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Hola. This is my first post so be kind... I've been practicing Flamenco guitar for 6 months or so now and want to set myself a goal ... something to aim for ... so 12 months from now I want to be at a stage where I can travel to Spain and enjoy a few lessons over there. My guitar come from Granada so I wouldn't mind a school there. Hopefully I might be at a post-beginner / pre-intermediate level...
Practically I think about a fortnight would be the limit.
So.... has anyone had some experience with short term lessons in Granada, Jerez, Seville?.. Are there tourist type schools to avoid? ... Are there serious ones to aim for? ... Group or individual? What experiences have you had?
I studied in Jerez 3 summers ago with David Hill "el Poeta".
I chose him because I had a LOT of trouble understanding the local "Spanish" and he, being British, gave lessons in English. I found his teaching style tough, but good. He does expect work from his students.
I recently tried to contact him, but my email was sent back. Does anyone out there know if Mr. Hill is still in Jerez teaching?
I recently was informed that I am losing my job, so I thought it would be a good time to return to Spain and do some serious guitar study, however...I still have the same problem of not being able to understand Andalucian speak.
Anyway, I hope someone can offer some more suggestions.
You could also take a look at the link in Val's sig. Not that I'm in any way connected or even read up on it. But I did click it once so I think you might find it informative.
Gabriel Cabrera is terrific (and he speaks real Spanish!), but he's based in Malaga. You can check out some info on him here. You'll also find a link through to his website. I'm off to Spain (again, Malaga area) on Sunday for a couple of weeks and am checking out info on local guitar teachers for a couple of other people, so will post when I get back. Group or individual lessons? It depends on your preference and of course - how much money you can spare. Given that you're planning to spend a couple of weeks, don't forget that anything you learn needs practice time. Personally, I'd tend to go for a small group in your situation. I'd find daily individual lessons overwhelming. I'm sure others would have different views though.