54)

Hola todos and Happy New Year! I agree that Jason's lessons are phenomenal. I also second Munin that Jason seems to give his students every bit of information he can and all that coming from an obviously tremendous player. I'm sure there are other websites that give good value as well, but I find Jason's to be truly exceptional. Although I am a beginner, I really enjoy working out some of the more difficult pieces. It pushes me to practice and improve.

So much material and so little time![:)][:)][:)]

Cheers,

Dean




Francisco -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 2 2009 18:47:50)

quote:

Francisco, sorry I didn't get back to you about the accompaniment lessons.

No sweat. I'll be signing up soon.




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Jan. 15 2009 19:14:11)

Sorry I haven't been able to post much lately. I have been making lots of new lessons for my website. Here is a sample of one of my new classes for cante accompaniment in Solea por Bulerias. Enjoy!

http://www.flamenco-lessons.com/soleaporbuleriasample.mov




srshea -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 8 2009 17:16:33)

At the risk of sounding like a shill, I feel compelled to offer up my own ringing endorsement of Jason’s site. I signed up last night, and all I can say is that I really, really wish had done so earlier. I’ve been absolutely killing myself trying to work out certain stuff for accompaniment on my own, and my life would have been much easier if I had gotten a hold of this material sooner. I came home wiped out after three hours of dance rehearsal yesterday and then compulsively worked into the wee hours on stuff from the site, only finally stopping when my left hand pretty much just called it a day.

All the material appears to be very good and very, very serviceable, and really up to date. All solid, fundamental, deeply-rooted stuff, but also good for those who hope to play with others some day and need to be playing living, breathing flamenco and not just classic bedroom type stuff.

There really is a lot of stuff that I think would be valuable to a wide range of students, from larger, long-term challenges to little bits to grab here and there. The difficulty level skews pretty fairly towards the more difficult end of the spectrum; a lot of the beginner level stuff is a handful. My own plate is already overly full with stuff to work on (one of the reasons I never signed up before) but even still I can tell I’m going to get a lot of use out of the site. So, if any of you out there are waffling, I highly recommend you check it out. Even just spending a weekend with the trial would be great for just about anybody.

More of what I’d like to see? More accompaniment stuff. I think that this is some o the best material on the site, and it’s also what makes it unique. There’s no shortage of books/cds/dvds/on-line stuff for free or pay/etc. but very little of it covers accompaniment stuff at all, least of all in an approachable way. So I think that’s one of the key things that gives Jason’s site a leg up on the competition. Of course the real work of learning to accompany comes from actually doing it, but having some of these fundamental building blocks in your toolbox as preparation for working with dancers and singers is a great head start.

I also really like the apagado stuff for tangos and bulerias, and it’d be cool to see that for all the other upbeat rhythmic stuff: alegrias, solbul, jaleos, etc.

Alright, Jason. If you’re out there you should ready yourself for an onslaught of questions on your forum, ‘cause I got lot to learn!




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 8 2009 18:36:25)

Bring it on srshea. I love to teach. Thanks for taking the time to write about your experience and thanks for staying up late and digging into my material.

I am getting ready to film a WHOLE BOAT LOAD of accompaniment videos. I had quite a few done, but the quality of the dance/cante wasn't that great so I only have had whats up there at the moment. You can expect to see lessons of entire dance numbers (divided into logical segments) VERY soon. Now that I have a great transcriptionist, I can focus much more on filming new segments. I agree the accompaniment lessons are what makes the site really stand out, and to me accompaniment is really where its at. If my subscribers keep pushing me in the right direction, I will continue to do my best to accomodate them to make the site the best it can be without me loosing my shirt.




cathulu -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 8 2009 19:15:31)

Yes, I signed up also recently for three months. I also highly recommended the site, you will not be disappointed.

Further to your suggestions regarding accompaniment which I agree is something to distinguish Jason from the competition, what I wouldn't mind seeing is some more stuff bridging the gap between the beginner and intermediate.

The challenge I see it is putting out some nice easy falsetas that sound really good, harmonically interesting without being too technically challenging and fitting in the "gap". Very few can do that, and I think Jason can!

Cheers!




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 8 2009 19:32:44)

I am trying to do just that cathulu. It is a difficult task, but one I am working on. In fact I have a begining level student who is acting as a consultant for me to help me develop that type of material. The 2 lessons on Seguiriyas are examples of lessons that came from discussions with him. I am meeting with him again Wednesday evening, so there will certainly be some new things in that vain by the end of the week.

J




alex_lord -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 9 2009 12:56:36)

I too am very impressed with Jason's site. In fact, I spent a good chunk of my weekend on it, and have only just begun to scratch the surface. My one complaint is that there is too much good stuff to go through [;)]

On a serious note, one suggestion would be to release a DVD or a set of DVDs containing all the existing lessons. This would be more convenient for some, and since you are constantly updating the site with new videos, you could re-release the latest once a year.




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 9 2009 13:34:03)

The DVD idea is an option, but with so much sharing of pirated movies/software/music, I would be a little weary of doing things that way.

My idea all along was to make the site somewhat like private lessons accesible anytime (no scheduling/cancellation hassles) and incredibly affordable for most. Each lesson is about what the average private student of mine learns in one private lesson. They practice the material for a week or so and then perform it for me and I offer suggestions and they come back and play it again in the next class, while begining to learn the next new material. Here it can work the same, although I am surprised more people don't submit videos for critique, all are encouraged to submit videos and get valuable feedback on their progress.

I may revisit the DVD option down the road. I always try and stay open to new ideas.




srshea -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 9 2009 14:03:56)

quote:

I am getting ready to film a WHOLE BOAT LOAD of accompaniment videos.


Bring it on, indeed!

And Cathulu has a good point about gap-bridging, though I can definitely see the difficulty in putting that together. It’s good to have stuff that gives you something to chew on for a while and really work at, but it’s also nice to have stuff that’s very solid and useful but also relatively easy to get under your belt in short order and that can be built upon later on….

Re: specific feedback on the site, do you prefer that on your forum, or directly to you? Do you mind talking about that stuff here?




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (Mar. 9 2009 14:27:43)

I am fine with talking about things here or over there. Either way works for me. Although if the suggestions are about the design/coding of the site, I must say that my web guy charges me an arm and a leg to make any major changes. [;)] It was a major investment to get the site to where it is now. I wish I was a better web designer, I could have saved myself a lot of $$$.

J




cathulu -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (May 4 2009 20:36:15)

Just want to put in a couple of cudos for Jason. I have been away for a little while but I can see he has been busy on Flamenco-lessons.com!

I am working on accompaning that solea dancer, at least until she steps it up a notch. And I love that little Guairas play along to the singer, some nice stuff there. Now if I only had more time to practice, right now the bicycle is taking all of my spare time.

And no, I am not on Jason's payroll... I am purely acting spontaneously after my latest visit!

[:)]




JasonMcGuire -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (May 5 2009 16:30:07)

Thanks Cathulu. I have been busy with new lessons and beginning the task of working on some new technical stuff with my site. There will soon be in addition to lots of new classes most of which will deal with compas and accompaniment, huge fuctionality enhancements in how videos are delivered and such. In the last couple of weeks I have added the following new lessons......

A 2 hour bulerias dance workshop with Yaelisa.

A bulerias sixes intensive dance accompaniment lesson.

2 new "Compas Workshop" bulerias target practice lessons. (learning to cut at all places in the compas and recover falling back into the groove). All downbeats and all contrtiempos are covered.

2 new solea falseta lessons, one is a new tremolo.

A new bulerias falseta and a fandangos de huelva falseta with a Paco de Lucia inspired alzapua ending.

4 new "Compas Workshop" lessons covering improvisational compas playing for tangos, bulerias, solea and farruca.

There are new lessons for dance accompaniment too although I haven't prepared the guitar portion, they are uploaded for students to go ahead and use for practicing with a dancer and singer. These are all complete flamenco dances improvised by Yaelisa(baile), Felix de Lola (cante) and Melissa Cruz (palmas). I will get the guitar accompaniment done for these very soon. There is a complete Solea, Alegrias, Tientos, Bulerias(mentioned above), Jaleos, Tangos and Garrotin.

Also coming soon are complete dance classes of Yaelisa, with a second camera on my guitar so students can see I am doing.

We are also going to be experimenting with offering lessons for dancers. Basic stuff like marking, beginning technique etc...

After seeing some of the new dance accompaniment lessons some dancers became interested in the website so we are going to see how it goes.

I did a live broadcast too a few weeks ago. It was 2 hours long with Glenn Canin discussing and demonstrating 4 of his recent guitars all built with different wood combinations. I posted it in 2 parts on my YouTube channel if any one is interested.

I will be doing another with my friend Stephen Faulk who is a fantastic repairman and also a talented guitar builder. It will be broadcasted live and recorded for those who can't tune in live.

I have also been doing quite a few private lessons via Skype lately. It seems to work okay although I prefer Apple's iChat... The quality seems better to me. PC users can still connect to iChat using AIM. Anyone interested can send me a private message.

J




kozz -> RE: My experience with flamenco-lessons.com (May 6 2009 11:09:08)

Great video's Jason!!!

I really enjoy the Intermediate - Bulerias Dance Accompaniment 2. It's a new experience for me playing in front a beautifull danser and cante.

It's nice to groove a long with!!! Very inspirational!




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