Any one here play flamenco?

[Chistopher]

I'm trying to learn how and resources are fairly limited. I have the Dennis Koster book which is fairly useful, but it can only go so far and I haven't been able to find too many reliable internet resources.

My big question is about strumming with my thumb. I feel I'm supposed to have my other four fingers relaxed with an open palm when I strum, but I get much better results with my fingers closed. I don't want to practice long enough with the open hand form to get it to sound right if it's the wrong form though. But on the other hand, the closed hand form is far less economical at higher speeds.

Any advice? I'm also open to unrelated tips if you have them.

 

[playas]

Personally no idea, but if you´re looking for guidance, maybe try youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F00niYRku6s
This guy shows three techniques that he recommends practicing slowly with a metronome, building up speed bit by bit.

For the second pattern he highlights the importance of ensuring all the fingers strum with the same force.

I think you can get a good idea of what he's showing even if you don´t speak Spanish, and the captions - for me in any case - are mostly in English, although as always not very reliable but enough to give you an idea of what he´s talking about if you´re stuck.

More specifically for right hand position, the best I can suggest is to look through a few of these and try and observe how they hold their hand.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=guitarra+flamenca+posición+de+la+mano+derecha

Good luck

 

[Ashurbanipal]

There's a couple of folk on YT who show stuff very well regarding right hand techniques, palos etc. Have a look at Buscadores Flamencos (featuring in links of preceding post) and Atrafana School.

Some particular players also offer these things, like Grisha Goryachev and Luciano Ghosn, but since they derive an income from teaching, the encouragement is to take lessons from them.

With the hand, it tends to be open because the thumb is usually never strumming alone, but in concert with the other fingers. As an example, this vid of Samuelito, a young French player, shows very well rasgueado, alzapua, golpe and picado techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GJqt9XGm3M. The thumb also often rests on the low E, as support and to prevent it from ringing.

All in all, it's quite a steep learning curve if you haven't done this kind of stuff before, but, as with everything, practicing slowly/deliberately is key to develop the technique so when you get faster, it feels comfortable (strain/tension is the enemy).

A few other things to note:

– Shorter nails tend to be favoured in flamenco due to less resistance. It's certainly easier to play picado this way!
– Lower tension strings and action on the guitar also helps, and it's part of the sound. Unlike classical, we're less interested in long sustain, bags of overtones etc.; it's about having that immediate,
explosive sound and so quick successions of notes sound clear. Since one also picks closer to the bridge, these things make that easier also.
– As with all nylon string guitars, fretting right up against the fret is vital for getting a clean note; a bit of buzz (when you dig in) is ok though, it's part of the overall percussive/rhythmic vibe.

 

[JOLLY]

I wish I could play flamenco.

 

[Aceman]

I have a Yamaha Nylon string with fairly low action. I know Phrygian and a Spanish-esque progression. That's about as far as I have got. But I dig it.

 

[Aceman]

. But on the other hand, the closed hand form is far less economical at higher speeds.

Any advice? I'm also open to unrelated tips if you have them.

You do you. If at some point you can't progress, you'll have to go back and relearn. But if we know anything about guitar, it is that there is NEVER one way.

 

[Mincer]

I don't know a lot of traditional flamenco, and I always did it with a pick.