flamenco/spanish guitar

[redundantshrimp]

okay so I was playing guitar at a recent thanksgiving family gathering. My family is Mexican, so they suggested I learn to play Spanish/Mexican/Flamenco music, but I didn't know how to play any of their songs, yatta yatta yatta.

 

So my question is, can any of you guys/gals lead me in the right direction in learning to play these type of songs? Sorry I'm not being really specific, I don't even know the difference between Mexican music and flamenco...if there is a difference......

[Pascal]

There is definitely is a difference between the two:

 

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(random vids: no soundcard on this computer)

 

And of course there is more to Mexican music than just Mariachi music. And more to Spanish music than just Flamenco.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Mexico

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_spain

[Pascal]

BTW, I suppose that all you need to do to please your family is to get the names of a few popular Mexican songs (Cielito Lindo, Besame Mucho... and more modern ones), and just learn the chords so that you can back them up as they sing.

[redundantshrimp]

thanks guys. this helps me a ton. Ill have to do some research tomorrow and find out what they were talking about.

 

I'm actually interested in the idea of learning new music so ill definitely get into this when i have time.

[Blahbbs]

Yeah, Flamenco is *very* different from traditional Mexican music. It basically has its roots with the Gypsies around the Mediterranean Sea and has pretty much settled over the years into southern Spain.

 

Me, Mr.-Cheap-A$$-Guitars-and-small-gimpy-broken-fingers, gave it a go about 10 years ago. I still have my Manuel Rodriguez guitar even though I don't play it much anymore. It is terrifically satisfying when you can nail it, but dayum, it's probably one of the most challenging styles to play. I'm not sure how you would go about learning it by yourself. I spent a year with a teacher in the Portland, OR area trying to figure it out... His teacher was some dude to did some playing with Charo.... don't laugh... Ms. Coochie-Coochie-Coo could kick some ass.

 

Listen to some Paco de Lucia (saw him live...he's a monster!), Paco Pena, or Juan Serrano to hear what can be done. Just avoid most of the milquetoast-wine-sipping-baby-boomer stuff like Jesse Cook, and most of Ottmar Liebert. That stuff will rot your brain. (I have to give Ottmar a little slack, though. I've seen him live a couple times, and when he shuts off his Rumba-playing automatons, he can pull off some nice stuff, too.)

 

See if you have a Flamenco dance troupe in your city. Flamenco isn't just some dudes strumming guitars. The dancing and the minimalist percussion round it all out.

 

I hope I didn't scare you off! Learn it and you'll be a god. I didn't get very good at it, but I think it has improved my strumming hand quite a bit.

 

Here's something to start you off:

 

--:blah:bbs

[Blahbbs]

I don't know man... Paco and his buddies look like 70's porn stars.

 

--:blah:bbs

 

(random vids: no soundcard on this computer) And of course there is more to Mexican music than just Mariachi music. And more to Spanish music than just Flamenco. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Mexico http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_spain

[Pascal]

A lot of people also call the Gipsy Kings "flamenco," which they are not.

 

Catalan Rumba.

 

A bit of trivia: the Gyspy Kings are actually French. There is a big community of Kalo gypsies in the South of France between Perpignan and Arles (this is also the area of France with a Spanish-style bullfighting tradition). Catalan Rumba is their music, and what you will hear every day in the streets.

[danhan1113]

I would start by learning basic arpeggios.

 

Mastering 120 of these alone can take years and years.

[Boy]

I play classical and have dabbled in flamenco a little too. All I can say is that rasgueados are hard as hell to master, but pretty fun to learn. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded.