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For those of you who have any of the videos in this series: which ones do you feel are the most useful? I have the Moraito video and I'm thinking of getting the Tomatito one. Any comments or recommendations?
Hi Phil, Without a doubt the Tomatito video is excellent. I got it last Christmas and was delighted! It's like having the best seat a a private concert. The technique? Fantastic! The music? Phenomenal! As a teaching aid? Well, there I've got to think!
In my own opinion there are fans of Flamenco, and Flamenco Guitar. And there are fans of "Virtuoso" Flamenco guitar.
If you are from the latter group then, like many, one can take 6 months working one's way through the music book and playing, reverse winding, and replaying the video over and over again until one can sort of play through the piece and no doubt at the end of it all, consider oneself a Junior Tomatito!
But is that the case in reality?
There is a TV program here in the UK called "Stars in Their Eyes" which invites ordinary folk on to impersonate various singing stars of the past and present. I sure there are similar shows in other countries. Some of them are very, very good indeed, but the truth is that the "lookalike" John Lennon with the convincing voice just goes back to being ordinary Joe Bloggs after the show.
I doubt personally that a lot can be learned by watching and listening to only the very best. A lesson from someone like El Carbonero would be far more rewarding IMO.
The things I picked up from the tape are mainly that Tomatito plays pretty hard. He doesn't just "tickle" the strings. Every action is very positive, strong and clean. His technique has been acquired over many years, not just practising, but working with other guitarists plus singers and dancers. He doesn't make mistakes because he has played the same notes and phrases for years and years in front of all types of audiences and situations. In short, it's his job and he's good at it! You ain't gonna pick that up off a tape. Better going to a local peña, watching Ondajerez or buying some CDs of singers with good, solid accompanists IMO.
Still, all that being said, it's a good video. I wouldn't mind having the whole series, but they are expensive!
Right now I only have the Moraito video in stock. I can order them at any time though. When I first got them in they sold like hot cakes but they've died down a bit.
Most of them are much too difficult for me but there a hell of a lot of fun to watch!
Merengue de Cordoba is probably the easiest one for the beginner. This tape is actually geared for the beginner and it's pretty good stuff.
So how many can I send you Pat? Tell you what. I'll give you a deal. Buy a Conde Hermanos Felipe V Brazilian negra and I'll throw in any tape! You can't beat that with a stick.
So how many can I send you Pat? Tell you what. I'll give you a deal. Buy a Conde Hermanos Felipe V Brazilian negra and I'll throw in any tape! You can't beat that with a stick.
LOL....Senior El Zurdo, some advice, from your amigo...
(you gotta watch that pat guy, he's sneaky). ¿Sí o no? ;>)
(WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY...well El Zurdo, you are on your own if you deal with that Patrick flamenco!! Him and I can never get our money straight, or our stories...! SUP WIT DAT !!)... !?
Merle
(p.s. pat, don't take my post seriously, ok? but, please send the check, your 2nd bounced again...as usual..! ;>)
In my own opinion there are fans of Flamenco, and Flamenco Guitar. And there are fans of "Virtuoso" Flamenco guitar.
Ron, I'm not particularly interested in virtuoso Flamanco guitar since I know I'll never be one. Nowadays I never buy solo guitar CD's, but I do enjoy watching the virtuosos on TV or video. I really enjoyed Tomatito's minimalist approach on the Live in Paris CD with Camaron, but I don't have, and never even heard, any of his solo work. The only complete piece I've ever learned is Paco Peñas Colombianas. I usually just try to pick up a falseta here and there with varying degrees of success. Since I'm about as creative as a xerox machine, I have to play other people's stuff.
I think you can learn a lot from watching the very best play. You can tell Tomatito plays hard and clean, but that's almost like telling someone to be good. You can also see that Tomatito is very relaxed. He seems to be as comfortable there as if he were kicking back in a Lazy Boy (that is, a deep-bottom, overstuffed chair for those on the Other Side of the Pond). Very good players are very relaxed, and I think this is something that we people who suck can really learn from! I believe that it's not so much that good people are different as they do things differently. When Tomate plays, the sensations in his fingers and forearms, indeed whole body, are quite different than ours. To a certain degree, I believe this can be emulated.
I have found that when I play confidently, eliminating tension, allowing my body to sense what must be done and not interfering mentally, that I play a lot better and learn faster!
I have only started playing this way, but I feel like I have made it over the crest of the hill! Everything else is downhill! (At least until I reach the mountain looming ahead!) It's a very nice feeling, and I didn't get it by grinding out scales and arpeggios and falsetas (although I have done a lot of that, too), but by doing some reading. I have already recommended The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green, but I will do so again. Buy this book, it will change your life! And I continue to be satisfied with The Principles of Correct Practice by Jamey Andreas. These two books have helped my mental guitar life so much. I am finally having fun at gigs!
Since you are interested in the brainthing, I was discussing something with an artist, that I found interesting. You may, or may not know, I make sculptures, And I was talking to a painter, that make some sence. He feels that the hand is teaching your brain, not visa versa. Just do things with your hand, and the brain will follow, interesting poin, don't you think?
That's true Peter, 'cos every time my legs take me to the Pub, my brain always agrees that it's OK even when it knows I should really be digging the garden!
Hi Phil, I have quite a few from this series, they are fantastic things to slot in and watch. I played for many years having learned by ear, when I actually got to sit down in front of someone and take a lesson it soon emerged that I had developed bad technique, for example I had learned to replicate a 5 note tremolo by using P, x, a, m. and i, that was 5 notes and seemed very obvious to me! The great thing about this series is that you get to see and hear it all demonstrated and you can tune in whenever you want - quite fantastic really! As for what you'll learn, there's no doubt that you'll get to see that everything you hear on the records is for real and it's real fingers at work and again that's a terrific thing. I don't try to learn to play the pieces, I have no ability to learn this way and even if I could master them, I'd just be copying Tomatito or Rafael or Moraito. I sometimes worry myself over this whole subject, I try only to play things that I've made up, well that sounds very grand, I know and I don't mean it to be, but I think it's important to try to play your own Flamenco regardless of how little that may be. There is no question about it however, that this series is well worth every penny and it's a super way of getting an insight into these guys and having your head lifted that wee bit higher. Cheers Jim.
You are right about that, but is it true on the way back??????
On the way back, my feet always say, look there is the sidewalk, "No"my brain say, "that is the railway" no,no, you can trust me, my feet say So, next thing I know, I end up in a policestation.
Same goes for the doorlock, "there Peter, there is the hole" No , no, my brain say................ ad fundum, Peter
Michael, I'm doing well. My playing has taken a bit of a back seat for now. I'm really focusing on building and having a blast learning this art. My Barbero copy is coming along nicely.
Do you know where I can purchase the Tomatito instructional video? I've seen it once in a while for $100 US but wonder if it can be had any cheaper. Also want the Cameron video that has him in it or any other video I can get my hands on that features him mostly all the way thru. brentalanfuller@msn.com Thanks, Brent.
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Nowadays I never buy solo guitar CD's, but I do enjoy watching the virtuosos on TV or video. I really enjoyed Tomatito's minimalist approach on the Live in Paris CD with Camaron, but I don't have, and never even heard, any of his solo work. The only complete piece I've ever learned is Paco Peñas Colombianas. I usually just try to pick up a falseta here and there with varying degrees of success. Since I'm about as creative as a xerox machine, I have to play other people's stuff. 
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