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Hello everyone! I am new to this forum so I am uncertain if I am allowed to post the following in this particular category.
Can anyone recommend me a good DVD course for flamenco?
I have been looking at the Jose Manuel Montoya series and I am contemplating this set.
I am an intermediate guitar player. I learned to play in Spain so I have a lot of influence from Flamenco in my playing already. Especially the techniques. Now being away from Spain I want to get my head around flamenco. I never took it too serious before, because it was always around.
My biggest challenge in learning flamenco is understanding of the various rhythms and techniques. So I want to start as a beginner even though I already know quite a bit.
I am looking for a course that offers a lot of excercises and also explains the music as a whole.
Is there anyone who has experience in learning from DVD's?
I have been looking at the Jose Manuel Montoya series and I am contemplating this set.
I am an intermediate guitar player. I learned to play in Spain so I have a lot of influence from Flamenco in my playing already. Especially the techniques. Now being away from Spain I want to get my head around flamenco. I never took it too serious before, because it was always around.
My biggest challenge in learning flamenco is understanding of the various rhythms and techniques. So I want to start as a beginner even though I already know quite a bit.
quote:
Can you tell me a little about how you experienced these courses and how they teach?
I have only seen previews of the Jose Manuel Montoya series but it looks very slow, more suitable for an absolute beginner.
Herrero Paso A Paso vids probably better for you. Still aimed at beginners, but progressive. Very methodical (too methodical for some!). There is a lot of explanation, and everything is demonstrated in a slow version and fast/normal version. You also get books/booklets with scores and tabs to refer to if you need it, but you can probably get most of it just from the vid.
first 3 volumes are technique. vol 1 starts basic techniques, lots of exercises and one or two falsetas as examples. vol 2 continues basic techniques. vol 3 is more advanced technique. vol 4 introduces Soleá, rhythm, chords, compás variations etc. vol 5 is falsetas por Soleá vol 6 is accompanying cante por Soleá vol 7 introduces Alegrías, rhythm, chords, compás variations and falsetas in E vol 8 chords, compás variations and falsetas in C and A vol 9 is accompanying cante por Alegrías
one thing I like about this as a "method" is that it doesn't teach "pieces" but shows the various parts, compás/rasgeo/marcaje, llamadas, falsetas, remates etc. and encourages you to arrange/improvise them yourself. It also shows the various sections put together into example solo's, if you prefer to copy them in that way.
probably best to take the first 2 volumes on technique and mix it with volumes 4 and 5 so you have something to play and apply that technique to.
volumes 4, 5, 7 and 8 all start with very simple/basic examples and progress. If you are beginner level you might only be able to play the first couple of falsetas in each volume at first, but put together with the other elements, compás variations etc. you will have stuff to practise. And the vids will last you for a while as you can go back and learn harder falsetas as you progress. If you are already intermediate or a fast learner the basic stuff is good revision and you can get the less easy variations.
This seems very good! I like the idea of teaching all the building bricks, but not the actual compositions. I never liked learning songs, always prefeered to play my own. But I love to practice technique!
Thank you for this insight! I will go for this course. Do you know somewhere I could buy all the volumes as a pack?
I use deflamenco.com too, usually compare stock and prices between them and elflamencovive.com - often the item price is cheaper on one site, but the shipping is more, and they usually work out about the same. I have never had any problem with either site.
Oscar Herrero's very good series of instructional lessons is on YouTube...
I'm sure this is a well intentioned post but is this not promoting theft of copyright material? I find it can be hard to resist all the great stolen material on youtube!
I hope I don't sound too self-righteous but paying artists for their work is important, otherwise they'll have to get day jobs and then we'll all suffer for lack of art!
Apologies. I was browsing YouTube and I saw it (amongst thousands of non-copyrighted amateur instructional videos) and didn't think! Well worth buying :-)
i have to concur with orsonw. as i understand copyright laws, just because something is on youtube does not make it in the public domain (legal definition with respect to copyright laws). orsonw raises a good point--artists depend on the pennies per unit sold and to give the unit away takes money out of their pockets.