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Hey let's all just replicate Paco's style. Or not
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guitarristamadrid
Posts: 133
Joined: Jan. 27 2010
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 Hey let's all just replicate Paco's ...
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So today I was listening to a bunch of contemporary guitar stars. And I was thinking.... damn, these guys all sound just like Paco. Or are trying to. And not quite reaching it, of course.
Ramon Montoya sounded better than those who came before. Sabicas sounded better than him. And Paco sounded even better than Sabicas. And they all innovated.
And now the current generation.... are weaker versions of what Paco was doing in the 80s.
Sweet.
Hey, I got an idea. What if we all give up trying to be Paco.
And we play better than Paco.
That's right. Paco played better than those who came before. So whoever wants to be the "next Paco" better damn well play better than him.
And I'm sure that would bring a smile to the old fisherman's face.
And you know what I'm thinking? Let's drop all this super-studio-production-reverb multitrack ****. Anyone can piece together 34934093409 different takes and edit the **** out of it and throw on effects and make it sound pristine.
But guess what.
It loses something.
And isn't that something, that dirtiness, the very essence of flamenco itself?
Who did this to us? It was the record companies. They told us all guitar recordings had to sound the same, and it had to be so clean blah blah or no one would buy our record.
**** that ****, you can't even sell records anymore. Let's bring it back. Let it sound real baby.
Some may view this as a haughty theoretical debate. Well it ain't for me. If I don't play, I don't eat. This is damn real to me.
And I got some videos coming up for you guys, answering everyone's questions. They will be up on Friday. Keep sending me emails, I apologize but I don't always have time to read all the replies in the foro.
_____________________________
Sometimes music is all you got in this world. Why do I create music? Because there was a time when I had nothing, and music kept me alive.
www.myspace.com/evancary
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Date Apr. 20 2010 5:12:57
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XXX
Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005
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RE: Hey let's all just replicate Pac... (in reply to guitarristamadrid)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: guitarristamadrid
And you know what I'm thinking? Let's drop all this super-studio-production-reverb multitrack ****. Anyone can piece together 34934093409 different takes and edit the **** out of it and throw on effects and make it sound pristine.
Come on, you know its not that easy. I am against doubleing guitar parts, coz i want to be able to play it on my own. But all the rest is just icing on the cake. What counts is the player. Improved recording technology just leads to pleasant acoustics, thats all. Instead of crappy sound, you get pleasant sound, but that doesnt mean that any flamenconess is taken away. What counts is what and how you play. Thats the music. How you pick up the music is another thing IMO.
Some of the old recordings are so bad, i cant even listen to them. But in general you are right. Paco has lead to more perfectionism in playing and recording. I see it positive, like he is an inspiration, setting the bar higher.
And just for the record: Paco is king, but there are players that i prefer over Paco any day, most of them have been to your school Evan! 
_____________________________
Фламенко
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Date Apr. 20 2010 6:19:14
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John O.
Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany
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RE: Hey let's all just replicate Pac... (in reply to guitarristamadrid)
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If we ever evolve to live longer so that our prime comes, say, 10 years later, we'd soon have guitarists technically better than Paco. For now though I think Paco has just about reached the human limit.
Paco changed flamenco and set a new standard. So really it's not that everyone sounds like Paco, just that they all play flamenco which has been deeply influenced by him. Vicente Amigo, Gerardo Nuñez, Chicuelo, Tomatito, Diego del Morao, they all have their style that I can distinguish when I listen.
But why try to be better than Paco anyways? For the sake of competition? It's just torturing yourself. I don't think his goal was ever to be better than another guitarist. Be the best YOU can be. There's a lot of great music out there, who cares if it's better than Paco?
_____________________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things
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Date Apr. 20 2010 6:22:58
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guitarristamadrid
Posts: 133
Joined: Jan. 27 2010
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RE: Hey let's all just replicate Pac... (in reply to John O.)
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quote:
Be the best YOU can be.
I totally agree. You see, comparing yourself to others is actually just a trick; it's a tool to reach deeply into yourself and find YOUR own true potential.
But if you start with the conception "person X is way better than I will ever be", then if you never make it is far as you wished you could go, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Composition. Composition. Composition. I cannot say it enough! Let's be dead honest: there is no living flamenco artist who is a truly excellent composer.
You can take the musical ideas of Bach and even a half assed player can play them on a half assed instrument, and they will still sound amazing. Why? Because they are incredibly well crafted ideas.
Why can Vicente mop the floors with Nunez? Cause for all of Nunez' technique, the dude needs to revisit Composition 101. Vicente ain't exactly an all time great in the musical idea creation department, but he knows what a melody is, and shows flashes of compositional talent. And that has been enough to take him to a higher level than any other flamenco guitarist, probably even Paco.
Those who would be musicians, heed this: great composition beats great technique any day of the week.
But don't use that as an excuse to not study technique.
quote:
Good luck with all that, dude...
I don't believe in luck.
-E
_____________________________
Sometimes music is all you got in this world. Why do I create music? Because there was a time when I had nothing, and music kept me alive.
www.myspace.com/evancary
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Date Apr. 20 2010 8:15:23
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Phrygian
Posts: 40
Joined: Aug. 19 2008
From: Sweden
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RE: Hey let's all just replicate Pac... (in reply to guitarristamadrid)
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quote:
I totally agree. You see, comparing yourself to others is actually just a trick; it's a tool to reach deeply into yourself and find YOUR own true potential.
But if you start with the conception "person X is way better than I will ever be", then if you never make it is far as you wished you could go, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Composition. Composition. Composition. I cannot say it enough! Let's be dead honest: there is no living flamenco artist who is a truly excellent composer.
You can take the musical ideas of Bach and even a half assed player can play them on a half assed instrument, and they will still sound amazing. Why? Because they are incredibly well crafted ideas.
Why can Vicente mop the floors with Nunez? Cause for all of Nunez' technique, the dude needs to revisit Composition 101. Vicente ain't exactly an all time great in the musical idea creation department, but he knows what a melody is, and shows flashes of compositional talent. And that has been enough to take him to a higher level than any other flamenco guitarist, probably even Paco.
Those who would be musicians, heed this: great composition beats great technique any day of the week.
But don't use that as an excuse to not study technique.
You shouldn't be so dogmatic about music if you're planing to be become the next Paco, just some friendly advise.
Vicente can mop the floors with Nunez acording to who you? I mean this things are a mather of taste and opinion why even compare them this way? They have different musical ideas and methods of reaching theme whether it may be by "composition" or with technique. I don't se the difference if you're goal is expressing yourself musically use your own way to get there?
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Date Apr. 20 2010 9:05:07
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guitarristamadrid
Posts: 133
Joined: Jan. 27 2010
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RE: Hey let's all just replicate Pac... (in reply to yohan)
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quote:
btw your "compositions" are also not that great
Yeah, they're just the best I can do at the moment. 'Formation' is the first thing I ever composed, about 2 months ago. And hey, it already employs more variation, development, repeated themes, coherency, and originality than most flamenco falsetas.
Why? Because I actually tried very earnestly to employ those things, whereas most flamenco guitarists have not even heard of them, and couldn't care less about them.
So after I have spent 20 years applying the same intensity to composition that I apply to everything else in my life, let's see what I come up with.
_____________________________
Sometimes music is all you got in this world. Why do I create music? Because there was a time when I had nothing, and music kept me alive.
www.myspace.com/evancary
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Date Apr. 20 2010 9:30:57
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minordjango
Posts: 918
Joined: Feb. 26 2005
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RE: Hey let's all just replicate Pac... (in reply to guitarristamadrid)
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smile to the old fisherman's face,
Vincent is a big fish , hey man i like fishing too,
and i like your energy to, some thing for me when i played jazz, just all day and it worked, no injurys maybe as i was in decent shape and in 20;s.
i think Fevictor gavegreat points, go with that man its refreshing to hear some enthusiasm , dont worry about other plays your are Evan , and wel all go down the path finding ourselves and you are rapidly with flamenco / guitar.
always look forward to ur posts nabd love to see some scale exercises in the style you sent th chords to us , its really cool m and really brilliant stuff!.
keep rockin'
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Date Apr. 20 2010 9:43:35
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