Hello! and a question...

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vutenor

Posts: 2
Joined: Dec. 3 2011

Hello! and a question...

Hello all!

I am a beginner-intermediate guitar player who is just entering the flamenco world. I haven't played for years and am an elementary school teacher. I recently pulled out my old Yamaha steel string and started playing again. When I got online and started looking at youtube videos, I discovered flamenco!! I really want to learn. So I bought Graf-Martinez's book/CD/DVD vol. 1. Is this a good beginner text?

Also, I sold my Yamaha on ebay and bought a Cordoba 55FCE. I love the guitar...but all 3 low strings have some fret buzz...especially the low E...even after I jacked up the action pretty high. Is this something a guitar shop can fix with a good set up, or do I need to return the guitar? I don't want my low E to buzz every time I strum it hard.

Thanks!!
Todd.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 3 2011 16:09:03

avimuno

Posts: 598
Joined: Feb. 9 2007
From: Paris, France

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to vutenor)

Hi Todd and welcome to the Foro!

Graf-Martinez's book is great... it will serve as a great introduction. But I would also take lessons with a good guitarist if I were you. The thing is that it is really easy to develop bad habits in terms of technique, hand positions etc... there are many subtleties in flamenco guitar playing that only a teacher can show you. A good teacher will therefore allow you get everything right from the beginning, so that your playing will develop at a faster rate.

I would also recommend you listen to as much flamenco as you can, without neglecting the old maestros (Nino Ricardo, Sabicas, Melchor de Marchena Manuel Morao...)... and don't listen to solo guitar only, cante is very very very important.
Watching a lot of videos on Youtube also helps... watch it all... guitarists, dancers and singers.

As for your guitar, I am not a luthier but your problem might be coming from the neck angle... have it looked around at your local guitar shop if they have a repair shop.

Saludos!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 3 2011 17:46:10

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to avimuno)

Hi Todd and welcome

quote:

Is this a good beginner text?

...i am not sure, cant remember that one, i am sure its fine...all tho there's places where hes allover compas in later issues...that kind of affects my judgment on him, i think that someone that puts out a instructional book should never ever be out of compas...but that aside...the guitarist in the book i do recommend is not any better...and for the basics and a good starting point any of them is fine...everything they say about technique is correct to my knowledge.

One of the best beginners book i have always recommended to my students who are starting from nothing, in the way its set up and it explains everything in a relative way and introduces techniques in a relative way i have always said is Juan Martins, the material is simple, basic...and the book is well thought out and set up..starts at the beginning and introduces everything slowly in a way that it makes sense..

many books leave many questions unanswered, have many unexplained gaps or dont have a good structure imo, Juans has a nice small introduction in every palo, technique, position photos , cd, ( i think u can also get a dvd this days)

somehow its always the lesser players that make the better beginner books

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 3 2011 21:24:04

vutenor

Posts: 2
Joined: Dec. 3 2011

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to vutenor)

Thanks for the replies. The Juan Martin book/CD/DVD was actually the next item in my amazon shopping cart!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 3 2011 22:04:51

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to vutenor)

if it comes with a dvd get that, i am sure its way better then photos of the positions

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 3 2011 22:28:50

rogeliocan

Posts: 811
Joined: Nov. 23 2009
From: Canada

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to vutenor)

I thing the Graf-Martinez stuff is good, I really like it, he goes through all the techniques, then some palos, and is books have other nice info too.

I think you will find that everyone will tend to like what they learned with. Once you go with a set of these you definitely don't do it again.

quote:

When I got online and started looking at youtube videos, I discovered flamenco!!

So what was your favorite video?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 4 2011 0:02:00

Paul Magnussen

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 8 2010
From: London (living in the Bay Area)

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to Florian)

quote:

all tho there's places where [Graf-Martínez is] allover compas in later issues

Specifics, please?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 4 2011 18:42:19

RTC

Posts: 667
Joined: Aug. 20 2008
From: DFW Area, Texas

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to Florian)

I agree with Florian, the more you study JM books and the progression of the lessons you realize how complete a teaching and learnig tool they can be.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 4 2011 19:23:53

Haithamflamenco

Posts: 927
Joined: Mar. 6 2007
From: Bahrain

RE: Hello! and a question... (in reply to vutenor)

another todd,

hahahaha,

welcome to the foro,

work hard and practice hard, live the flamenco discover it and enjoy it,

please let me know if you need any tiny winy think,

we all here to help,

oleee