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Hi. I am looking online and was wondering whether you guys could suggest any good online Flamenco teachers for 1 on 1 Skype lessons.
I have looked around a little bit. One instructor that caught my untrained ear and eye was Ruben Diaz, he seems very knowledgeable in the field and plus him being a student of Paco de Lucia meant he could offer a greatly unique perspective.
I also contacted a Youtuber by the name of Luciano who I've been subscribed to for a very long time and teaches the style of Vicente Amigo. Both seem like a good choice. However, I was hoping people to get a second opinion from people of expertise :)
I messaged a few other people who advertise themselves as online teachers but never responded for over a week now (Not going to mention their names to make them look bad).
Any other suggestions? Who do you think I should go with?Is there someone else that I haven't found about?
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to Guest)
if i was recommending online material (non live classes) i would suggest Jose Tanaka (modern & traditional), Jason McGuire (Modern and Traditional), Antonio Davao (Traditional, but alot of examples from various regions huelva, moron, jerez etc) Ricardo Marlow also has some online lessons on flamenco-teacher.
Alot of value for money with a monthly subscription.
If looking for skype face to face. I can recommend, Jesus Agarrado "el Guardia" (toque jerezano), Miguel Salado (toque jerezano) and Nino Manuel (traditional and contemporary), Ricardo Marlow (forum member here who contributes alot)
Depends alot of what level you are and what you wish to learn, there is alot of variety out there
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
Just be careful with people claiming to be "students of Paco de Lucia".
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Posts: 223
Joined: Mar. 17 2015
From: Virginia USA
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
I took Skype lessons with Ricardo Marlow for a period over 20 months or so. Very good and patient teacher. You can search his name on YouTube and on this forum as to see his style and performance. I think he still gives first 30 minute introduction lesson free.
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
quote:
One instructor that caught my untrained ear and eye was Ruben Diaz, he seems very knowledgeable in the field and plus him being a student of Paco de Lucia meant he could offer a greatly unique perspective.
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
Thank you all for your suggestions. I will take all of them into consideration and I appreciate it.
Not trying to throw gasoline on fire but, what is the issue with Ruben Diaz? I searched the forum briefly and could see a few jabs on him here and there in posts but couldn’t quite tell. All I care about is the legitimacy and teaching skills he has to offer are those tainted and is he not an actual student of Paco de Lucia??
Posts: 6447
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
quote:
Not trying to throw gasoline on fire but, what is the issue with Ruben Diaz?
He is not welcomed here nor are discussions that have been had many, many times before. A search here will reveal more than a "few jabs". They are quite specific and we cannot recommend him but you have several other recommendations to consider.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
quote:
ORIGINAL: hasnoona
Thank you all for your suggestions. I will take all of them into consideration and I appreciate it.
Not trying to throw gasoline on fire but, what is the issue with Ruben Diaz? I searched the forum briefly and could see a few jabs on him here and there in posts but couldn’t quite tell. All I care about is the legitimacy and teaching skills he has to offer are those tainted and is he not an actual student of Paco de Lucia??
Early interactions on foro in 2009 pulled up a lot of red flags on the individual. After the smoke cleared we learned about some of his more sinister behaviors.... basically a con artist to be avoided at all cost. Here is an early quotation directed toward him in 2009 by one of our beloved contributors, the late Ron Mitchell (rip), from which you can easily infer what was going on after his first appearance on here.
quote:
Dear, dear, Ruben.....
What can I say?
What was your motivation for that post?
Or as Florian would say, "How did this play out in your head, man? Did you really think this would suddenly convert people to liking you here?"
Nobody has said you are a rotten guitarist. On the contrary, folk have applauded your technique and free lessons. (which might account for the popularity of your website also. People love freebies.)
However nobody seems to like your polite but cold personal communication style, nor your desire for self-promotion and your intolerance for any kind of criticizm of your views.
Hence there seems little need for you to be on a discussion Forum, since your opinions are already fixed.
I feel you have joined this site, not for the intention of making friends and discussing stuff with other members, but rather for the purpose of "phishing" for "admirers".
Perhaps you have no need for people to like and respect you just as a person and not for what you can do on the guitar. Then again, maybe you are so much in awe of yourself that you don't really need anyone else.
To have posted an apology to Jason McGuire and perhaps offered to help out with some of our challenges etc would have at least been a good start. But instead, you chose to shove your website statistics in our faces to "prove" what a grand and well-known figure you are.
When you shoot yourself in the foot once, well, that could be an unfortunate accident. But to do it twice in quick succession is just plain stupidity.
I'm sure even Paco de Lucia himself did not get to where he is by insulting his audience.
Anyway, I am moderating your posting as of now, which means your posts will be submitted to one of the Administrators before being published, as you are bringing down the positive mood of the Forum.
I suggest you take a break from here and have a long think about how someone with a superb Flamenco guitar technique like yourself could bomb so badly on one of the most popular English-language Flamenco Forums on the Web.
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to Piwin)
quote:
"students of Paco de Lucia"
AFAIK Paco de Lucia didn't teach because
1) He didn't have the patience to slow down for anyone
2) Almost noone could keep up with him
3) He was so successful he didn't need to
There are several pro guitarists who claim to have been "students of PDL" or to have "studied with PDL" in their publicity but the only people IMO who can make any kind of claims like this are those who actually played with him, and are credited on recordings and concert schedules etc.
List would include:
Ramon de Algeciras Paco Cepero Enrique de Melchor Julio Vallejo Jose Maria Banderas Juan Manuel Cañizares Jose Jimenez "El Viejín" Antonio Sanchez Dani de Morón
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Joined: Nov. 8 2010
From: London (living in the Bay Area)
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to mark indigo)
quote:
"students of Paco de Lucia"
The same applies, with a very few reservations*, to “students of Sabicas”.
*Apparently he did teach a little to earn a crust when he was living in relative poverty in Mexico. Also, I heard that if you told him you were going to record one of his pieces, he would check to make sure that you got it right.
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
quote:
The same applies, with a very few reservations*, to “students of Sabicas”.
*Apparently he did teach a little to earn a crust when he was living in relative poverty in Mexico. Also, I heard that if you told him you were going to record one of his pieces, he would check to make sure that you got it right.
From what i've Sabicas showed people stuff when he hung out with the guitar bit of food, vino y toque. from what i've heard but did not teach per se, but showed concepts and ideas.
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to henrym3483)
quote:
ORIGINAL: From what i've Sabicas showed people stuff when he hung out with the guitar bit of food, vino y toque. from what i've heard but did not teach per se, but showed concepts and ideas.
In 1962 I was stationed at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground, north of Baltimore Maryland. If you wore your uniform you could ride the bus to New York City on the weekend for $8. The chief drawback was that when you exited the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the con men following you formed a line half a block long, and if you got into a cab, they gave you the grand tour of Manhattan and tried to charge you accordingly.
I hung out at Zambra, a club not far south of Central Park, where Fernando Sirvent was the house guitarist. Sabicas often showed up for the Saturday night juerga which ran from closing time at least until sun-up Sunday morning. Sabicas would be accompanied by an entourage of young men, mostly Spaniards, and one of an assortment of dazzling young blondes.
Sabicas was friendly and conversed with strangers like me. His entourage told me Sabicas always had a guitar in his hands except when he was eating, playing poker, or in bed. They said that if asked, he would slow down and explain something, but he never “taught.”
One of my friends who played in some of the bigger poker games in NYC responded to my questioning with, “Sabicas, Agustin? Oh, little Spanish guy, flashy diamond ring, wears a wig, they call him ‘Gus’? Yeah, he plays—-and wins.”
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
quote:
I hung out at Zambra, a club not far south of Central Park, where Fernando Sirvent was the house guitarist. Sabicas often showed up for the Saturday night juerga which ran from closing time at least until sun-up Sunday morning. Sabicas would be accompanied by an entourage of young men, mostly Spaniards, and one of an assortment of dazzling young blondes.
Sabicas was friendly and conversed with strangers like me. His entourage told me Sabicas always had a guitar in his hands except when he was eating, playing poker, or in bed. They said that if asked, he would slow down and explain something, but he never “taught.”
One of my friends who played in some of the bigger poker games in NYC responded to my questioning with, “Sabicas, Agustin? Oh, little Spanish guy, wears a wig, they call him ‘Gus’? Yeah, he plays—-and wins.”
Richard that must have been a privelege, one question, ever hear of Juan de La Mata, was he in a lot of the flamenco circles with Sabicas. according to some people?
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
Yes, it may be that Juan de la Mata lived in New York at that time, since I saw him often in those days. Fernando Sirvent’s sister Amor had a Spanish gift shop in Washington DC, near Dupont Circle and the Guitar Shop, originally owned by Sophocles Pappas, Segovia’s friend.
The first time I visited Amor Sirvent’s shop in 1962 I asked her whether she knew of any flamenco guitars for sale. She had one in the shop which belonged to a friend. After I played a few bars of solea, she said, “Tocas en compas. You know that I have a dance school. These American girls, they want to express themselves. They can’t understand that flamenco is rules, rules, rules!”
The Sirvents and the guitarist Carlos Ramos were payos, but they were well integrated into the east coast flamenco community.
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Paul Magnussen
“If there is a guitar in the room, he will play it. For the first hour, it’s wonderful. After two hours, your attention is starting to flag. After four hours, you can’t stand it any more, you have to go out of the room.”
Paco Peña
Nevertheless, some of Sabicas’ stuff, and some of Mario Escudero’s as well, seems to have rubbed off on Peña
Posts: 3497
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
quote:
Nevertheless, some of Sabicas’ stuff, and some of Mario Escudero’s as well, seems to have rubbed off on Peña.
Sabicas influenced both Paco Pena and Paco de Lucia, different as each turned out to be. In fact, it would probably be hard to name a late twentieth century flamenco guitarist of any renown who wasn't influenced by Sabicas in one way or another.
Bill
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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
quote:
In 1962 I was stationed at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground, north of Baltimore Maryland. If you wore your uniform you could ride the bus to New York City on the weekend for $8. The chief drawback was that when you exited the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the con men following you formed a line half a block long, and if you got into a cab, they gave you the grand tour of Manhattan and tried to charge you accordingly.
I hung out at Zambra, a club not far south of Central Park, where Fernando Sirvent was the house guitarist. Sabicas often showed up for the Saturday night juerga which ran from closing time at least until sun-up Sunday morning. Sabicas would be accompanied by an entourage of young men, mostly Spaniards, and one of an assortment of dazzling young blondes.
Sabicas was friendly and conversed with strangers like me. His entourage told me Sabicas always had a guitar in his hands except when he was eating, playing poker, or in bed. They said that if asked, he would slow down and explain something, but he never “taught.”
One of my friends who played in some of the bigger poker games in NYC responded to my questioning with, “Sabicas, Agustin? Oh, little Spanish guy, flashy diamond ring, wears a wig, they call him ‘Gus’? Yeah, he plays—-and wins.”
RNJ
What an excellent anecdote, always love these stories , Thank you and Cheers
RE: A good Teacher for online Flamen... (in reply to hasnoona)
In a time where everyone was still very secretive in how to play the flamencoguitar Sabicas was always willing to show you a thing or 2. Unlike others he had no fear for copycats since non had the technical skills to match him.
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He does a 2 hour online session each week for those accessing his online materials. He responds to both pre-sent requests and online chat during the session. And the questions and demos are not restricted to his materials.
Never seem to be more than 8 people chatting direct, if that. And he gets through every request.
Probably not what Hasnoona you are asking for but it is a half way house if anyone else wants to check him out. All in Spanish I should say. Or maybe there are others out there doing similar?
I also use Antonio Dovao. I'm sure he does skype. He is always responsive to any questions I send him. He gave lessons to our friend Anders (in exchange for lessons on construction I believe).
Must say I do English lessons for spaniards and find Skype a pain the the rear end. But I guess if there's no one local what choice do you have.
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