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ToddK's pick technique
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Miguel de Maria
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to TANúñez)
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There are lots of ways to skin a cat. My partner plays with a pick and it's interesting to note his strengths and limitations--although he's never really tried to play fingerstyle with it. Arpeggios are difficult, although possible, tremolo the same. Alzapua and scale passages easier by several degrees. As long as someone can use their pinky, they have the same number of appendages, right? Then it's just a matter of practicing the movement. Movements do not have to be optimized in order to work. For example, although fingerstyle players could play tremolo faster than Todd... probably there's no need to, the repertoire doesn't call for it. This is why lots of virtuosos don't have "textbook" technique. They have gotten their way of doing it to the point where it is as good as it needs to be. Whether if they had used a more conventional way to do it they could do it better is, basically, irrelevant. The only thing I can really say is that I don't like the sound of pick for flamenco. I started off in this Latin guitar thing playing pick, and switched to fingers because I didn't like the sound. Plus I hated carrying picks in my wallet! :)
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Date Dec. 14 2003 15:14:38
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Guest
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
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Miguel, The reason you're not getting the right tone from the pick, is because you're using the wrong pick. You have to use a nylon pick, about 1.30mm thickness. And you have to cut it to a specific shape. In addition you also have to cut divets near the tip, to get the "side of the thumb" tone. Its obvious in the video and my recordings that there is no difference between the sound of the pick and the sound of my nails. However, this takes a long time to achieve. I never planned all this out. It just happened over the course of about 10 years. Due to playing many different styles, most of them requiring a pick. Oh, and i can do tremelo twice as fast as in the video. I slowed it down because the object of the video was to demo the technique, and not to show off speed. I can easily match or surpass any conventional flamenco player in speed. Cheers Miguel!!:) Toddk
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Date Dec. 15 2003 16:48:52
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Miguel de Maria
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to TANúñez)
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Todd, you play real well man... but picado and pick sound different. That doesn't have to be a criticism, it's just an observation. And what I said about the tremolo is that it doesn't matter which technique is better--if both techniques can achieve the requirements of the idiom, they both suffice. Now if you're telling me that you can pick a bass note and then switch an inch and a half down to pick a treble note faster than a normal player can play a bass note with his thumb and then hit an i finger positioned a mm away, well... that just doesn't make any sense to me. But if both styles are sufficient to play Recuerdos or Sabicas speed falsetas, it really doesn't matter, does it? On the other hand, thanks for the info about the picks. The other night I was playing outside and it was about 50 degrees outside...now in this situation, pick is definitely better than picado! Try playing sixteenth note runs with two icicles and you'll see what I mean. Simon, man, thanks for the link to the Django website. I had never taken the time to become acquainted, even passingly, with this man. Now that I'm starting to get into improv sounds like he's a must listen. Did you see that chromatic lick they have tabbed out? You use your second finger to fret notes from the fifth to the fifteenth. That's wicked.
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Date Dec. 15 2003 18:29:16
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
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Pick and picado sound different" 99 percent of the time, yes they do. But not the way i pick. The way i use the pick sounds identical to finger picado. I've had countless people ask me how i worked up such a fast picado, and i tell them "with a pick" They usually dont believe me. Thats why i tend to post videos from time to time containing different techs. I am able to perform true "picado", that is, each note stops, before the next one starts. The way pickers try to emmulate this is by muting the strings. That adds definition, but it doesnt sound anything like finger picado. What i am able to do is, pick lines with the stop between notes. How do i do this? Well, i guess i'm going to have to make another demo. Its too hard to explain. It took me a LONG time. And your question about playing the six string and moving an inch and a half down to pick a high string? Well, thats easy, i use M and A just like you use I and M. I simply pick the bass note, and finger the high note just like you do. I can alternate between the pick and M or A freely in the middle of a line or argegio. Would you like to see video of this? I'd be happy to post it. I'm a little baffled as to how you didnt catch this in the video Zurdo posted here. I'm clearly alternating between pick and fingers in the arpegios. I'd like to say that, if it seems im trying to start a battle, i apologize. I'm getting weary of always having to explain or prove my self. Well, its probably self induced.:) That's not what making music is about. And i'm sorry if this comes across as aggresive in any way. You know how it is when you work very hard, and people are sometimes quick to dismiss you. The purism surrounding flamenco makes it even harder. It doesnt change what i'm doing, but its discouraging nonetheless. My best to you Miguel!:) Todd (thinskinned)Kreuzburg
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Date Dec. 15 2003 19:25:52
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Miguel de Maria
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to TANúñez)
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Todd, you know, because of my having a Mac, I didn't get to see the video, sounds like I misunderstood the technique. The way you describe it, makes a lot more sense. Sounds like you've invested a lot of time in your pick/picado... that's good stuff. I love when I see other musicians who take their art so seriously, as you obviously do. Anyways, about the other stuff, you're an excellent player, Todd, you don't have to explain yourself. I agree with you 100%, playing is playing, doesn't matter how you do it. You know, whenever someone says a negative thing, 90% of the time their negative comment actually expresses their own insecurity. They're just vocalizing their own problems. Good luck on everything.
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Date Dec. 15 2003 19:33:26
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Guest
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
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Ah, the beloved Macintosh!! Yeah, that explains it. I was really scratching my head trying to figure out how you could have thought what you thought after viewing the video! Now i understand!!! I agree with you fully!!! Its all about the result, and not so much how you're getting that result. Thanks for the interesting debate! I hope maybe you can post some of your playing sometime. Something tells me you're probably an excellent player. Instinct i guess. Its usually the soft spoken humble guys like yourself who are the real motherf!ckers! Best regards, Todd K
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Date Dec. 15 2003 20:00:53
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Guest
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to Guest)
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Hey Miguel, i dont mean to push this issue, but i thought what i'd do is post this MP3 of an Alegrias falsetta i wrote recently. Maybe you could tell me what you think? And, listen closely to the "Pick" "ado" at the end. Does it not sound like finger picado? http://djmichaelk.com/todd/toddmp3/alegrias.mp3 Thanks Miguel!!
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Date Dec. 15 2003 20:09:32
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Guest
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to Florian)
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Yeah, this is the first Alegrias falsetta i've ever written. I have a few more now. Its just a matter of putting it together. I like to record them individually first, and listen for a while. Its a good way to chisel them down, so they're musical and to the point. Your advice helped me alot actually. I got out some cante stuff that i hadnt listened to in a while, and that gave me tons of ideas. I'm listening in a different way now. Thanks Florian. And thanks for the wonderful compliments!!! I love your stuff as well!!:) Toddk PS sorry, i've been stumped on what to send you for excercises. I'll think of something eventually.
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Date Dec. 15 2003 22:43:02
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Guest
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
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Yeah, lots of money would be nice!! Practicing all day doesnt make me lots of money, so maybe a pick/finger DVD would. I'm going to make another video demo this week, and this time it'll be my "Pick" ado, and alzapua. Maybe some rasgueado too. And dont worry, this time i'll make 2 formats of it. One in Windows media, and one QuickTime. I'll also convert the current video into QuickTime so you can check it out too. Be back soon!! Toddk
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Date Dec. 16 2003 0:06:42
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Guest
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RE: ToddK's pick technique (in reply to Phil)
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Hey Phil, thanks for the encouraging words!! I agree about the modern players straying too far from the form. I still listen to Sabicas, Nino Ricardo, Serranito alot, i'm still very much obsessed with 50's and 60's flamenco. I want to try to do the newer style alegria, but with the sensability of the old school players. Sabicas is my hero! And, yes, i hear similar comments about the Benevant bass tone. I guess that just comes down to taste. Sometimes im not sure if i do the bass stuff because i like it, or because i think its what people want to hear in the new style. Luckily, its very easy to remix it, and simply mute the bass out. I use a program called Guitar Pro 3, to tab material out. I can send you a Guitar Pro 3 file, or i can also export the file as Standard Midi File. Can you work with either of those? If not, let me know what i could do to get you the tab. I will eventually complete this alegrias, and when i do, you can have the whole thing in tab. Let me say again, i'm extremely pleased that someone like yourself, who's on the purist side of things, so to speak, enjoys what i'm doing with flamenco forms. That's extremly good for my confidence as a player. It fuels my creativity when i know real deal flamenco lovers enjoy my stuff. Let me know about the tab thing, ok. My email address is below this message. Todd Kreuzburg toddk@comcast.net
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Date Dec. 16 2003 6:24:14
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