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INTERMEDIATE CHALLENGE ENTRIES Mp3
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Doitsujin
Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005
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 RE: INTERMEDIATE CHALLENGE ENTRIES Mp3 (in reply to gj Michelob)
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Ok, all judges who didnt judge so far, dont read my comments. I already wrote it, so I post them. I want to give some usufull feedback to the players with words, so that they know how I came to the numbers and where their weakpoints could be and how to work on it.
Here my rating and my opinion about the playing.
PLUTO
technique 3
compás 2
Aire 1
SCORE = 4
You have to work on technics. I would do that with playing in slowmotion with the compas. You get the compas with the exercise of the beginners challenge. There were almost no accents. Your playing was not in compas. pronounce the 12 of arpegios as the 6. And when you are bored after playing bulerias at 80bpm for some hours.. play some more with that speed. I’m sure you can quickly make more than 2 times as good as now.
STITCH
technique 3
compás 2
Aire 3
SCORE = 8
Really nice opening. There were heavy problems with the compas. It sounded like you forgot what to play at some points. I would work on that as I wrote above. Here and there were good accents! The reverb was to big.. The technic was fair. I didn’t hear the notes from your m finger during the arpegios. I would try to play it that you hear every single note clearly.
ALADDIN
technique 4
compás 5
aire 4 SCORE = 13
Great opening, weak arpegio.. The compas strumming was fair. It was close to be off compas, but all together it was in- So goon with that falseta at slow speed and I guess you play it completely save in some weeks. Work on the tripletrasguado in the end of this falseta. There are many different ways to do it.
MICKEY MOUSE
technique 6
compás 6
aire 5 SCORE = 17
Im sorry if I tell crap, but it sounds like the opening was pasted in front of the arpegiopart where the compas backing starts.If so you should be disqualifyed coz of editing via copy paste. Also if it was not meant to cheat in any way. Well,.. why didn’t you play all along with the compas?
Beside of that the compas feeling was really good, I think there is no need for you to paste it like in the original. The rasguados and arpegios also sounded good to me.
CHESHIRE CAT
technique 8
compás 9
aire 8
SCORE = 25
Ole! The best attempt till now. It was solid playing with accents where they should be and all nicely in compas with solid techincs!! Enjoyed it very much! I liked your interpretation at 0,57!! The only things which I could silently announce are. Put compas backing on your playing , try to play a bit more tight with the compas and go on with that! Hope to see you in the advanced challenge in future!
BALOO THE BEAR
technique 3
compás 0
aire 1
SCORE = 3
The compas playing in the end was really nice. You should focus for a while on your techincs beside of strumming. I think that’s the reason why it was completely played without compas.. The falseta was so differently played that I thought, maybe you don’t know how to read the time signatures of transcriptions correctly. Beside of the bad compas, your accents in playing are already there. That’s very good, because many players who developed an awesome techincs aren’t able to pronounce in any way. So you have a good base! Go on with that.
PETER PAN
technique 9
compás 9
aire 9
SCORE = 27
Do you have a thumbnail? The opening and basses were extremely softly played. With a good nail, it would be as different as day and night. (And fastly done without any practicing). Your technics are smooth! Very good! Rasguados, arpegios, picado.. all no problem for you. Accents are there at the right place and the playing is in compas! And tight. Well... what could I say... buy a better mic and grow a thumbnail! Than you rule! (See you in the advanced challenge)
SIMBA
technique 8
compás 8
aire 8
SCORE = 24
The compas during the falseta and the ending was nicely done! In the opening and here and there later it gave the impression, you would play a bit in front of the compas. Do you play on steel treble strings? If not, your strings have a too weak tension or your strings are more than a way to close to the soundboard. (But that’s no point to rate here). It was all well done, but sounded not completely save. But all together well done! Liked it!
UNCLE REMUS
technique 1
compás 1
aire 1
SCORE = 3
You should work hardly on your compas feeling beside of all technics. Please read what I wrote to Baloo the bear.
Pinnochio
technique 6
compás 7
aire 8
SCORE = 21
You are on a good way to master it well. It sounds like you are damn close. Its all a lower tempo than normal. Im sure you could play it faster, which would have shown better that your technics and feeling works quite well. At such a slow tempo I have no proof.. But it sounds like you could. But that’s not enough to get full points. The accents were right, good feeling, the picado fits and in the end of the picado at1.02 I really LOVE your pronunciation! It is not perfectly clean, but these are the small things which make a player unique and which really rock the **** craze when it is played at full speed. So,,. Work a bit more on everything, play it at full speed and rule! Nice playing anyway!
NEMO
technique 4
compás 4
aire 2
SCORE = 10
(O.0);.. I need a doctor!! My ears are bleeding!!! Your playing is recorded with extra bonus on loudness and ringing sound like a motor saw, directly started beside of my ear 5o´clock in the morning!! And your playing started more than 10 times automatically after pinochios when I wrote about his playing and started it over and over to check all.. Hahaha.. :.) But I don’t rate this kind of sound quality.. For the opening chords you don’t need the top 2 strings. Just hit the basses.. Many players play with almost no accents,. Your playing is one big accent. I would play more silently and reduce the accents to the rights places. The technics (rasguaso and arpegio) sounded not completely in control but close to. The picado was fair. I want to check it out more to write more comments, but I want to sleep without a ringing in my ears..
CAPTAIN HOOK
technique 7
compás 7
aire 8
SCORE = 22
Very nice opening. Well arpegio and picado. But your playing is a bit in front of the compas. Its sounds slightly hectic. If you work much with a metronome, you can handle that fastly and fight fort the lead here. The accents were nice and the the compass playing in the and had power in the down strokes. That was really good. All together a very good submission but needs a little bit more control in timing.
Oley! Thanks to all participants!! I enjoyed it ery much and completely skipped the preparation for my speech tomorow at 9 am for you... 
Now I will sleep and tell my boss tomorrow the names of the 12 bastards from disneyland who disturbed my free time!!!!  
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Feb. 25 2009 13:51:54
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JasonMcGuire
Posts: 1141
Joined: Apr. 10 2007
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RE: INTERMEDIATE CHALLENGE ENTRIES Mp3 (in reply to Florian)
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PLUTO
execution/technique/clarity -3
compas -3
swing/feel/aire -3
total=9
You need to be able to first sing the falseta. If you can't sing it in compas you can't play it in compas. It is the simplest way of learning to understand the music you learn, without technique holding you back.
If you know how something should sound and can reproduce that sound in your head, then you can make your fingers and hands conform to that clear well thought image.
Stitch
execution/technique/clarity - 4
compas - 2
swing/feel/aire - 4
total=10
The intro is at a different tempo than the next part (Main falseta) and then the compas section after is yet in another different tempo. It needs to be CONSISTENT. In the falseta things were almost there except beat number 11 gets dropped completely in a few places. This is a very common problem for students. Sing the falseta in time with a metronome. Learn it in your head first. The reason Spanish players have such an advantage is that they have heard things "right" much more than us foreigners. Listen. Listen till it hurts. Then play.
Aladdin
execution/technique/clarity - 5
compas - 5
swing/feel/aire - 4
total=14
You are behind most of the time. Completely falls apart at the end of the falseta. You need to pratice the line at the end of the falseta about 300 times more than the rest of the falseta. You have to make a remate like that sound effortless. The whole performance sounds very labored. Same as I have said for all so far. Listen more. Its the only way. Get to work!
Mickey Mouse
execution/technique/clarity - 5
compas - 3
swing/feel/aire - 5
total=13
The intro doesn't groove right. The falseta does groove but then falls apart in the remate. The compas that follows is a mess. EVERYONE SO FAR NEEDS TO LEARN TO PLAY COMPAS. Falsetas are easy in comparison. Belive me after teaching for many, many years. Everyone learns the falsetas okay. Few get the compas together. Those that do get called for work. Do the right thing. Learn compas. Study recordings of singers. Zero in on what the guitars is doing. Listen again and again and compare what you are doing to what they are doing.
Is it right? Listen again and again and again. In time you will sound "right". It doesn't come easy for most. It is however worth the effort. Trust me.
Chesire Cat
execution/technique/clarity - 7
compas - 7
swing/feel/aire - 7
total=21
You are ALMOST there. Work on the remate. Make it sound as easy as you make the rest sound. Also you hesitate a little on the "pickup notes" to the melody section. Tighten it up in those three areas and you will be good to go. Rasgueado sounds great. Good job!
Baloo the Bear
execution/technique/clarity -2
compas -2
swing/feel/aire -2
total=6
The falseta has no recognizable compas. Learn to sing it. You need to work on technique. Arpeggio especially, but everything really. This was a little beyond your capability at this time. I don't think you are hearing this falseta properly. You must listen to it more than practice it at this point.However....
the compas at the end is good. very good in fact. Get to work on your technique and get your ear trained better. Consider the struggle of the people (gypsies) that created this music. You must struggle and hunger for this music. It takes much sacrifice.
Peter Pan
execution/technique/clarity - 7
compas - 8
swing/feel/aire - 6
total=21
This was close, but no cigar. Here is whats missing. The little rasgueado "connector" after the first phrase of the falseta. It totally loses the aire. You need to be able to go back and forth reliably between various techniques like arpeggio and rasgeado seamlessly to play convincingly. You do understand the melodies but you need to study a lot of compas to bring this stuff home. The rasgueado at the end doesn't sound like you are executing it properly. Work on it. There is a lot of potential in your playing. Don't be lazy though. The hard part is learning to play "compas". Invest much more time there and it will pay off.
Dance classes...... Thats what you need. Get funky.
Simba
execution/technique/clarity - 8
compas - 8
swing/feel/aire - 6
total=22
You could have nailed this if it was just a hair slower. That compas track sounds familiar...;)
Amazing Slow Downer could have won this for you. This is all very good, you just need to work on it slower a little bit more.
Uncle Remus
execution/technique/clarity - 2
compas - 2
swing/feel/aire - 2
total=6
You need more technique and you must sharpen up your rhythmic skills. Practice mental exercises like dividing the beat in half, in 3, in 4, in 6 etc. After you learn how each sounds and can reproduce those tapping on a table then you can begin to mix and match the nearly infinite possibilities. Believe it or not that is whats going on in music..... at least funky music. Learn to divide/subdivide and then learn to syncopate.
Pinnochio
execution/technique/clarity - 6
compas -5
swing/feel/aire -5
total=16
Work on compas. Rasgueado technique needs a lot of help. The remate was pretty messy. Practice it a lot more but before, learn to hear it clearly in you mind. You go out of compas at the very end.
Nemo
execution/technique/clarity - 7
compas - 2
swing/feel/aire - 3
total=12
No steady rhythm. Not one person yet has played in STEADY rhythm. C'mon guys. This is flamenco. Its funky. Imagine James Brown without steady groove. Get on the goodfoot.... Stay on the scene....
Captain Hook
execution/technique/clarity - 7
compas -7
swing/feel/aire -7
total=21
Same issues. Notice a pattern. Everyone needs to work on playing in steady rhythm. You are rushing severly. Its not funky. Moraito is funky. Rasgueado isn't right. One thing incredibly important to flamenco is rasgueado technique. Work on it and work on controlling your rhythm. Not bad, but its still not convincing.
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Okay. Everyone work on HEARING music properly. Hear music properly and you will PLAY music much better. I have noticed that most people jump ahead in their mind when thinking about music in sections of melodies that are meant to hold out or pause. They also rush less busy sections. If you do this you will be doomed to a life of playing by yourself. GO TO DANCE CLASS and repeat over and over the same 3 compases until you can play steady. after months try to add a 4th one. Remember this is dance music. Its supposed to be funky. If all of you start to work on grooving, all of the other issues will begin to resolve themselves. Thanks for submitting these performances. I hope that you have all realized that this is really how you sound. Record yourselves at least once a week. Be very hard on yourselves. It will pay off when you get to Spain. The price of admission is compas. Start earning it little by little. Save it up so that you have more than you need at any given time. Treat it like a commodity.... like it is way more valuable than picado.
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Date Feb. 25 2009 14:59:36
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