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ORIGINAL: Ricardo

Intereting to me...most students I have are lower level getting the basics of compas, techniques, etc. Advanced students are more rare and specifics can be looked at. Couple of things that raise eyebrow for me with student requests:

NO falsestas, bored of falsetas....? Flamenco guitar is made of that. Even advanced students are looking for never ending more falsetas to add to the bag they carry around and pull form as needed.

More interesting variations on compas....well, not sure how just basic compas could be boring...most often as I look around compas is THE MAIN issue all students have and trying to develop. More than technique or speed just basic compas and having a good sound feel and tempo. If you are bored doing a basic compas something is wrong.

Compas variations become more interesting as you investigate what is really and truly involved with accompanyment, which saddly can't learn completely or efficiently with only a guitar teacher. But in small doses, you don't go from doing basic time keeper to tomatito over night. As Mark said, some hours in dance class gets you on track much quicker than a one on one lesson of a teacher trying to spend time breaking down and doing super slow repeat of a single compas variation. I comes much much easier once you are a good time keeper to begin with and can try new things on the fly without losing the beat. This ties in with why I don't recommend learning flamenco as "pieces" or complete guitar solos.

finally music theory as applied to flamenco is fun as analysis, but understand MOST maestros and composers of the best famenco have no clue about it at all. I see no need why lower level students struggling with compas would need to waste time learning theory as so much more important disciplines need to be focused on at that stage of learning. Totally different if you are talking advanced experienced accompanists that want understand more of the big picture about what they ALREADY can do. That is a very humble and appropriate approach....but a student learning this FIRST is missing out on the proper discpline required to actually get to a high level in flamenco.


Ok my 2 cents. I would want todd to show Soniquete by paco, nice and slow for me.

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More interesting variations on compas....well, not sure how just basic compas could be boring... If you are bored doing a basic compas something is wrong.

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As far as theory goes, it depends how you interpret that term. Maybe it's true that most composers don't know much theory (though I highly doubt that when it comes to players like Antonio Rey, Canizares etc). But even then, when composing, they clearly utilize chords, structures and patterns that many people wouldn't know how to use by themselves.

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I am familiar with a few different guitar disciplines...they each have their own "theory" or musical structure. There is a general misconception that modern and advanced players have some sort of understanding outside of their own discipline simply because they produce sophisticated SOUNDING music. It's not true in most cases, and the mistake made is to not properly investigate fully the traditional repertoire from where the modern players have evolved from. Perfect example, Antonio Rey or Cañizares play the same tunes as PDL has done with the guitar trio. When antonio or Cañizares play those tunes, they use the same voicings as they "learned" from Paco, same as Paco learned from his background or evolved on his own based on his background. When Paco plays the same tune next Mclaughlin, Mclaughlin used totally different voicings as per his own discipline. There is no need for students way below theses levels to assume a need to understand theory concepts as per OTHER genres and try to apply them to flamenco, in hopes to achieve the "understanding" of an Antonio Rey. They are better off simply studying the traditional approaches...same as any beginning student of flamenco.

And about intermediate vs beginner material. I am not a big advocate of "easy compas" beginner material. I think "basic compas" is different, and refers to the same "base" that Sabicas or Tomatito are both familiar with and use at all times. In most cases the basics are personal as per which ever guitarist or perhaps their style or region or town or family they come from, but the idea that there are graduating levels is misleading. There are, but I consider EVERYONE a beginner until they can set themselves up with a base of compas of some sort. And that includes hot shot shredders, seasone professional rock jazz or classical guitarists, or noobs that only know C F and G. They are ALL the same until they demonstrate an understanding of the base compas. From there it is possible to build and learn via the FLAMENCO DISCIPLINE...that means regardess of how good they were in an other genre, they have to start and follow the same process as any other beginner....or else they will run into trouble along the way...trust me.

Ricardo

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Great idea! Keep at him, I'll sign up too

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Ricardo, you know so much stuff, and you have so much great material,
i think YOU should be doing online lessons.

I could set up the site, shoot and edit the video, audio, write out tabs, etc.. All you have to do is show up at my house once a week for a session.

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cause u ignoring mine

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Ricardo, you know so much stuff, and you have so much great material,
i think YOU should be doing online lessons.

I could set up the site, shoot and edit the video, audio, write out tabs, etc.. All you have to do is show up at my house once a week for a session.

I think we could blow Jason's and Tanaka's site's out of the water.

Better material, better video quality, better audio quality, and list goes on.
I know you have limited time, but it sure would be cool.

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Hey Flo, which thread do you mean? I missed it!?

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Todd,
Munin brings up some really valid points, there is no resource out there (absolutely zero) that deals with flamenco theory, harmonizations etc in a simple manner.

If you can come up with a way to break it down in simple (theory for dummies) style and speak in normal english not the hyperbole that theorists get into then you will have a niche that will work well.

Also compas variations would be great, by this I mean the strumming changes and patterns .... again something that is never taught. For example take a moraito bulerias he has so many compas strumming patterns ... but no one breaks that down and teaches it, its always falsetas and more falsetas .... boring.

You don't have to worry about Tanaka, he doesn't update his site or respond to emails anymore.