Flamenco Guitar Lessons
By Ricky Sharples
Twenty or thirty years ago Flamenco guitar playing, at least as perceived by people outside of Spain was dominated by a couple of third-rate guitar players who were good at promoting themselves. Now you can see many fantastic guitar players, professional and amateur, Spanish and non-Spanish giving wonderful Flamenco guitar performances on YouTube. Here is a rundown on the guitar techniques you will be introduced to if you decide to take Flamenco guitar lessons.
So onto some basic Flamenco guitar techniques. The most distinctive technique used in Flamenco is the tapping on the body of the guitar. This technique is called the golpe and is performed just below the sound hole. Flamenco guitars are made with a tapping plate to minimize damage to the guitar from constant hitting of the body. The golpe is often used in conjunction with downward strokes of the thumb and with continuous up and down strokes of the index finger used by guitarists playing the Flamenco musical form called Bulerias.
The rapid picking exhibited by Flamenco guitarists is called picado. This is also used in classical guitar but to nowhere near the same degree. It is a “rest” stroke which is played by striking a string with an upward stroke of the first or second finger which comes to rest on the string behind it. So if you play a rest stroke on the second string the finger comes into contact with the third string after it has struck the note. Flamenco scale passages are played as picado using rapid alternating strokes of the first and second fingers.
Another Flamenco guitar technique is the use of rapid arpeggios. Arpeggios are played by placing the first, second and third fingers in position on the first, second and third strings as if you are going to pluck a chord. Instead of plucking all three strings you lift your whole hand slightly so that the fingers play the strings in rapid succession. The thumb and fingers of a guitarist who has practiced this technique can play some very fast arpeggio passages. The effect is similar to sweep picking used in rock guitar.
The thumb is uses almost exclusively in downstrokes. This is another rest stroke where the thumb plays, for example, the sixth string and comes to rest on the fifth string before starting the next stroke. It may seem strange to anybody who has not tried it to make the thumb and fingers “rest” between strokes, but this technique can produce some very fast thumb and picado playing.
Another technique used in Flamenco guitar is the tremolo. This is a technique for producing a long line of melody notes accompanied by the thumb playing bass notes. This technique was borrowed from classical guitar and differs in that Flamenco tremolo is played with four notes between each bass note whereas classical guitarists only play three melody notes between bass notes. In most guitar notation systems the thumb is shown as “p” (for the Spanish “pulgar”), the index finger is shown as “i” , the middle finger is designated “m” and the ring finger is “a” (for annular which is latin for ring).
To play a continuous E on the open first string of the guitar, use the fingers and thumb in this order:
Play a bass note on the open sixth string with your thumb using rest stroke.
On the open first string:
Play a free stroke with i
Play a free stroke with a
Play a free stroke with m
Play a free stroke with i
You have just played one bass note followed by four melody notes. To continue playing, make an E chord with your left hand and alternate the bass notes between the sixth, fifth and fourth strings.
As you can see these techniques are hard to explain in words. They are easier to understand if you use my written descriptions in conjunction with watching Flamenco guitarists on video. It will take some hard work to actually use these techniques, and I strongly suggest you take lessons from a guitar player who knows how to play Flamenco.
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Flamenco Guitar And Strings – Advice for Beginners
By Sal Bonavita
The simple answer is No! For a beginner, any (nylon stringed) classical guitar will do the job.
Having said that, there are 2 points of confusion that are worth mentioning. They may seem obvious to most people, but I’m here to tell you they are not obvious to everyone.
1) Any guitar with steel strings on it is NOT suitable. There was a time when certain styles of Country and Western and jazz guitars were advertised as “Spanish guitars” for some unknown reason. (I think because they have roughly the same shape as a classical / flamenco guitar). If you look hard enough you may even find a few books of the 1920’s , 30’s, and 40’s which have plectrum style music for these “Spanish guitars”. The equation seems to be: Flamenco = Spanish music = let’s play it on my grandpa’s Spanish guitar. Now where did he put those plectrums? Or something like that.
2) Another common misconception is that the bass strings on a classical guitar are steel. On the outside they look the same as their steel brothers but that’s where the similarity ends. Classical guitar bass strings have many fine strands of nylon woven together inside the copper winding. If you look closely you will see these strands poking out of the end of the string.
3) The action needs to fairly low without producing excessive string buzz.
4) A solid wood top produces a better tone than a factory laminated wood guitar.
5) A tapping plate (golpador) needs to be attached on the top of the guitar. Genuine flamenco instruments already have these but any decent guitar repair shop or Luthier can stick one on for you. Right hand tapping techniques can certainly damage the guitar if this protection is not there.
6) Flamenco guitars are generally lighter in construction. I personally don’t like heavy guitars. For me a guitar must feel comfortable and “user friendly”. Heavy wood guitars like some classical guitars don’t do it for me.
7) When I was learning I bought cheap guitars only. Mainly because I could not afford to pay $500 or more for a expensive hand made guitar by a respected luthier. That doesn’t mean a second hand non-flamenco factory made guitar is no good. For example, I think Yamaha makes good beginner classical guitars that are more than suitable for learning flamenco with an attached golpe plate. I was pretty rough on my guitars so I never got precious about an instrument. When my guitar needed replacing, I just visited the local second hand guitar shop and spend an hour trying out different classical style guitars. A guitar does not have to be expensive; it just needs to “speak to me”. What I mean is that it needs to feel comfortable and have a strong tone.
One consideration that I think is important is whether the strings maintain good tone even if they are fairly worn. This has more to do with the guitar than the strings themselves. That’s why trying old guitars in a second hand shop is a good idea if you just want a cheap beginners instrument. I would try those with worn strings first. The problem is that many guitars sound all terrific and sparkly with band new shiny strings but quickly lose their tone after a few days.
Strings – Which brand? What tension?
A brand of strings that suit one guitar may not suit another. The best way to determine which is best for your guitar is through experiment. Some popular brands are Savarez, La Bella, Augustine and D’Addario. If you’re not sure about tension choose normal tension.
Extending string life
1) Bass strings will naturally wear as a result of contact with the fret wires. Before this wear becomes excessive, loosen the string and pull it through the hole at the saddle about a centimeter or so. The idea is to shift the worn section so it appears over the spaces between the frets when you tighten it back up again.
2) Reverse the bass strings when they become worn so that you end up with a fresh section over the sound hole.
3) Use a cloth impregnated with lemon oil before and after playing.
Brighten up dull strings
1) Perspiration on the hands may dull the resonance in the bass strings. If this occurs, loosen the strings and tighten them up again.
2) Another, more radical method is to wipe the tightened string with a cloth soaked in methylated spirits. Lift the string a couple of centimeters at the 12th fret and let it slap back to the finger board. This should loosen and shake some of the gunk out of the strings.
Changing strings
It is always a good idea to change the strings one at a time in order to maintain a constant tension on the neck and bridge. Tune each new string up to concert pitch before removing the next old one.
Sal Bonavita’s website, “Sal’s Flamenco Soapbox” has been instructing beginners since 1998. Download free tutorial ebooks, guitar lesson videos and articles relating to flamenco. Visit http://herso.freeservers.com/
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