Mirror mirror on the wall...

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Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Who has the fastest picado of them all? Well, Paco... but what was I talking about? I was practicing some picado licks from Barrio La Vina today. There is this interesting sequence in the silencio-like part in E minor, four picado runs, each with a little half remate. Each sequence is a different pattern; only one of them is a straight up scale. Yet to the untutored ear, all basically sound like "fast scales." I think one of the things at play is that Paco knows he needs to get from A to B, but to play "fast" he can't just go straight.... he has to zig zag and swoop and undulate. This is a real neat little sequence and I recommend learning it. It's a good exercise for picado!

I was just practicing this in the mirror and got another great benefit. Practicing in front of the mirror is great, phenomenal. It can really help you make positive changes in your technique, as well as your "picado face." One thing I noticed was that when I was playing a descending scale, from the high-pitch e string to the low-pitch E string, was that my little finger would start gripping, tensing up, about when I had crossed over to the fourth or fifth string. Not coincidentally, I'm sure, this is where I would usually get tripped up.

To play fast, powerful licks your fingers have to be relaxed. Tense fingers lose their coordination and start to miss the mark. There is no way I could have seen this without the mirror, but now I know it is there and can begin to eliminate it. Soon I won't be having any problmes with that particular scale, I think.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 12 2004 23:10:17

Billyboy

Posts: 389
Joined: Aug. 18 2003

RE: Mirror mirror on the wall... (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

There plenty of guitarists out there with picados just as fast as Paco's, if not faster, once so Tito Heradio in Liverpool, and his picado was phenominal, like a machine gun going off.
Dave

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 13 2004 11:06:37

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: Mirror mirror on the wall... (in reply to Billyboy)

quote:

There plenty of guitarists out there with picados just as fast as Paco's, if not faster

I have to agree with Billyboy. Two others who come to mind is El Viejin and Niño de Pura.

The mirror is like you say a great tool. I wish that was all it took to get me to play lightning picados.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 15 2004 0:43:16