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.
I’m learning this piece and i have it pretty much down but I’m struggling in particular with the the golpe while doing alzapua. Everything is pretty straight forward until i start inserting the golpe. It seems that the typical wrist action that is used for alzapua doesn’t work as you are than turning your ring and pinky finger further away from the soundboard which makes it impossible to perform a golpe. I can do it with more of a pulgar technique, basically using the thumb instead of the wrist but it looks like he is still basically doing the wrist while simultaneously doing a golpe. What am i doing wrong?
Posts: 14806
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Help with Alzapua and Golpe (in reply to trivium91)
quote:
I’m learning this piece and i have it pretty much down but I’m struggling in particular with the the golpe while doing alzapua.
While everything seems fine there, and his opinion was to change the technique which is fine, however, there is a logic behind doing it the correct way (ppi NOT Alzapúa). A big part is of the reason I disagree with him, is that when you do golpe in Alzapúa, the point is to accentuate important beats. What he is doing here is flipping the pulse such that his golpe are OFF BEAT. I normally have no problem with off beat or counter time accents and such…but in this case, he is showing the most basic traditional thing and this really should not be giving the wrong feeling and idea. There are too many better options to learn how to develop Alzapúa where the golpes are in the right spots.
Anyway, you do a closing of the hand type move (pulgar and ring finger moving toward each other) as the wrist moves downward. Yes, it is the same as when your wrist doesn’t move so pulgar moves opposite the ring finger. The wrist move down in that case is only so you can have the set up for the pulgar up stroke. When going very fast, the wrist action is minimal and so is the up stroke (only catching 2 strings or so). Also, the golpe on the second string bass note is not an optimal angle (again, learn a different falseta like the intro to Almoraima or something for cryin out loud .)
RE: Help with Alzapua and Golpe (in reply to Ricardo)
Gotcha, well I don’t have to add the golpes either. I just needed clarification that I was doing it right since I find it impossible to do a proper alzupua and golpe simultaneously. The only way I was able to pull it off is doing more of a pulgar where my wrist doesn’t move much and my thumb does. I did watch the the video by Ricardo but he is not doing much golpe in there, I really only see one. I guess I can slow the video down to a crawl and see if he’s moving his wrist or thumb during the golpe. Based on what you are saying though, I should be moving mostly my thumb during the golpe as it also ensures I get the proper timing.
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Help with Alzapua and Golpe (in reply to trivium91)
Ricardo,
Great video. Alzapua is my weakest technique and I have not spent much time on it but plan to do so. What is the idea behind positioning the index finger on the treble string vs resting against the top below the strings? It feels a bit awkward to me but sure I can get used to it.
Thanks
_____________________________
Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
Posts: 14806
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Help with Alzapua and Golpe (in reply to Cervantes)
quote:
What is the idea behind positioning the index finger on the treble string vs resting against the top below the strings?
There might be times you mix in an open string and you would use i for that…however if you do proper alzapua continuously you don’t rest the index anywhere because the up-stroke p requires wrist action. In other words, what looks like “resting” is incidental touching of the string.
RE: Help with Alzapua and Golpe (in reply to trivium91)
If your still having trouble it might help if you recorded a quick video to see what your doing. If you can do a regular pulgar scissor golpe, you just need to do the same with a little wrist rotation, both at the same time.
Printable Version
.) 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread