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RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
no i always start them on the beat.
It's the notes in it you play more "compacted" to get aire (like Ron does in his vid) or not. Anders plays a few notes at the end differently aswell. I don't know wich word could be used besides "compacted" or "compressed"... Hope you get the idea.
(Isnyman...you have disabled your PM facility, so you'll have to correct this and contact me...)
If I have missed anyone out can you also contact me ASAP.
Enquiries about eligibility of contestants or acceptable inclusions or omissions to the agreed form should be addressed to cathulu, who is the challenge organiser for this one.
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to Ron.M)
Sorry I didn't check the beginners challenge forum since a while, but of course I'm still here and in the competition! (Even if I'm starting to feel that I'm far from a winning performance :))
Posts: 377
Joined: Nov. 22 2005
From: Quepos / Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
Got your message Ron.
I recorded my entry this morning. I know I still have time, but I have worn down my index finger nail so much that its about to break or crumble away any day now! Too much Buleria strumming up and down I guess.
I want to try and clean it up a bit using Audacity since my microphone is not very good, but I think it should be ok for a beginner challenge. I have NO IDEA how to use the equalizer or Gverb, but the good thing is that I have all afternoon to surf the net and learn some tricks!
I wish I had another month to strengthen my alzapua and get it cleaner, although I'm pretty happy with how Ive done this past month. I never really practiced thumb work before and now I'm hooked!
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to Ron.M)
Thanks Ron
Been away a bit. T minus one week plus or minus. Gonna record mine next Saturday, sit on it for a day, listen and record again on Sunday if necessary and be done with it!
Yes, keeping fingers in fighting shape is going to be tought. I am hard on the golpes and my developing "machine gun" rasqueo is killing my nails.
This is gonna be a good one! Glad to see we will have five or more entries! Gonna edit Mike out of the competition, thanks for being honest with yourself Mike. PS Mike, I listened to your Columbianas, very nice. I think you were sitting on the edge with this one, more into the intermediate side - but like Ailsa said, the last intermediate challenge was a very high level in my opinion requiring very high level flamenco technique to pull-off properly. So where does the true intermediate compete? And maybe all you do is play Columbianas all day and that is your strongest palo. Anyways, someone has to win the beginners challenge, next time perhaps keep your doubts to yourself as guys at your ability have won the beginners challenge in the past. Not saying it is OK to sandbag though, that is not nice and I made a point about that, but it does take a certain level of confidence (or recklessness in my case) to upload something so the real beginners often don't seem to compete, it is the advancing beginner and the "trying to make the transition to intermediate level" guitarist that appears in my opinion to submit uploads for the beginner challenge. Man I am not being consistent am I??? But you called yourself out and that was the right thing to do. You can sleep soundly with your decision! And I am glad I didn't have to make it for you, not sure what I was going to do...
But no more withdrawls from anyone else, good or less good, you are all in!
Finally, as Ron said, only one entry per contestant!
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
Well, I started late and and having a hard time. I have most of the falsetta down but having never played bulerias before, and now finding my fingers are too fat to fit 3 fingers on the alzapua part and do a pull-off......any tips would be welcomed.
Hopefully I will submit something, even if its just for the judges to put at the bottom lol. I checked and my PM is enabled,
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to lsnyman)
If you can't do the pull off, then don't, just do the alzapua without the pull-off and hit the bass note though cause that is important. That is what I would recommend.
You will have to modify stuff all the time to fit your current technique level, no matter how good you are, there is always something you will not be able to achieve. Maybe you skip notes or simplify picado, or simplify the rasqueo a bit.
I think that is pretty much true for everyone.
Don't get discouraged, my fingers had trouble at the start and slowly you will get used to it. Just adapt in the meantime.
Posts: 377
Joined: Nov. 22 2005
From: Quepos / Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
quote:
and now finding my fingers are too fat to fit 3 fingers on the alzapua part and do a pull-off
Could it be that you are not rotating your wrist enough? Your left thumb should be in the middle of the neck. The more you lower your thumb the more your fingers angle to the fret board. ideally you would want your fingers at a 90 degree angle to the fret board...this will reduce surface area and allow for more movement as well as give you a better angle for pull offs.
I agree with Cathulu though; just stay in comaps, which is the most important thing, and play the notes you can.
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
Thanks for the advice, its appreciated. Yes my wrist is rotated as far as I can but physically there is not enough space at the 6th fret for 3 fingers of my size, its also worse because my third finger has a piece missing so can only press at 1 angle....Anyway dont want to gripe, i will press on, THank you
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to cathulu)
Hi everyone!
If you are reading this post, then it is gone 8:00PM Saturday January 30 LONDON / GMT time. (It is ~12:00 Noon on Saturday for me - I am off to lunch!)
The submissions are due 9:00AM London / GMT Monday February 1. You should have received a PM from Ron if you are in the competition. If you have't, please let me know.
So depending when you read this, you probably have less than 1.5 days to get your submission in!
I haven't started yet, and I am not in a state of panic - yet.
Don't worry too much about your sound, I have heard some horribly sounding uploads due to technical recording difficulties - one with a very pronounced 60 cycle hum that almost overwhelmed the playing for example. The judges should be used to that and will filter away your recording deficiencies from your score.
But if anyone has some recording suggestions, we are all ears!
Posts: 495
Joined: Nov. 27 2005
From: North Carolina, USA
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to cathulu)
Mine is submitted! I wish it could be better but come on, we are beginners right? Tonight was my last chance to record so I had to make something happen today. I almost backed out but feel like it is kind of an obligation to send it if I can, even if I wanted to to better. All in all it was a great experience and it really brought home the importance of practicing with the metronome and not just slowly. I think my playing has improved drastically over the last few weeks just from using the metronome and trying to get old stuff I have learned to fit into time. A more than worthwhile experience.
Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
can't wait to hear you guys!
quote:
I think my playing has improved drastically over the last few weeks just from using the metronome and trying to get old stuff I have learned to fit into time. A more than worthwhile experience.
these challenges are like steroids for your progress!
Posts: 495
Joined: Nov. 27 2005
From: North Carolina, USA
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to Louis_B)
I look fwd to hearing the others but I'm pretty sure I know what the judges will say about mine already. The problems are obvioius to me and a bit more time and effort will fix them.
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
Just sent my entry. This was great practice. The hardest part was to record it for me though. I look forward hearing you guys too, and the judges critics aswell. I know I improved my rasgueado thanks to this challenge already!
Posts: 495
Joined: Nov. 27 2005
From: North Carolina, USA
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
Yep, recording is the hardest part. I think we feel like we are playing it well during practice when you can ignore mistakes or go your own speed through each section. There is no lying or fooling yourself when the record putton is pressed though. It is amazing how that little pressure affects things and how non perfect it really is.
I used to feel that I knew a few falsetas. I think now that I probably don't really "know" them unless I can play them with the record button pressed and get through them without mistakes. Again it shows how much can be learned by pushing for these challenges.
I also suffer from performance anxiety. Forcing myself to post a non perfect upload I think is good for me too. If I expect myself to be perfect before playing in front of anyone, I will never be able to perform even the most basic song.
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
Posted mine last night. It's not perfect by any means, but I'm pretty pleased.
Having never participated in one of these, I've found the process exceedingly worthwhile as a discipline. Honing and perfecting the piece. working with the metronome ramping up speed over time, isolating difficult sections, recording and careful self-critique, the process is for me more important than the end product. I think it will help all my future work a lot.
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to ashod)
I have just sent my entry. I had some "recording fever" and somehow I did manage to get my worst ever playings but still, I wanted to send something in :)
Thanks for this great challenge, the best is that I have learnt a lot from it!
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to bhandras)
Mine is gone, winging its way through the ether to Ron's inbox. Hopefully someone will capture it in transit and edit it so I sound good and I am in compas! I procrastinated too long and didn't practice with a compas loop as much as I wanted to or that I should have. Now to watch what is left of the Grammys.
Darn, not quite what I hoped.
I am with those that play better without the recorder on!
This should be very interesting... it is now in the hands of the judges! I look forward to their comments for improvement and hopefully I am doing something right!
RE: Beginners Challenge - Bulerias W... (in reply to cathulu)
Well, what a challenge. And a deep mystery yet to be solved!
I want to congratulate everyone that uploaded. If your score is not so good, don't worry, I have been there and I still am still trying to claw my way up the ladder, one challenge at a time. You will improve immensely from this process and get some good feedback. You will come back stronger, and you made a successful upload which an army of lurkers have not been able to do and never will. That means you can do it again, and play better and stronger next time. So don't get discouraged, you are just on a pathway a few steps behind.
Now, if your score is too good to be true, that is the mystery I want to see solved! Who the heck is Peterhead?????
There were seven entrants, so it is not a joke entry by one of our more illustrious members!!!!
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Good luck everybody! 
Louis_B 
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