Pedro Sierra exercise test run.

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

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.

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>General >>

Page: [1] 2 3 > >>

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

johnnefastis

Posts: 631
Joined: Jan. 10 2012

Pedro Sierra exercise test run.

Hi everyone.

This set of exercises from Pedro Sierra was recently discussed here.
http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=197351&p=1&tmode=1&smode=1

They cover all the basics arpegios, pulgar, alzapua, picados, tremolos, ligados, etc. Some interesting runs things I never practice but no Compas or rasgueados, so I guess it would only be a part of your routine.

The interesting thing is that they are structured in a sequence to practice in. This is something I have never seen done before.

I was wondering if anyone else is up for the challenge of trying them for a month or so. I am hoping that they will take me into some uncomfortable territory and push me out of my comfort zone and interested to see how they will improve my technique.

I thought it would be great if a few of us tried it and reported back.

Anyone else up for it ?

Cheers

Simon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 14:17:37

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

i am going through them also...some i knew from before some i am just discovering now

quote:

I am hoping that they will take me into some uncomfortable territory and push me out of my comfort zone and interested to see how they will improve my technique.

of course, me too...that's whats great about new exercises...

it comes from a man with great technique

i like to instead of metronome slow it down in transcribe and do mine along side his audio

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 14:34:07

Elie

Posts: 1837
Joined: Apr. 10 2010

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

been listening to those exercises on spotify, they sound interesting
mmm guess I will buy that book

_____________________________

http://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarristaAD

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 14:52:45

kudo

Posts: 2064
Joined: Sep. 3 2009

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

I am up for it too! I will buy the audios from itunes. it would be nice if someone could send me the transcription

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 15:56:21

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to kudo)

so far tonight gone over 003 - Pulgar - 01

006 - Picado Cromatico (its great cause u having to change leading finger mid-scale)

and Alazpua

i like doing the picado one combined with the pulgar one...as one gets tired i go straight into the other

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 16:13:53

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to kudo)

quote:

I am up for it too! I will buy the audios from itunes. it would be nice if someone could send me the transcription

il send you one page so you dont feel left out tonight...and get a taste for what it is

In fact here...a sample...everyone can join...the chromatic scales that change leading finger midscale...if you like it buy it...its cheap...once you get to the end you go straight into it again without stooping..David Cerreduela showed me something similar

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (1)

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 16:24:00

Elie

Posts: 1837
Joined: Apr. 10 2010

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

yes I am in too
and I will buy it shortly

Flo is there English comments for exercises ? like tips, advices etc ... ?

_____________________________

http://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarristaAD

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 16:31:26

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

not really ...theres bio, etc but nothing particular about the exercises...but u do have the audios...combines with the audio they pretty self explanatory
aim for the clear tone, volume and perfect timing as the audio..

there is a great book on stretching and exercises without guitar..
its in Spanish but it has drawings

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 16:33:44

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

quote:

The interesting thing is that they are structured in a sequence to practice in.

are they? are you sure the sequence is actually intentional? he had to put them on the cd in some order, but whether there is actually any significance to the sequence..... i'm doubtful.

The arpegio exercises over the E,A-,A7,D- etc. chord sequence are not right next to each other but separated by some other stuff, but apart from that....

quote:

it would be nice if someone could send me the transcription

you can get the tabs download from his website, very cheap

edit: just checked, not his actual website, it's on here, 3 Euros;

http://www.tradebit.es/filedetail.php/117812135-tablaturas-tecnicas-de-guitarra-pedro-sierra-rar

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 16:43:31

kudo

Posts: 2064
Joined: Sep. 3 2009

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

quote:

there is a great book on stretching and exercises without guitar..
its in Spanish but it has drawings

whats that book called?? I WANT IT!!

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 16:58:02

johnnefastis

Posts: 631
Joined: Jan. 10 2012

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

Hey its great that a few of you are getting stuck into these. I think I am going to have a few fingering questions and it will be nice to see what people find hard.

Mark this is what he writes in the notes.

quote:

I present this first
installment of "Guitar Techniques" created by Pedro Sierra. It is a series of basic and simple exercises recorded and mixed in the chronological order in which they must be practiced. Following the order of the recording, both hands will be warmed up and developed simultaneously. This CD is also useful because the guitarist often forgets the order of which the exercises should played as well as the speed of the metronome for each exercise.

So I think the order is probably important, but maybe its set up like Florian suggested, so when one technique gets tiring you switch to another. Does anyone know him well enough to ask for a bit more info ?

Kudo if you buy the book for €3 from the site above you get the warm up document as a PDF and all the exercises as jpegs. Its not brilliantly produced but well worth €3. I would send it to you but hopefully some of the money goes to Pedro Sierra its probably best to snap up the bargain and just listen to samples on itunes and Spotify.

Right I am going to get working on some now. Florian I am not sure what you mean by finger switching in that picado exercise. Is it something to do with those weird brackets. I am not sure whats going on there ?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 20:13:36

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

quote:

Is it something to do with those weird brackets. I am not sure whats going on there ?

yes you dont have to think about it ...if you are alternating automatically every single note...the finger with which you lead changes...at the end of the ascend and at the end of the descent

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 20:24:14

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

btw...id love a really good hard working and pushing left hand exercise...if anyone has one

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 20:27:14

Elie

Posts: 1837
Joined: Apr. 10 2010

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

btw how many tracks on the CD ?

I see here Arpegio Medio which is number 20 but on spotify the last one is a minor scale that is number 19

is it a bonus or something ?

btw I like the alzapua and the hindu picado .. both sounds cool

EDIT: mmm never mind they're 19

_____________________________

http://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarristaAD

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 20:31:14

johnnefastis

Posts: 631
Joined: Jan. 10 2012

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

Hi Florian do you mean this one ?

I am being stupid. I can't work out how the im pattern can switch as they are always in even groups of four. Wouldn't you need a 5th note somewhere to switch it from im im im.... to mi mi mi....

I still don't really understand the brackets.

Also are you playing it all with just your 1st and 2nd finger on the left hand. Because you could use 1st and 2nd then use 2nd and 3rd etc etc. It would be harder thats for sure.

Cheers

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (1)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 23:00:14

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

quote:

Hi Florian do you mean this one ?

no i mean from the page i posted...if you start leading with IM and keep alternating following the exercise at the very end of the ascend on fret 14 B string it changes to MI until u get all the way back to the start and then again it changes to IM....but this all just happens naturally if you keep alternating...

and you can also change the finger you start with to MI

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 1 2012 23:25:51

johnnefastis

Posts: 631
Joined: Jan. 10 2012

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

Ah yeah I get it. Thanks

Doh I get the bracket thing now too. Its obvious on the CD it is finger 1 and 2 then 2 and 3 then 3 and 4. Then you shift position by one fret and start all over again.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 9:43:00

Sr. Martins

Posts: 3077
Joined: Apr. 4 2011

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

I dont get whats so great about those exercises.. They are the absolute basic anyone learns when starting on anykind of guitar playing..

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 15:23:19

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

quote:

I dont get whats so great about those exercises..

the fact that they come from a man with impeccable technique...i understand what u saying its nothing special about them, could come from anyone...and one could easily look past them...but the fact that they come from him carries a lot of weight for me..if he tells me this are good as far as i am concerned they are good...i am going to pay them extra attention

lets face it many of the other guys that write this books dont match his technique or are known popular A list guitarists...

but its not really that exercises are brilliant revelations noone has thought about before...its like anything else...you have to do it...any exercise anyone else that knows what they doing writes is good ...as long as you do it and do it properly

the fact that this ones are written by P.Sierra gives me the motivation to pay extra attention...and that's a bonus for me

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 15:27:08

Sr. Martins

Posts: 3077
Joined: Apr. 4 2011

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

Hmm...ok. Most of the great rock/metal guitarists do these as standard routine for finger independence.

You should check them out, Satriani has some good and more complex examples not only for scales but arpeggios too.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 15:38:18

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to Sr. Martins)

quote:

You should check them out, Satriani has some good and more complex examples not only for scales but arpeggios too.

i'd love too ...I have no idea where to look or what I am looking for (never done other styles, dont know the lingo)... , if you have one in mind u wanna show please do

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 15:39:50

johnnefastis

Posts: 631
Joined: Jan. 10 2012

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

I think the ones we posted here are the more common of the set. There are also flamenco tremolo and alzapur exercises you wouldn't get in other styles + the scale exercises are based around common flamenco pattern as are the chord sequences in the arpeggio studies.

The thing that struck me is that they are a set that you can work through in an hour or so daily. I have the Granados book which is fantastic but I think it would take you hours to play everything in there.

I thought it would just be good to try to stick to Pedro's regime for a month and see what happens.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 16:06:21

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

quote:

I thought it would just be good to try to stick to Pedro's regime for a month and see what happens.

yup...if i dont play like him after a month of doing this i am chucking them in the fire

and i am gonna make an angry call " -wtf are you doing wasting my time Pedro you Spanish bastard ?!!

"

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 16:13:47

Sr. Martins

Posts: 3077
Joined: Apr. 4 2011

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

Ok, Ill look them up for you or even write some myself. They are usually called chromatic exercises/warmups and they can go to the extent of covering every finger/string combination you would ever play.

Iam only saying this because what was posted here is sooooooo basic that I couldnt believe someone was enthusiastic about it, thats because of different backgrounds for sure.

Now its time to have dinner

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 19:34:31

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

quote:

Iam only saying this because what was posted here is sooooooo basic that I couldnt believe someone was enthusiastic about it

lol

well they came at a perfect time for me, i got a show in about a week and i was looking for some inspiration, the fact that they new to me, they pedro's.. we doing it together.. and I am practicing technique 6 hours a night...its enough

sometimes takes the smallest dumbest things to get me happy....i am enthusiastic cause for me its absolute perfect timing finding this new exercises and perfect timing to be inspired..i go through bad patches too

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 20:42:22

Sr. Martins

Posts: 3077
Joined: Apr. 4 2011

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

Hey Florian, here's some stuff that I just wrote in guitar pro. Its just a few examples of some of the stuff I do more often. Its all based on variation and going up and down the neck, I guess you get the idea so there's no need to write the whole thing down.

Hope its helpful, I can make more if needed

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (1)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 2 2012 22:11:51

Florian

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

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

hey thank you very much for the effort buddy this is great !!!..gonna this ones today

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 3 2012 4:36:20

Elie

Posts: 1837
Joined: Apr. 10 2010

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

ok need some help here

how is the "exercise #5 : Pulgar y picado" done ? what does "P alt i-m" and then "P/i-m" mean ?

does it mean the whole exercise should be done by P and then repeated using i-m ?

or should it be done : P I P M P I P M P I P M P I ?

thank you guys

_____________________________

http://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarristaAD

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 3 2012 9:13:52

johnnefastis

Posts: 631
Joined: Jan. 10 2012

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

Hi Elie,

I haven't got comfortable with this one yet so hopefully thats a good thing. Looking forward to nail it.

I think alt im simply means im im im .....

And then you switch to Pulgar every time you shift position. ( where it says p / im ) You can hear the change in tone on the CD but it is subtle.

I think P I P M P I would be an insane challenge and probably not so good for your technique.

Florian will probably know the answer better than me but I think thats right.

How are you doing with the others ? I find this hard, and I am still taking it very slow on the arpeggios until I am really comfortable with the chord changes, but they are easier than the chord progressions in the Granados book.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 3 2012 9:26:11

Elie

Posts: 1837
Joined: Apr. 10 2010

RE: Pedro Sierra exercise test run. (in reply to johnnefastis)

thank you for the great answer johnnefastis (believe it or not but I never thought of that

hehe)

you know Jason McGuire has the same exact exercise so im kinda familiar with it .. but the pulgar thing confused me

so far I practiced the first 6 exercises and I really like the book .. its structured in a nice way and the fact that its played up to speed is great because its like you're playing with pedro (as florian mentioned), and when you aren't able to reach his speed you know that you have a weakness there and you need to fix it and work hard on it.

I was hoping for some rasgueados exercises too but I think he's keeping them for volume 2

and many thanks to you man because you brought this book seriously otherwise i wouldn't buy it

and again we all have many exercises but for me they are scattered here and there and I feel lazy finding them
so whats making me feel comfortable is that they are finally in one place

Ole !!

_____________________________

http://www.youtube.com/user/GuitarristaAD

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 3 2012 9:59:24