Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
Do you think a person should focus only on one instrument or try himself on a variety of musical instruments ad music styles?
If you have the time, it would be great to take up more than one instrument because you would be able to achieve a good level of playing each instrument. If you have little time, then you will end up just fiddling around with several instruments rather than being good at one.
klarinet, violin, percussion, drums, bass, all sorts of guitar and south american stringed instruments. have a lot of high quality analog synths as well
As a kid I would spontaneously get not too bad sounding stuff out of piano.
If in the mood ( and only then ) I can deliver up to pretty well on percussion. ( Got standing ovation. ) Also dipped toes into harmonica, - without achieving anything worth mentioning.
Guitar is my true love. -
My cousin performs on a bunch of wind instruments, including the weirdest ethno flutes. Plays the charanga and a fine guitar.
He is a much better explorer than I am. The guitar alone is enough of a challenge to me.
In addition to playing flamenco guitar and classical guitar, I also play a little piano. And one of these days I'm going to get myself a full-size piano.
RE: Playing on several instruments (in reply to Doitsujin)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Doitsujin
To the title: You better do one thing very good than many things average. I think Confucius said something like that. ^^
That depends on what you consider 'one thing'. You can look at playing music as the 'one thing' and it doesn't matter how many instruments you play.
I think you should play everything and anything that you like playing. Don't worry about playing something because you think it's going to help you with something else, just do it out of love.
I play (or have played) in addition to the nylon string - electric guitar, trumpet, oboe, sax, and harmonica. There's nothing like the nylon string (for me anyway).
Fiddle, bluegrass guitar, and play bluegrass, jazz, blues and rock on the banjo. When I returned to flamenco after many decades, I found that the facility I had developed with my right hand on the banjo was a plus for relearning flamenco guitar. I did find some interest in Spain in the five string banjo; Pedro Maldonado Jr. was especially interested and wanted to talk banjo while I was into his guitars.
RE: Playing on several instruments (in reply to Ricardo)
I think its entirely plausable, especially if the instruments are of the same family (e.g. strings)
quote:
Understanding percussion is good for any musician or discipline.
At the same time I admit that too many people involved in flamenco think banging on a cajon is fun and easy....and that is really annoying to me.
So true, I bought a cajon a while ago and failed miserably. I've just started learning the Hang Drum which is in my opinion the perfect match between melody and percussion.
_____________________________
“I’m retired now so the practice is down to just 4 hours” - Julian Bream
RE: Playing on several instruments (in reply to ArtZumer)
this is not advice for anyone else...each to their own...i guess if i was passionate about 2 instruments then it would be 2
but...i dont wanna spread my attention between 2 or 3 or 4 instruments ...i wanna just get the best i can at one, there is plenty there to keep me occupied ...I spend every spare moment on just one and still feel like i don't have enough time with it...i also do palmas a bit but that's not really another instrument ...the practice still counts towards flamenco guitar
Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON
RE: Playing on several instruments (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Ricardo At the same time I admit that too many people involved in flamenco think banging on a cajon is fun and easy....and that is really annoying to me.
Banging on a cajón is totally fun. Killjoy
Dude, more than one instrument? Christ, some of us have day jobs, ya know! I barely have enough time to practice flamenco...
Posts: 15412
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Playing on several instruments (in reply to Adam)
quote:
Dude, more than one instrument? Christ, some of us have day jobs, ya know! I barely have enough time to practice flamenco...
Hmm....what's this "day job" thing I keep hearing about....and people "going to work" ????....strange, I know nothing about this weird thing, sounds REALLY bad....well back to napping or practicing, eating, or having sex with my wife, which ever I feel at the moment.
RE: Playing on several instruments (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
Understanding percussion is good for any musician or discipline.
At the same time I admit that too many people involved in flamenco think banging on a cajon is fun and easy....and that is really annoying to me.
Here is El Piraña one of the cajon maestros. There are some good cajon/palmas moments below, especially under the falsetas. I think that Guadiana as well as being a great singer is a very good palmero and can of course be seen as a young man in many performances doing palmas along with Bobote.
A couple of months ago I saw Paco Pena when he came to town - his cajon player was probably the most astounding percussionist I've ever seen - anyone know his name?
_____________________________
“I’m retired now so the practice is down to just 4 hours” - Julian Bream
Printable Version
) 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread