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Hey Val Going from classical guitar technique to flamenco is in my opinion harder than starting with flamenco. I had exactly the same problem learning golpes. First thing is to make sure you have some fingernails. If you dont have nails you wont hear anything since it is the nail that makes the distinctive percussive tap.
Secondly try using your middle finger to make the golpe, your ring ringer or both your middle and ring finger together and see which is more comfortable. I found using the middle finger easier initially and could change to ring finger later on. While most guitarists use the ring finger, you can use the middle finger almost as well. If you get into the habit of using both fingers you will get a golpe sound even with a broken fingernail.
Lastly getting the golpe to combine with the down stroke of the first finger is tough. This is cos you gotta flick the first finger down and do a completely different downward tap movement with the (second) third finger at the same time. Hold down a buleria A chord and do downstrokes with the first finger 1,2,3 1,2,3. on each 3 put a golpe. You have to twist your wrist very slightly to the right (if you're right handed) while you make the golpe. Repeat 1000 times
You'll realize you don't have to hit very hard at all if you have your finger aimed directly at the guitar and don't slip off sideways. This is achieved by bending the joint of the ring finger on the way up to keep the finger at a constant angle to the guitar.
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I was thinking about that golpe too lately! I tried and it is very difficult for me! And maybe what's making it more difficult is my classical guitar, because the strings are not so near the neck as on flamenco (I am not sure, I think it is called "lower action", correct me if I'm wrong)!
Anyway, you can practice it without the guitar, and when you practice it you should do it very slow, for about million times and then faster and faster, till you start doing it in a particular falseta! And you will learn it good (now, maybe I sound like I know it very good, but actually I don't know it! But I'll practice it)
Can you just do a golpe by itself and make the sound you want? If so, this exercise usually helps my students get the hang of it.
Pick a chord sequence, like Solea escobilla say, so F-C-F-E. And you strum 16th notes, semi's or whatever you guys call em, 4 notes per beat. Taka taka, taka taka, taka taka etc. OK? So the way you strum is actually GOLPE by itself, then UP with index, then DOWN with index, then UP with index, then Golpe, iup idown iup, etc and keep reapeating changing chords every three beats. If you are strumming real even, so you have Gople, i i i all in one beat, (the beat would be quarter note equalls 70bpm or something slow like that so the golpe is on every tick), then you notice how the index moves up and down constantly.
Watch in the mirror your right hand as you do this. In order for your INDEX to get into the position to play UP stroke AFTER the golpe, it had to swing DOWN while you do the golpe. So you are DOING IT already, you just need to let it touch the strings on the way down. So that is the idea, but first makes sure you get that GOLPE, iup, idown, iup, going nice and smooth and even.
I count it like this 1,e,&,ah, 2,e,&,ah, etc 1=golpe e=i up &=i down ah=i up
ORIGINAL: Ricardo Watch in the mirror your right hand as you do this. In order for your INDEX to get into the position to play UP stroke AFTER the golpe, it had to swing DOWN while you do the golpe. So you are DOING IT already, you just need to let it touch the strings on the way down. So that is the idea, but first makes sure you get that GOLPE, iup, idown, iup, going nice and smooth and even.
This is very similar to how my teacher explained it to me, and it DOES make things a lot easier to understand.
I also noticed that you don't really have to straighten the index finger to strum the strings while you do golpe. You can make a circular motion with your wrist while doing the golpe and keep your index finger bent towards the strings (in a natural way). With the right angle, this will also work. I don't know how "correct" it is though :)
This stroke was very difficult for me because I have quarter-webbed ring and middle fingers and when i first learned Paco's farruca I used thumb downstrokes+golpe just so I could play the song without having to wait for my hand to learn the much more difficult (for me) index downstroke+golpe.
Then, through many months of SLOW training and practice, I managed to get a decent index+golpe and adopted it more thoroughly in other songs I had already learned as well. What did the most for me was just playing through the simple soleares compas in eigth notes with index stroke+golpe on the accented beats. I used the opportunity to practice smoothing out my continuous rasgueado on the unaccented beats. I wish I had been a member of this foro when I was first learning, it would've helped a LOT!
Whatever exercise you go through (and I'd say try them all!!), make sure you're using the correct motion for both fingers because it should not require much effort from your hand to make the proper golpe sound. It's mostly about the angle that the fingernail contacts the guitar. Your index stroke shouldn't require much effort either. Be cautious not to use too much effort and create tension in your hand during practice because this will teach poor technique. It may help to practice playing this as lightly as possible at half tempo if you feel your hand becoming tense
this stroke was very difficult for me because I have quarter-webbed ring and middle fingers and when i first learned Paco's farruca I used thumb downstrokes+golpe just so I could play the song without having to wait for my hand to learn the much more difficult (for me) index downstroke+golpe.
Good post wiseguy. I would just like to add that it is not necessary to hit ALL the strings when doing this technique, sometimes it is just the bass strings you hit like 5,4,3, sometimes just the trebles like 4,3,2,1, it depends on the chord.
Yep, golpe is cool. There are many ways to play the guitar, just as sure as there are as many compositions out there, and there is no one way to count it out. Practice and do what is comfortable and akin to your cordination, and go from there, and learn it and get to know it in as many ways as you can. That's the rule I use when trying to learn. That is explore golpe and then get back to the piece you are trying to play. It's alot easier to put things on the back burners for a while. Then when you feel good....well, it's needless to say!
...So the way you strum is actually GOLPE by itself, then UP with index, then DOWN with index, then UP with index, then Golpe, iup idown iup, etc...
This is genius! Thanks Ricardo! I have to admit that my golpe is quite improved after this, and believe me or not, but I didn't spend more than 10 minutes practicing it like this!!!
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and then faster and faster, till you start doing it in a particular falseta! And you will learn it good (now, maybe I sound like I know it very good, but actually I don't know it! But I'll practice it)
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