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I am paying for Flamenco lessons, 1 hour once per week. I am told he is the best flamenco teacher in town, he shows me stuff, rhythms and falsetas, and I try and perfect them for next week. We discuss the music a bit and my technique. He is very knowledgeable and performs regularily.
I spent four weeks on Tangos and now starting to do some Bulerias to break things up a bit. I will go back to Tangos I figure in a while, back and forth to keep variety going, until I can nail one real good and I am happy with it.
I feel like I may be able to get more from the lessons but not sure what to ask or look for. Any ideas?
RE: Getting the most out of Flamenco... (in reply to cathulu)
cathulu wrote:
"I am paying for Flamenco lessons, 1 hour once per week. I am told he is the best flamenco teacher in town, he shows me stuff, rhythms and falsetas, and I try and perfect them for next week. We discuss the music a bit and my technique. He is very knowledgeable and performs regularly.
I spent four weeks on Tangos and now starting to do some Bulerias to break things up a bit. I will go back to Tangos I figure in a while, back and forth to keep variety going, until I can nail one real good and I am happy with it.
I feel like I may be able to get more from the lessons but not sure what to ask or look for. Any ideas?"
Tangos is certainly one of the basic flamenco palos and bulerias seems to be extremely popular. Back in the 1960's I had the opportunity to study for a year and a half with a gypsy, Jesus Escudero [Mario Escudero's father]. We focused on Solea which is one of my favorite palos and one of the core flamenco cantes. We also worked a lot with Siguiriyas, my next most favorite. These are both cante jondo and thus filled with emotion, but not much 'flash' like bulerias.
I am a bit old fashioned so my tastes are most likely different than yours. Go with what appeals to you and soak up as much as you possibly can of everything that he has to offer. It sounds like you have been presented with a marvelous opportunity.
Have you done any background reading about the gypsy way of life? Flamenco is a way of life, you know. Immersing yourself in the history of Spain, the complex culture of Spain, the poetry and literature of Spain, and the trials and tribulations of the gypsies could enhance your musical endeavors and bring more in the way of 'soul' to your playing.
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Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Getting the most out of Flamenco... (in reply to cathulu)
It is important to supplement your lessons with your own explorations. Buy or otherwise acquire as much as you can in the way of flamenco recordings. Explore some tablature or make your own transcriptions by ear if you can. In addition to what your teacher shows, perhaps he can help you with them! (not entire pieces, but just falsetas of course!).
And start developing some taste for cante and cante accompanists...it will help a lot as you learn rhythms and techniques. Also if your teacher performs in friendly bars or restaurants, go hang with him if you can. If a juerga starts up, don't be shy about showing what you know interms of compas. don't KILL the juerga of course!, but in a way, juergas are "free" lessons. You can gain a lot more in that environment than in your room.
RE: Getting the most out of Flamenco... (in reply to cathulu)
I just discovered that videotaping can be useful, especially with the homework.. with video you can recheck fingerings, hand positions etc and spend less time retracing things on the next lesson. off course, your teacher would have to be comfortable with it.
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You can gain a lot more in that environment than in your room. 
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